Is locally produced food genuinely more sustainable? The motivation behind the “locavore” movement is usually thought to be the reduction of individual and institutional GHG emissions, but studies have shown that simply reducing food miles does not guarantee a more sustainable diet. Rachel Shindelar argues that despite this, choosing to participate in alternative local food systems instead of the conventional food system is a sure way to increase your access to environmentally friendly food and to support more ecologically sustainable agricultural practices: local food systems are as a whole more sustainable, both ecologically and socially.