Why can multi-national big business provide such value (not only lower prices, but improved availability of products, convenience, and, at times, quality)? In large part, it is a phenomenon called economies of scale. The larger a firm’s production volume is, the less input costs allocated to each individual unit. The local food model does not transport its food on semi’s or jetliners. Already, you have less space to store transported food. Put another way, each individual food item bears a greater cost of the fuel. Imagine a 1974 Chevy truck bed compared to a semi stuffed to the rafters. Now imagine organic strawberries in each. Which supply chain model do you think will deliver the lowest carbon emission per strawberry? Not to mention cost per unit. Here is a study debunking the food mile myth, with Kenyan green beans transported to the United Kingdom.