Understanding the local trap
I love a local hero as much as any other foodie. I studied sustainable development and food policy, and one of my dissertations looked at the role of local food in sustainable food systems. I based it around a farmers' market in the U.S. and spent months speaking with growers and market-goers. What I found was that almost everyone had a different definition of "local": a county, a number of miles and sometimes simply "not from a supermarket." That fuzziness feeds a common misconception known as the local trap.
The local trap is the idea that closer automatically means greener. It feels neat and intuitive, but it is often wrong.
"Local" measures distance. Sustainability measures impact: farming method, energy use, fertiliser, water, welfare, yield, storage, packaging, cold chain, waste, and yes, transport too. In many categories, transport is not the biggest slice; how food is produced often dominates. UK tomatoes grown in heated glasshouses in February can carry a higher footprint than in-season field tomatoes from abroad. A short truck journey from an energy-intensive system is not always better than a long sea voyage from a highly efficient producer. Months in cold storage can also erase any mileage advantage.
So how should you decide when to lean local and when to look wider? None of this means local is bad. It means local is not a proxy for sustainable, which is good news because it gives us more levers to pull.
When to choose local (and when to think twice)
Choose local when…
It's truly in season and field-grown. No heat, no lights, just flavour. That's when local shines on taste and footprint.
Method and provenance are the value. Regenerative, higher-welfare, low-input systems are where the story is real and the plate proves it.
You're buying whole crop/whole carcass. Close collaboration with your supplier helps you plan menus around what's actually coming off the farm or out of the abattoir.
Local is part of your concept. Showcase British produce when it's in peak season and tastes its best. Don't force it out of season, swap to a Better Choice option that keeps flavour (and footprint) on point.
Think twice (or swap) when…
It's off-season under glass or lights. Imported field-grown in season can beat heated local on impact and sometimes taste.
Inputs are heavy. High fertiliser, irrigation in water-stressed areas, or energy-intense systems can outweigh a short road leg.
Ships beat trucks. For some staples, sea freight is incredibly efficient per kilo; a short but inefficient road leg isn't always greener.
Quality lives elsewhere. Some PDO/PGI-style products are simply better (and sometimes lower-impact) from their home regions.
When you consider these factors, the conversation shifts from mileage to method and that's where the real sustainability gains live.
Global food made “local” fuzzy so let’s reconnect it
Globalisation has detached many of us from local food and true seasonality while hiding some very efficient systems behind an "imported = bad" label. The fix isn't to reject global supply; it's to reconnect the dots. Champion local when it sings, and use evidence to compare it with credible alternatives.
At Collectiv Food, that evidence looks like:
Regular impact reports with product carbon footprints verified by My Emissions, plus a clear view of supplier sustainability maturity across your supply base.
A growing range of Standout Suppliers, those with proven sustainability efforts, either fully onboarded and scoring at least Good Progress in our annual assessment or newer producers already showing strong sustainability credentials. We'll happily help you spotlight Standout Suppliers on menus when a strong local option isn't available.
Low-carbon swaps and seasonality tips in our seasonal Better Choice newsletters, so changes are margin-smart and guest-friendly.
Last-mile designed for reliability with consolidated drops, and an electrifying fleet across both POD and Direct delivery methods.
Guests love "local" because it feels real. Keep it real, stay informed about the methods behind your food and drink, and you will build a menu that performs on the plate, on the P&L, and on impact.
