Many would say that citizens should only purchase food that was produced locally because it helps local businesses and is better for the environment. However, there are several disadvantages of this policy such as possible food deficiency and malnutrition.
One of the major advantages is that using local products would boost local economy growth. This market is essential for local farmers, especially for small and medium-sized, as the process of delivery to community shops is simpler and cheaper than to big manufactures. Moreover, this way is also more environmentally friendly because there is no need for long-distance transportation of the food, and plastic packaging can be reduced. Addition of preservatives and artificial ingredients to the food could be also avoided, as this products in local markets do not long expiration date. In many countryside towns, people can buy fresh and not processed goods from local providers, which has long-term health benefits.
On the other hand, because of geographical reasons, some areas do not have enough farmlands and resources for agriculture, which can lead to food deficiency. This phenomenon would be especially visible in densely populated urban areas, where food security is based on importing goods from other parts of the country or from abroad. Furthermore, it would be much more difficult to have a balanced and nutritious diet as many ingredients can only be produced in specific parts of the world. For example, Greenland has to import most of its vegetables from the mainland Europe because weather conditions and climate make it impossible to grow crops on the island.
In conclusion, buying goods from local sources can be beneficial for farmers and the nature because more money would be spent on their products and plastic pollution would be decreased. Nevertheless, many urban areas and places with harsh climate are not able to produce enough food for their needs and some products would be unavailable.