Why Local?

There are lots of reasons for choosing local food! Key reasons include:

• It supports the local economy. Purchasing locally keeps your money circulating within the community for a longer time. For example, for every £10 spent on an organic box scheme, £24 is generated in the local economy; by comparison; every £10 spent in a supermarket generates £12 for the local food economy.

• It supports the local community. Linking local producers with consumers creates a business link, but also has educational and social benefits, particularly in CSA arrangements. Members of CSAs often feel a commitment to the farm. This leads to understanding of issues and a growing awareness of seasonality.

• It tastes better. For the consumer this is often number one. Local food travels less far, so it can grow longer and reach the table faster – and therefore tastes fresher!

• It's good for the environment. Reduced food miles mean reduced transport costs and fewer global warming emissions. Less intensive growing and production can lead to more biodiversity.

• It can allow choice in growing methods and pesticide use. Fresh, local organic vegetables are 40 times less likely to be contaminated with pesticide residues. 

• Local food is a major way to support health and fitness. The production and transport of food affects the environment in which we live, and the food we eat is fundamental to our health and wellbeing.

Local food is not elitist! Individuals, families, schools and some other businesses want local, fresh food, but have difficulties finding it. This was highlighted in a survey carried out in 2003/2004 in various areas of the Highlands. The Highlands & Islands Local Food Network will show local people where to find local produce, and help local producers find this local market.

Good for Consumers

People who have found local food are usually enthusiastic:

'It's good to get proper tasting vegetables' – a 'regular' at a monthly produce stall.

'We look forward to our weekly box of vegetables, and the challenge to cooking with them.'
'The children (and us, to be honest) are now discovering seasonality, and learning to base our meals around what is available.'

'We always thought that fresh, organically grown vegetables meant far more expensive vegetables, but it doesn't have to be that way.'

'We like knowing where the meat is coming from.'

'I'm willing to pay a bit more if I know that the money supports a local farmer, and not a supermarket shareholder.'

'By becoming a member of my CSA farm, I'm able to have some say in the way things are grown and the range of produce.'

Despite the fact that most people surveyed would like more local food, over 80% of our food is purchased from supermarkets, and only 3% direct from producers. Yet few producers in the Highlands and Islands supply supermarkets for a number of reasons, and many find it uneconomical to do so.

As a result, consumers will need to change too. This means learning about seasonality, learning to accept vegetables in a variety of shapes and small blemishes, and learning to source some of their food outside the supermarket. Education is needed too – about the health benefits, and how to cook with what is locally available.

‘I’d like to buy local food, but it costs far more than the supermarket.’

This is often cited by people as the reason they don’t buy fresh, local food. Is it true?

The short answer is: sometimes yes, but often no.

Where there is a good supply of local produce, and when it is in season, quite often the supermarkets are more expensive. A study by the CSA Earthshare in Moray, did a comparison in September 2004 of prices, packaging and food miles between their vegetable box and a similar buy from the supermarket. Earthshare found that their vegetables worked out much cheaper – and they could supply a wider range than the local supermarket.  Similar studies elsewhere in have also found fresh, local vegetables at the farm gate to be cheaper than the supermarket.

Supermarkets often keep their prices down by squeezing the local producers – and this is true throughout the world as well as here. Fair trade is an issue abroad, but it is also an issue for our own producers. 

Good for Producers

Producers growing locally in the Highlands and Islands range from very small scale to large commercial busineses. Many have found it a valuable and rewarding experience:

'The produce market is sold out by 2pm… we can’t keep up with demand, and could sell three times our existing production.'

'We have expanded from 2 to over 30 producers and we are still nowhere near saturating the market….the market has expanded as we have expanded…people used to think there was no local supply so as a result there was no local demand.'

'The CSA subscriptions are the most viable part of our business at present.'

'Start small and grow slowly. Get the quality right and you will have long term members who really support what you are doing.'

'Most of my neighbours will retire soon, and so will I...we need more young people in farming...Direct marketing what you grow offers a route to create a better income and a more interesting and fulfilling job. It’s a real job in the countryside.'

Local producers who have registered with the Network are described in the Eat Local section of this website. Here are a few examples from the Highlands and Islands:

Woodside Croft

This small croft raises lambs, chickens and makes soap. It sells direct, via a farmer's market and in selected local shops. The lambs are advertised in the local paper. Eggs are supplied to the local school, and, if surplus, in local shops. The soap is sold direct or via a farmers' market and shops.

Earthshare

Earthshare is a large CSA, providing a wide range of local vegetables and fruit for over 200 families near Forres. Earthshare employs farmers to grow on land leased to the group. Participation is encouraged amongst the members.

Wester Lawrenceton Farm

Wester Lawrenceton Farm near Forres is an example of how the CSA model can be applied to allow farm expansion. When the owners of the dairy farm wished to increase their herds, they invited existing customers to purchase shares, with the interest paid in cheese.

There is clearly a market for local food. A recent survey showed that consumers want to buy locally. Even allowing for over-expressed demand, the potential consumer market in the Highlands and Islands is worth £2-3 million a year, equivalent to 120 jobs on farms and crofts. If Highlands and Islands growers are willing to change what they do and work with local consumers, there is a significant market opportunity that only small farms and crofts can access.

The Grow Local section of this website has information for producers or potential producers, including information about training, sources of funding, and technical issues.

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Good for Health

Everybody eats, but the importance of food in people’s lives is so much more than nutrition. Food has cultural and social significance and affects our health in the widest possible sense. Work and income has a major impact on health; there are more people employed in the food industry than any other. Involvement in the food economy can either be direct or indirect, and can include growing, processing, preparing, transporting, cooking and selling food. The production of food has had a major impact on our environment and landscape throughout history; from runrigs to fish farms and drove roads to 24 hour supermarkets.

So, although good nutrition is key to good health with direct impacts on heart disease, cancer, diabetes it is also key to understanding the influence food has on health in the broadest sense.

The health record in Scotland is a major cause for concern. Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a major cause of death and ill health. It affects over 3% of the population in Scotland (approx. 6,000 in Highland) and accounts for over 20% of all deaths (Coronary Heart Disease in Highland – Future Impact). Fruit and vegetables help reduce high blood pressure, control weight and therefore protect against heart disease and some cancers .

There are several interesting projects underway in the Highlands and Islands which are trying to get the healthy eating message across and ensure access to good, local and healthy food. These include:

Food for Thought

A lottery-funded project, with two delivery areas, in Lochaber and in Caithness, to address issues of food and health. The Lochaber project aims to promote healthy eating as a way to tackle the high levels of cancer in the population, and offers a series of workshop and educational events. It has close links with the Lochaber Larder. The Caithness project focusses on raising awareness of and access to nutritional foods and cooking techniques.

Local Food for Local Schools (Skye) / Food for Life (Strathpeffer)

These two projects are both encouraging the use of local produce in schools.

Local Food for Local Schools is a two–year project in Skye where five local primary schools, with a total of over 200 pupils, will use local produce in school meals. This project also aims to raise awareness of availability of local produce, its role in improving the health of the local community – especially its younger members – its importance in economic and educational development as well as helping to increase skills in growing and food preparation at all levels.

Food for Life is a national project being piloted within the Highlands by Highland Council at Strathpeffer Primary School. The project will introduce more local and organic produce, improve food education and reduce the amount of processed food used in school meals. It will use at least 30% organic produce, source 50% of the ingredients locally, use less processed food and improve food education.

Healthy Hearts

Healthy Hearts is a Healthy Living Centre based in Gairloch and Lochbroom, formed to address cardiac issues for the 45+ age range. It also seeks to empower and enable individuals to take responsibility for health issues. A survey and public meeting attended by 30 people (out of a possible 70 households) showed a clear local demand for local fresh food. This has led to initiatives such as regular columns on health issues for the local press, cookery classes (very much in local demand), and a pilot course in Achiltibuie focussing on health and food. A group of local growers have now launched the Good for Ewe group, aiming to grow and sell local produce.

Fas Fallain

A three year project based in Stornaway, Fas Fallain encourages healthy eating and the provision of fresh, locally produced food in the Western Isles. It offers training and advice for individuals and communities to grow their own food and sell surplus, as well as events in cooking, and healthy eating on a budget. The project's current funding from the LEC and Big Lottery is drawing to an end, and Fas Fallain is currently evaluating its initiatives and looking at future plans.

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Good for the Community

An increasing number of community groups are trying to source or grow local food. Projects vary, including shared allotments, school gardens and horticultural associations. Many agencies within the Highlands and Islands are supporting producers and community groups who wish to expand local food production. These include support for new crofting entrants and ventures and training schemes.

These community projects vary widely depending on local situations, but all aim to create healthy and more sustainable communities. Projects concerned with local food are listed in the Eat Local section of the website. Some encourage local people to become involved. Here are a few examples:

Skye and Lochalsh Horticultural Development Association

This is a grower organisation which was established over 10 years ago to help replace lost growing skills, imported produce which was of questionable quality, and to enhance economic sustainability in a remote rural area. The organisation is run by its members who comprise local crofters, commercial growers, enthusiastic gardeners, amenity sector workers and supportive consumers. To date they have been involved in a number of innovative projects including a New Grower Scheme, Marketing and Distribution Project and are currently involved in establishing the supply of local produce for use in local school meals. The Association also offers regular in-house training courses to its members. Produce is available through local outlets, hotels, restaurants, box schemes and a weekly market stall throughout the growing season (June – October).

Mull Meat Project

The threat of closure to the local abattoir, combined with the illogical practice of local meat being sent off the island and then reimported for local use, led to the Mull Meat project. An independent butcher's shop was established to sell local meat. As Pat Logan, a business development project worker with the Mull and Iona Community Trust, explained: 'It's holistic. If the abattoir wasn't here, farming would be further in jeopardy. Without cattle, particularly Highland cattle, you don't have the grasslands and the rare fauna that the Argyll islands are famous for. Keeping the abattoir and helping farming also helps tourism.'

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