Regardless of the time of year we are, and regardless of the weather or the season, we can find all the products that we imagine in the same store. At first it may seem very comfortable and make us feel privileged, but far from reality, it has direct effects on our health and environmental health.
It is important to question where food comes from, why nature’s products have a certain growth process and how they have been produced so we can have them every day of the year and in any corner of the country.
Within the calendar, all fruits and vegetables have their own moment. When nature offers all the conditions for them to grow and mature naturally. Time in which they are in their maximum splendor and in which the food has all the necessary nutrients. Instead, those that are not in season are forced to grow out of their due time.
Consuming seasonal products has multiple benefits for consumers and for the entire planet. Knowing the value of a product is not only about knowing its price, but also the origin and characteristics, which are of vital importance for responsible consumption.
BENEFITS OF CONSUMING SEASONAL PRODUCTS
Give importance to quality
Consuming seasonal products guarantees a higher quality of food in terms of flavor, aroma, texture and nutrients. The reason is that the crop has not been manipulated or forced to be collected in a month that is not the right one. The times of the product have been respected, cultivated, matured in its natural process and in the optimal climate of the food.
Support local business
The benefits of consuming seasonal products is about more than health. It represents, at the same time, support and collaboration with local and proximity businesses, helping the economic and social fabric. Every time a person decides to buy seasonal and local products, they will not only be protecting their local stores, but they will also be supporting all local production.
Respect biodiversity
Each place is rich in a specific indigenous variety of foods that, in some cases, are in danger of disappearing. The reason is that some products are outside the big consumer circles and are easily forgotten. Consuming seasonal products slows down this fact, favoring biodiversity and the tradition of valuing the fruits that each environment provides to a specific area.
Availability and best price
When it is the season of a product there is more availability of it in any street market, from farmers in the area who offer fresh food and without having traveled many kilometers to reach you. For a food to be sold out of season, it must be imported from remote areas, so its price increases due to transport. For this reason, it represents a considerable saving in its price.
More ecological
Vegetables and fruits that have the ecological seal, is because they guarantee that they are free of toxic chemicals, pesticides or fertilizers. But when you buy local products, even if they are not organic, by growing in the season in which they are favorable you make sure that the use of these artificial products will be very reduced. When the crop is outside the food season, the use of fertilizers and pesticides is more necessary for its growth, since the plant is being forced to grow in a time and climate that is unnatural for it.
Take care of the planet
When we decide to consume local products, we are betting on the health of the environment and fighting against climate change. This benefits to reduce energy consumption. For example, the one generated by transportation, which emits so many CO₂ emissions. In proximity consumption, farmers only use the land when it is really needed. This fact reduces deforestation and land misuse.