While the intention is good and the result is may be beneficial as well, the eat locally concept is not always best for either the environment or the consumer. As examples, in Hong Kong I can chose between foods imported from China (the local equivalent) or foods imported from further away. If I buy the foods from China I am taking a much greater risk in terms of harmful pesticides etc than with foods from further away. Another example is over exploitation of a resource. If eating locally sourced food is taken too literally, densely populated areas would end up depeleting local fish stocks. However, by eating fish from further away (assuming catching is done on a sustainable basis) the risk of pushing fish stocks in either the local or the more distant locations to dangerously low levels is reduced.

A great idea, but one that needs to be implemented selectively in order to avoid doing as much environmental harm as good.