Marc Fawcett-Atkinson, Local Journalism Initiative FILE PHOTO - Migrant workers pick and sort sweet potatoes at Kirby Farms in Mechanicsville, Va., Sept. 20, 2013. Image Credit: FLICKR/U.S. Department of Agriculture/Lance Cheung January 30, 2021 - 5:30 AM Eating more plants is the key to eating local and sustainably, according to a recent study modelling how more than 350 major U.S. cities could feed themselves. Interest has been booming in local food in both the U.S. and Canada. Widely seen as more resilient and environmentally sustainable than the globalized, industrial food systems, local food has been at the forefront of efforts by consumers, activists, and policymakers to develop more resilient and sustainable food systems.