Americans Have More Confidence in Local Produce

According to an Associated Press article seen in The Boston Globe, Americans feel better about buying food produced in the United States than overseas and believe food grown locally is healthier than food shipped from across the country, a new survey shows. The poll released by the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University found that 85 percent of Americans have confidence in the safety of their local and regional food systems. But only 12 percent expressed confidence in the safety of food from anywhere else in the world. It "reconfirms that consumers have more concerns about the global food system than they do about the U.S.," said Rich Pirog, deputy director of the Leopold Center and co-author of a paper about the study's results. Americans remain extremely wary of foreign foods, Pirog said. "That was something that was very apparent. These numbers are very stark," he said. According to the survey, 70 percent of respondents believe that foods produced locally rather than foods that have traveled across the country are healthier, even though there is little evidence to back that up. Pirog said the poll supported other evidence he had seen in recent months that showed consumers' desire for local foods is on the rise. These include a rise in the number of farmers markets, a boom in organic grocery stores and increased media coverage.