NOW Toronto: Want to feed the economy – why not pay us to eat local?

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Munch on this...
Want to feed the economy – why not pay us to eat local?

Wayne Roberts


Strange to say, but people still claim they can’t afford the switch to healthier and more sustainable foods. Well, time to blow the cover on that well-worn alibi.

A few weeks back, attending an academic food conference in rural Pennsylvania, I came upon the amazing research findings of Hugh Joseph, a food security expert at Tufts University, home of one of North America’s leading public health schools.

Here’s his bottom line: it only costs about $10 extra a month to eat local, sustainable food. That’s all. Considering the extensive social and economic benefits, what a bargain.

The discovery suggests a pretty inexpensive way (compared to bankrolling an auto behemoth into bankruptcy, for example) for governments to support people who want to adopt a recession-fighting, health-promoting, global-warming-averting diet.

But more about policy implications later. ..............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.nowtoronto.com/news/story.cfm?content=169886