This week, the Office for Sustainability is directing attention to the topic through Earth Week 2012. Events kicked off Monday evening with "What's So Great About Local Food?" - a faculty debate about the pros and cons of local food, an issue more complex than most people might think.
"In terms of sustainability, locally grown food is often seen as a very good solution because people can keep it close by, they learn how it's grown and learn about the environmental effects of their food," said Alex Lopatka, senior intern at the Office for Sustainability and organizer of the debate.
The debate featured Professors Jeff Dunn and Rich Cameron arguing the pros of local food and Professors Jen Everett and Bob Steele arguing the cons.
"The challenge is arguing for a position that you don't entirely agree with," said Steele, professor and Director of the Prindle Institute for Ethics. "But if we think about the issue as one that is at the intersection of environmental issues, economics, emotions and ethics, then I think we can see a lot competing values."
Cameron began the debate with an economic argument, describing the current system as a "monopsony" - an economic system with very few buyers. Because the economic system is arranged as such, the power lies in the hands of the distributors and lowers the prices farmers can charge, which puts small, family owned farms out of business. He also pointed out that buying locally reduces fuel consumption and transportation use. According to Cameron, smaller farms are better for animals.
Everett countered Cameron's arguments.
"I am not arguing that the current system is not flawed or inhumane, but rather that the flaws do not mean we should immediately switch to local food," Everett said. "There are a lot of factors that matter."
She went on to point out that the current system has dramatically lowered the price of food at a consumer level, and to low income families, that matters. She also pointed out that local food industries cannot support the populations of certain areas.
"We would probably have to shift the populations of areas like Arizona or Alaska," Everett said. "Indiana cannot provide the population with coffee."
Dunn concluded with a point explaining just how realistic relying on local farms actually is.
"One-hundred years ago we didn't have big businesses, so it's not impossible to live [by only buying local food]," Dunn said. "But, as Professor Steele said, 'Momentum has moved [society] in another direction.' Can we go back?"