When it comes to energy and water consumption, eating locally could be one of the biggest steps in reducing the agriculture industry’s impact on the environment.

The idea of “farm-to-table” formed as a social movement promoting food consumption from local farmers and producers in an effort to reduce food waste and costs of food travel. The goal of farm-to-table is to consume food as close to where it was produced.

“Farm-to-table” picked up national traction in the 1970s with the opening of Chez Panisse, a Berkeley-based French restaurant that built up a network of local farmers and ranchers for its food sourcing. Since then, the food production model is associated with a sustainability-focused approach to agriculture and gastronomy. 

When it comes to the current food production model, “fresh” produce may not be so fresh after it travels thousands of miles (estimated 1,500 miles) and even the highest quality of beef starts to taste questionable when just four ounces of it takes nearly 500 gallons of water to produce.

According to the International Water Association, food systems the interconnected activities, resources, and communities involved in bringing food from the farm to the table. General water and energy footprints are calculated considering the foods’ food system—the amount of water required for irrigation in crops or for producing feed for calves are included in the food system.

Industrial food production has spiked these footprint numbers as 26% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions come from food production and half of the world’s land use is used for food production.

A major source of damaging gas emissions is transportation. According to the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service, even processed food can travel over 1,300 miles and energy-intensive forms of transportation, like air travel, can still have greater emissions when traveling shorter distances.

Fuel, refrigeration, and packaging all add up when food travels across the country or across the world. Additionally, food is lost in the process—the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimates that up to 40% of food is lost before it even reaches the market.

Cutting out the middleman of massive travel and distant producers can shift the excessive numbers of energy and food waste. Eating “farm-to-table” reduces energy consumption from transportation and supports local businesses. A limited reliance on industrial meat production could change the amount of water used in meat food systems.

Joining the farm-to-table movement doesn’t require opening a restaurant — investing in produce from local farmers markets is another way to bring food straight from the farms to the dinner table. As the farmer’s market industry is expected to reach $1.4 billion in revenue in 2024, consumers seem to find an increased appreciation for buying directly from farmers
Not only does eating locally reduce food travel mileage, but supports agriculture native to communities. Growing crops in climates where they naturally thrive supports climate-resilient agriculture and advances biodiversity of communities. From the pasture to the plate, a reinvestment in locally grown food and “farm-to-table” concepts is a major step in reshaping the future of food.