The New Oxford American Dictionary has just picked their 2007 Word of the Year: it's locavore!

The past year saw the popularization of a trend in using locally grown ingredients, taking advantage of seasonally available foodstuffs that can be bought and prepared without the need for extra preservatives.

The “locavore” movement encourages consumers to buy from farmers’ markets or even to grow or pick their own food, arguing that fresh, local products are more nutritious and taste better. Locavores also shun supermarket offerings as an environmentally friendly measure, since shipping food over long distances often requires more fuel for transportation.

“The word ‘locavore’ shows how food-lovers can enjoy what they eat while still appreciating the impact they have on the environment,” said Ben Zimmer, editor for American dictionaries at Oxford University Press. “It’s significant in that it brings together eating and ecology in a new way.”

Congrats to Jen Maiser, Jessica Prentice, Sage Van Wing, and DeDe Sampson (pic above) of Locavores!

Links: OUPblog, where you can read the runners-up words | Locavores website - Thanks Purdy and Rebecca!