Broadly speaking, living local indicates a preference to buying locally produced goods and services over those resourced farther away. However, there is no single, accepted definition of what is "local" versus what is "far." Researchers who assess local goods systems use a variety of measurements involving geographic and political boundaries, as well as "food miles," which are often used regarding policy regulations. In 2008, the 110th Congress grouped the terms "regional" and "local" together in H.R.2419 when referring to local products so that, " (1) the locality or region in which the final product is marketed, so that the total distance that the product is transported is less than 400 miles from the origin of the product; or ‘‘(2) the State in which the product is produced. Though there are all sorts of ways something can be defined as "local," when possible I like to resource local products within a 150 mile radius. This simplifies the issue far too much, though, as living local is never simply a geographical concept.... Though there are various definitions floating around, the understood goal of localization is to reduce unnecessary transport, support environmental entrepreneurism and to strengthen and diversify community economies. (Bringing the Food Economy Home: Local Alternatives to Global Agribusiness, by Helena Norberg-Hodge, Todd Merrifield, and Steven Gorelick, 2002, p.113)
