On Sunday, June 28, the Boston Globe Sunday Magazine published this
poorly researched anti-localvoristic tirade. Our response is below:

To the Editor:

Tom Keane grossly misunderstands the principles and practices of
“locavorism,” and the implications of industrial agriculture.

To say that locavores’ worry only that transporting foods long distances
is environmentally taxing is to be truly in the dark about what goes on on
America’s factory farms. With beef, for example, heavily-subsidized,
petro-chemical guzzling corn grown in the country’s heartland is shipped
to feedlots, where cattle live in conditions that give rise to fatal E.
coli outbreaks (like the one causing the current beef recall as of today,
June 29). The inputs are far greater than I’ve outlined here and are more
than just a truck ride east.

This is only one example of how the industrial food system works. Its
hidden costs and its dangers are very high and very real. (A problem with
a centralized food supply affects all of us; a problem with centralized
microchip production, as in his poor example, does not spell life and
death.)

One need only look as far as the Boston Globe itself to find example
conscientious eaters explaining that their locavorism is not about denial.
“I don’t just need coffee, I love coffee. It’s the center of my world and
I’m happy to support it.” And “I’m in no way a purist.” (Locavores relish
the challenge of winter, February 11, 2009, by Devra First).

We’re not sure where Mr. Keane got his ideas but we wish he’d asked us.
Over coffee, even.

Darry Madden & Kristi Ceccarossi
Boston Localvores (www.bostonlocalvores.org)

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