Think Seasonal, Eat Local, No Waste
What is Locanuary?
Locanuary is a month dedicated to shopping, eating, drinking and enjoying all things local.
Throughout the month of January we will be joining Elephant Box to create delicious no-waste and locally produced recipes, posting amazing giveaways with lots of small ethical brands and inspiring you to join the locanuary movement.
Why are we doing it?
Shopping locally is so important for the environment, your health and supporting your community. We are trying to incentivise people to be more mindful about the products they buy and the companies they support, in order to protect the world we live in for future generations.
Why are we not focusing entirely on Veganuary?
We are still immensely supporting Veganuary but we are encouraging people to be more mindful when they buy their products, as even some vegan products like avocados, bananas and peaches have huge consequences to our planet. We want to educate and enlighten people to follow a vegan and local diet which is far more sustainable than veganism alone.
How can you join?
- Support local businesses like pubs, garden centres and cafes:
- Buy your produce from farmers markets
- Buy your clothes and presents from small independent shops
- Support your local community and buy from second hand/charity shops
- Grab a coffee in your local independent cafes.
You can support these small independent businesses whether they be in store, online or on a market stall. Get local food and drink delivered to your door: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/local-food-drink-delivered/id1504838946
What else SHOULD you do?
- Keep your eyes peeled and follow our Instagram as we inspire you to join us in Locanuary.
- Follow and share the #locanuary to help others find inspiration and become more mindful about what they do and where they buy their products.
We suggest that you invest in a sustainable lunch box to use up your plant-based leftovers and bring them to work and school for the following few days. Here at ChicP, we recommend ElephantBox @elephantboxuk.
Two in One Lunchbox; £29.50
Seal & Go Trio - £26
https://elephantbox.co.uk/collections/lunchboxes-snackpots/products/seal-go-3
Keep your eyes peeled on our website for a mega giveaway,
where one lucky person will win both these products plus a big ChicP hamper!
Local = Quality & Freshness
When you buy local produce the quality tends to be a lot higher, tastes better and is more nutritious and fresh.
Less traveling means less nutrient degradation, moisture loss and potential microbial spoilage i.e. tastes better.
Additionally, the produce you collect from local markets is usually picked in the last 24 hours meaning that the food is fresher, whereas, “fresh” foods in supermarkets are constrained by harvesting, packaging and shelf life quality issues, which also means more waste.
Local = Nutritious
Supermarket produce is grown and processed with the interest of shelf life and not nutritional benefits. They have to travel long distances before they ripen fully and therefore lack important nutrients during the growth stage.
Local = Seasonal = Healthier
Farmers can only grow what the season will support rather than transporting foods from all over the world.
Luckily the natural cycle of produce is designed to support our health, so syncing your lifestyle with seasonal foods can help the body’s natural healing processes.
For example:
Leafy greens are abundant in spring, helping our bodies alkalise and detox after a winter of heavier foods
While in spring, water-dense fruits like berries, watermelon and cucumber keep us hydrated!
Local = Supporting your Community
Skip the middleman and support local farmers and producers. This helps reinvest money back into your local economy. This also helps create local jobs and sustain local produce - supporting long-term food security, especially when the future of energy is so uncertain (i.e. requirement of fossil fuels to produce, package, transport and store food) therefore creating a stable environment for you to live in.
Shopping locally will ultimately help grow the local economy, supporting business so that they can grow, particularly after the pandemic. This will boost your local economy which will in turn improve the quality of your neighbourhood.
Additionally, shopping in local charity shops who support community initiatives can help reduce the poverty and hunger in your area.
Local = Environmentally Friendly
The average fresh food item travels 1,500 miles to arrive on your breakfast table = large carbon footprint
Choosing to buy your food from local sources eliminates the need to transport long distances while storing the produce at cooler temperatures and the mass of single use packaging, therefore reducing that carbon footprint.
Local = more likely to be Organic
Small-scale farmers are also less likely to use pesticide, herbicides or artificial fertiliser. Food grown closer to the consumer means there is a stronger relationship and these farmers want to guarantee high standards for the customers they interact with and therefore are more likely to produce organic.
Organic = Farmers work with nature rather than against, this means healthier ecosystems.
The farmers also want to protect their land and so implement sustainable management techniques encouraging more wildlife.
Local = Ethical
Local farmers also have much higher levels of animal welfare
Supermarkets have poor relationships with their farmers and often feel cheated.
Large-scale farming for supermarkets can mean that workers are not treated fairly as there is little transparency and accountability.
Whereas when you buy locally you are directly supporting the farmers, which creates transparency as well as cutting out the middleman = fair trade.
Local = Opportunity to try New Foods:
Seasonal foods are available and more diverse than the ones you get from supermarkets. Supermarkets select foods that are most popular and they come from all over the world. By going to a local farmers market there is far more diversity of food groups that you may not be able to find on the shelves in your supermarkets.
Local = Mindful
When you eat locally you learn about how your food is grown and you can make more mindful connections with the food you eat.
Understanding farming practices can build your community relations and as previously mentioned, there is more transparency and accountability when purchasing directly.
Local = Can be Cheaper
By cutting out the middleman you can find products that may be a lot cheaper. Some farmers markets are very successful as they offer delicious local produce at much cheaper prices. These products also have less transport, packaging and storing so farmers are able to keep their production cost lower.
Local = Less Waste
Less packaging from storage, transport and grouping produce together in plastic.
This also means you only buy exactly what you need, meaning you will waste less food.