Apparently, being a “locavore” not only spotlights one of the biggest food trends in years. It’s not only the reigning buzzword in the food biz–it’s also been named “Word of the Year” for 2008 by the New Oxford American Dictionary. How about those apples? What is a locavore?
A locavore is a person who focuses on purchasing, preparing and consuming foods grown locally as much as possible. Why is this a big deal? Think of it: this growing trend has induced consumers to shop at farmers’ markets and local farmstands in increasing numbers. This has spurred increased purchases in natural and organic produce, sustainable agriculture and a bit of a reduction in greenhouse gases.
According to a terrific article on 2008 food trends in the Philadelphia Inquirer, titled: Trends on 2008’s Front Burners, this can only lead to: “…a healthier environment–and healthier consumers.”
Besides the inclination to purchase local, fresh, natural and organic foods, several other food trends were spotlighted in the article:
* Probiotics. If you haven’t noticed already, these healthy bacteria that have made yogurt such a wonder food, have been added to a number of other food products of late.
* Natural zero calorie sweeteners. No need for chemicals. Check out the natural herb stevia, and the intro of erythritol.
* Umami. The Japanese art of adding rich ingredients to punch up flavors in foods without adding fats, sodium, sugar, calories. . . .
* Eco-friendly. From sustainable agriculture to environmentally sound foods and food packaging.
* Farmers. Producers of the foods noted chefs and gourmet food purveyors are using will be put in the spotlight more and more.
* Convenience food. More take-out food options to load into your mobile phone’s memory for instant speed dial.
* Online groceries. Catching on as delivery times and order fulfillment improve.
* Niche eateries. Tapas bars, sushi and seviche bars move over. There are more specialty focused cafes on the way.
* Cooking with kids. More cookbooks on the subject than ever, as well as kids’ cooking classes and prepacked kids’ foods and beverages in the markets.
* Bottled water? With environmentalists railing about the huge amount of plastic waste generated–even if it can be recycled–purified tap water is becoming far more attractive.
What do you think of these trends? Am I missing something that you think belongs on this list?
Better yet: can you coin a word of your own that you think captures a current trend? I’d love to hear from you.
Ted, I frequent a local farmers market and do so under the assumption that the farmers get to keep the margin they’d send to a retailer. Plus there’s the “fun element” of sunshine, a stiff ocean breeze, rickety produce stands and unique homespun items. It’s often nice to get back to the basics.
Ted, I think this trend is good for independent farmers, specialty grocers and the consumers who have the inclination and money to drive it. However, I don’t think we should demonize or cast “regular” corporate grocery chains and retailers as the “bad guys.” Hopefully, there will always be room for both in the marketplace. There are a lot of low-income people who work for these large entities and/or need them for their own lower-cost food supplies. I doubt that organic farming can ever be as cost-effective or ubiquitous as the large-scale, mass-produced kind.
What would be nice is to see this trend spill over into corporate farming so we can wean ourselves away from heavy-duty chemical pesticides. I’d be interested in learning whether there’s any R & D taking place in the development of more natural farming applications that are effective and won’t contribute to an increase in food costs.
Hi Ted, having read some of Michael Pollan’s new book, I see many of these social trends as important and on the rise.
I’d like to see more products made with natural sugar, instead of high-fructose corn syrup. That could be economically possible if the U.S. actually worked with world sugar prices. Just another instance of the power of the corn lobby and industry foothold.
Thanks for making some good observations, Paul, Elaine and Mario. It’s been a busy week, but I wanted to respond to your comments. There’s no substitute for buying fresh, locally grown produce is there, Paul? Not only is it nutritious for your family, but you get to enjoy the experience of walking around outside and appreciating a basic, simple pleasure of life.
You bring up a very good point, Elaine. Many local supermarket chains are becoming better places to shop; I’ll say that because they are trying to source more locally grown foods in many instances. Locally grown produce doesn’t have to be certified organic to be nutritious; and it isn’t overly expensive, either. To answer your last question: large scale organic farming isn’t on the horizon yet, but with increasing consumer pressure and demand, it may be one day. That would be desirable since growing organically produced foods in volume would no doubt lower prices. We’ll have to stay abreast of developments and report on this as time goes on.
Thanks to both of you for adding to the conversation. I appreciate it.
Ted–
Not sure if this is a buzzword, but it is an acronoym that is starting to get buzz: SPIN farmer. These are sub-acre farmers who are growing commercially in their backyards, front lawns and on neighborhood plots. They practice SPIN-Farming, and SPIN stands for S-mall P-lot IN-tensive. You can see SPIN farmers in action in the gallery area of http://www.spinfarming.com.
Thanks, Mario, for bringing up an important issue. Since refined white sugar is processed and chemically altered, it isn’t the most desirable product. Yet, many of our foods are loaded with sugar and it’s even the first ingredient in many products. For one thing, manufacturers need to cut down on the amount of sugar in food products. For another, high fructose corn syrup, while widely available, is not the healthiest choice. Unrefined cane sugar, turbinado, is a great choice and so is stevia as I mentioned in my post. Of course, these are more expensive raw materials and would add to cost, so consumers will have to be willing to pay more if they want better food choices. Thanks for writing, Mario. Great points.
Roxanne,
Thanks for providing some great information and a new acronym that I was unaware of. . .I suppose it might be become a buzzword, as well. This SPIN concept is an interesting one, isn’t it? It just goes to show us what motivated people can accomplish. Thanks for sharing, Roxanne.
Check out this NYT article about “slow design.” Trend to go local on all products not just food. Of course, the weak dollar will only help this. So I guess it makes sense that this would happen eventually with our over reliance on imports:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/31/garden/31slow.html
Interesting article, Neil. Thanks for putting the link up here so that Daily Fix readers can read it for themselves. I would make one more observation: consumers have always seemed to respect the work of local craftsmen. Quality and pride are a hallmark of their work. Maybe, just maybe, there will be a bit of pushback against cheaply made, mass produced merchandise that floods our retail stores. Maybe consumers will reorient their thinking to buy less and buy better. . .just a thought. Thanks for weighing in, Neil.
that is my philosophy. I buy slow but I buy quality.
For example, I am recently divorced (about 1.5 years ago). It was amiacable but I just left the furniture and TV with her. No lawyers involved or anything.
Anyway, I started over with my car, laptop, and my camping and climbing gear.
I slept on the floor in a cottage in someone’s backyard.
Anyway, slowly I am buying things. But I wait to have money to buy quality. I bought a really nice dining room table. Friends gave me a bed when I helped them move so that helped.
But I don’t have a couch or a TV but, when I do buy them, I am going to buy buy quality. I am not going to rush out to buy a couch just to have a couch. TV, same, since the only reason I would have one would be to watch movies.
I’d rather continue sitting on my REI camp chairs than have a bad couch.
I am in the market to replace my car but I will take my time and choose well. Why not?
Neil,
You sound like a smart consumer to me. You are obviously doing your research before making major purchases, so you’re spending your hard-earned money wisely. Kudos. With the slowing economy, I wouldn’t be surprised to see more consumers adopting your attitude. Thanks, Neil.
Yes, I would rather do without than have a mediocre product.
BTW, this summer’s purchase was a really awesome road bicycle.
A new car is going to have to be next (mine is worn). That is going to be a tough one as I want a car to go up in the mountains with ease (in all weather) but environmentally friendly (i.e., does not guzzle gas).
Recommendations welcome!
Very interesting. Well i think everyone gains from buying local, in the ends, it comes back to you. And with globalization, it’s more important than ever to eat local food and support the small farmers/producers. Great article.
Thanks, Dinnerware, for your insight. I think many of us agree: it’s nice to be able to support local farming and purchase fresher food that has to be trucked minimally to reach markets. It seems like a “win-win” for all of us. There are plenty of products that will still have to be brought in from various parts of the world, of course. Not everything can be grown everywhere. Still: it makes sense to buy locally as much as we can.