Perhaps you have already heard about this movement without really knowing what it is about. So, here is a brief overview of this trend which is increasingly becoming a part of our daily lives.
What does it mean to be a locavore?
The locavore trend started in San Francisco in 2005. Initially, it was a challenge that encouraged the public to consume food grown within less than 160 km from their homes. Subsequently, the term has been defined differently all over the world. In Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) allows food products to be labelled as “local” if grown in the province in which they are sold; if sold in a different province, they must be grown within a 50 km radius. Along the same lines, the Quebec Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPAQ) considers “eating local” as buying food products grown in Quebec or processed in Quebec.
According to MAPAQ, the fruits and vegetables consumed travel an average of 3,500 to 5,000 km. By striving to choose “aliments du Québec” (Quebec food products), we reduce this distance by 1,000 to 2,000 km. Is it difficult to eat more products from Quebec? Not at all! It is much easier than you may think to choose more locally grown food products, as there is no lack of supply. Currently, the organization “Aliments du Québec” has 1,200 member companies, and more than 20,000 products have been certified by this organization.
A few tips on becoming a bit more of a locavore
- Check where the food products come from when shopping for groceries. You can find many products from Quebec on our shelves.
- Take advantage of the fact that it is still harvest time, and fill your freezer with fruits and vegetables from Quebec. You can preserve your blanched vegetables, favourite berries, or even prepare soups and tomato sauce to be enjoyed all year round.
- Quebec is known for its delicious cheese, so stop by the cheese section, and let our artisanal cheese from Quebec entice you.
- Eating according to season is also a good way of eating more local products. In Quebec, it certainly seems more difficult to eat locally during the winter season. Nevertheless, various types of local fruits and vegetables can be found on our shelves. For example, during winter, eat more potatoes, root vegetables, squash and cabbage. In order to help you choose, here is a calendar showing the fruits and vegetables from Quebec offered, depending on the month of the year. What about organic products?
- The choice to eat more local products comes from a desire to positively impact the environment, the economy and your health. Therefore, we can easily associate organic products with the locavore movement. When we choose organic products, we are choosing food that is grown without pesticides, herbicides, artificial fertilizers, antibiotics and growth hormones. Rather, they were grown using agricultural methods that respect the environment. So don’t hesitate to choose our organic crops from Québec.
