Courtesy photo. 

Commentary: Eat more local and seasonal produce

Chièvres, Belgium -- If you've been thinking about making a new year's resolution this year, it isn't too late. So what about doing something to try to help the environment, and incorporating more local, seasonal produce into your weekly shopping list?

Since local producers are more likely to be familiar with their customer's expectations, they can tailor the quantities they produce to meet the demands of the local market. Food waste is reduced, local varieties are rediscovered, and ancestral know-how put to use.

Respecting the seasonal cycle is important because a tomato grown out of season requires more energy consumption in a greenhouse than a tomato grown in season. In addition, transporting fruit and vegetables over long distances means that they need to be picked before the crop reaches peak maturity. The result is that the nutritional value of the food is lower, as certain vitamins begin to deteriorate as soon as the produce is picked.

The time it takes to transport the produce means that chemical treatment or a lot of packaging is required to keep it fresh. Storage costs are incurred, and energy is required to refrigerate the goods. Additionally, transportation, conservation, packaging and storage all increase the cost of our food.

To help you with your selections, there are online calendars which show vegetables and fruit that are in season throughout the year such as http://na-nu.com/terfloth.org/Kitchen/Season_Cal.pdf

Pauline Mahieu, USAG Benelux Environmental Division