In an episode of HBO’s wonderful satiric series “Veep,” which came to seem like a documentary during the Trump years, a doofus candidate for Congress from New Hampshire extols something or other that is going on in Middlebury. When someone points out to him that Middlebury is actually in Vermont, he snaps, “Who can tell?”
That came to mind when I read an item about how Vermont has implemented a new law imposing a stricter definition of what can be called “local food.” It’s no longer permissible to call anything “local” if it comes from outside the state’s borders – even from less than 10 miles away.
State pride is always nice, but like anything else, it can be overdone. In terms of land area, Vermont, at about 9,600 square miles, ranks sixth from the bottom among U.S. states (just ahead of, yep, New Hampshire). At its broadest, the state is only about 75 miles wide. It’s a little hard to see how anyone there could reasonably contend that something from just across the nearby state line – and most of them are nearby – isn’t local.
A potentially more destructive form of this attitude can be seen in the Czech Republic, which is considering legislation to require that a majority of space in Czech stores be devoted to Czech-made foods.
The measure would require most grocery stores to carry an inventory of at least 55% Czech-made foods by next year, and 73% by 2028. It was passed by the lower house of the Czech parliament; even if the senate rejects it or the president vetoes, the lower house can override with a simple majority.
This is designed to protect the Czech food industry and nudge the country toward self-sufficiency in food. It has drawn the ire of the nation’s fellow European Union members, which point out that it’s illegal under EU rules to discriminate against imports.
EU disputes aside, this measure may be good for Czech food processors, but it’s hard to see much benefit for consumers. The Czech Republic is a small country, and if this measure passes, it will restrict Czech citizens’ choices. That’s a great recipe for shortages, higher prices or both.
The local food movement developed for a reason. Many consumers feel reassured when they know that their food isn’t coming from some distant, unknown place. But “local” is not the same as “captive audience.” Ham-fisted attempts by government to enforce localness in food will end the way such good intentions usually do: by making things worse.
