Posted on October, 16 2009

WWF-Canada Launches Localicious

Do your carrots have more mileage than your suitcase? The average food product travels about 2,000 km before it reaches your plate. Along the way it burns up energy – creating greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change – as it’s packaged, shipped and stored. WWF-Canada is launching a new program, Localicious, to encourage Canadians to buy local and sustainable food to help reduce their individual footprint on the planet.

Localicious will help Canadians make a difference whether dining out or at home. From October 2-18, 54 participating restaurants across the country are featuring special menus that showcase the freshest, local and sustainable foods. Partial proceeds from each meal will be donated to WWF-Canada’s conservation work. A full list of restaurants and menus can be found at wwf.ca/localicious.

To help make a difference at home, WWF has created Sustainable Food Buying Guides for regions across the country. The Guides are free and available at wwf.ca/localicious, along with tips and seasonal recipes from leading chefs such as Jamie Kennedy. Online visitors can also win prizes, including cookbooks, grocery gift cards or a special, local meal prepared by a personal chef at your home.

“Localicious is about eating locally for global change,” says Gerald Butts, President and CEO, WWF-Canada. “We want to help consumers become more conscious of the impact their food choices have. Consider that imported strawberries typically travel about 4,800 km before they reach your fridge. A split seconds’ decision in the grocery store can have a significant impact on the planet.”

Localicious is part of a series of targeted campaigns WWF-Canada will be running in an effort to help Canadians reduce their individual footprint. The goal is to demonstrate how simple lifestyle changes, when taken together, add up to make a big difference.