“Buy local” has become a feel-good shorthand for eating sustainably. Many shoppers assume that foods grown close to home automatically have a smaller carbon footprint. But new research from the University of Göttingen suggests that where food comes from may matter less than how it’s produced.
In a survey of about 1,000 people in Germany, researchers asked participants to rate the environmental impact of different foods, peppers, apples and beef, depending on whether they came from Germany, other European Union countries or nations outside the EU. Across all categories, people viewed domestic foods as the most environmentally friendly. Imports, especially those from non-EU countries, were consistently rated as worse for the planet.
But that perception doesn’t always match reality. In some cases, imported foods have a smaller environmental footprint than local ones. A prime example: peppers from Spain. Grown in unheated greenhouses under abundant sunlight, they often require far less energy than peppers raised in heated German greenhouses. Despite the longer shipping distance, the Spanish peppers may end up being the more climate-friendly option.
“There can be many advantages to choosing regional products,” said lead author Dorothea Meyer, a doctoral researcher in Marketing for Food and Agricultural Products at Göttingen. “However, environmental friendliness is not always one of them. It is worth taking a closer look here.”
The findings point to a gap between perception and reality, one that could influence consumer choices and sustainability efforts alike. While “food miles” remain a common measure of impact, transport emissions make up only a small part of a product’s overall footprint. Factors such as energy use, fertilizer application and land management often have a much larger effect.
“Information about origin alone is not enough to inform correct decision-making about sustainability,” said Professor Achim Spiller, a co-author of the study. “Instead, information is needed that makes the actual impact clearer, for example through climate or environmental labels.”
For shoppers, that means looking beyond country-of-origin tags and considering broader sustainability cues when available. Labels that account for the full production chain, energy, water, soil and transport, could help consumers make choices that align with their values. Until then, experts suggest a balanced approach: prioritize freshness and minimal waste, enjoy local foods when they’re in season and stay open to responsibly grown imports that may be gentler on the planet than they appear.
The takeaway: eating sustainably isn’t always as simple as eating close to home. True environmental impact depends on the bigger picture: what it takes to grow, raise or ship the food in the first place.
The study was conducted by researchers at the University of Göttingen and published in Food Quality and Preference. It was supported by the Ministry for Nutrition, Agriculture, and Consumer Protection in Lower Saxony and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom.