Supermarket vs. Local Market

Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to this week’s main event. In the left corner, representing thousands of the biggest self-service fast chains around the world, the Supermarket! In the right corner, representing thousands of farmers worldwide with its organic style, the Local Market!

A dilemma that, when it’s time to go shopping for specific quality goodies, comes across everyone’s mind. Maybe not in the form of a professional boxing presentation, but you get the picture. At the end of the day, which one do you personally prefer? Most importantly, which one should you be going to and why?

Let’s start off with the top pick of the ordinary consumer!

Supermarkets, besides being everywhere, are designed to make everyone’s life easier. They make shopping convenient, offering you a vast variety of goods at a comparatively lower price. However, when it comes to food and environmental impact, there’s nowhere to hide. Behind the scenes, supermarkets have an immense negative environmental footprint!

The food industry is a major player in issues such as deforestation, excess water and fertilizer usage, and land use change. Greenhouse emissions from agriculture, shipping, food processing, and storage all come at a cost for practicality in our daily lives.

Following the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow (2021), 27 countries signed up for a sustainable agriculture pledge to help them meet their climate goals. Additionally, it’s important to emphasize that the chief executives of the supermarkets in the UK took a stance, saying:

"We recognise that a future without nature is a future without food. By 2030 we need to halt the loss of nature.”

What about Local Markets?

Now, this might seem a little biased but, in comparison, when it comes to food there are so many pros of buying at a local farmers market, that it’s not even fair for the supermarkets. Here are the main reasons why: 

• There’s an abundance of organic items, so there’s no harm to your and nature's health. No pesticides, synthetic materials, and toxic fertilizers;

• There’s farm-fresh produce, meaning that you’re getting what you pay for with a huge positive difference in nutrition and flavor;

• You have a wider variety of fresh products and you know where your food comes from;

• You’re helping reduce your community’s carbon footprint while supporting small business owners.

Did we quickly change your mind there? Let us know and, if you dare, send us a picture of yours at your local market!

We’ll see you next week!