While the word locavore is new to many of our vocabularies, the concept is not. Until the invention of industrial farming, humans had largely eaten local foods. Although the wealthy may have been able to trade food or spices from distant lands, the average person didn’t eat many imported foods until recent times. In some developing countries where subsistence agriculture is still widespread, people still eat like locavores without giving it a second thought.
The growth of factory farms and industrialized agriculture began with the Industrial Revolution in an effort to streamline processes and eliminate inefficiencies in the food system. As shipping networks improved, it gradually became easier and more economical to transport food long distances. The inventions of advanced refrigeration, synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and antibiotics made it easier to boost crop yields, animal…