Trends of moving toward supporting local food producers have increased over the years. People are looking for quality over quantity. “With the explosion of interest in local food, consumers now have more choices of products, labels, and ways to shop, so, many people are left wondering where to start” (Table, 2009). Buying locally supports sustainable food system, beyond just methods of food production and helps to increase food from farm to plate. Supporting locally drastically helps with the reduction of emissions and the negative effect that food traveling has on our environment.
“Sustainable agriculture involves food production methods that are healthy, do not harm the environment, respect workers, are humane to animals, provide fair wages to farmers, and support farming communities” (Table, 2009). Local farming methods do not always use sustainable methods. Researching about the methods local farmers use is important in the decision to buy locally.
Going local is extremely beneficial for Tim the owner of Level best. A small, bistro-style restaurant could benefit his community by moving away from major restaurant purveyors and supporting the local farmers markets and local growers. Supporting local farmers sustains Tim’s local economy by cycling money within his community. If Tim continued to use major restaurant purveyors then the amount of fossil fuels used to transport food is astronomical. “Produce travels on average of 1500-2500 miles” (Organics, 2005). By cutting out the major purveyors then Tim would cut down the time of food traveling 7-14 days and cuts out the middlemen between the grower and Tim.
Financially supporting sustainable farming increases harvest diversity to choose from. ...
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...ming for food production. It is important that Tim finds farmers who are using sustainable methods to ensure quality of the products and sustainability for the environment.
I believe it is a good decision for Tim to buy locally. It will financially support his community and help sustain the earth. Tim will help with the negative impact traveling foods have on our environment with the reducing of food traveling from other regions and other states. Locally supporting his community brings wealth and financially stable economy.
References
Organics, O. (2005, January). Local Foods-Think Locally and Act Neighborly. Retrieved April 9, 2011, from www.omorganics.org: http://www.omorganics.org/page.php?pageid=197
Table, S. (2009, January). What is Local? Retrieved April 9, 2011, from www.sustainabletable.org: http://www.sustainabletable.org/issues/eatlocal/
Moreover, this system of mass farming leads to single crop farms, which are ecologically unsafe, and the unnatural treatment of animals (Kingsolver 14). These facts are presented to force the reader to consider their own actions when purchasing their own food because of the huge economic impact that their purchases can have. Kingsolver demonstrates this impact by stating that “every U.S. citizen ate just one meal a week (any meal) composed of locally and organically raised meats and produce, we
First, the local sustainable food chain is healthy for people. In the book The Omnivore’s Dilemma as people stand around to buy chicken from Polyface, Pollan records some of the customers’ quotes. In the book it says, “ You’re not going to find fresher chickens anywhere. (Pollan, 184). ” This quote shows
RNRA Team, “Supermarkets, Fresh Produce and New Commodity Chains: What Future for the Small Producer?” Hot Topics: February, 2004.
Kathrine Spriggs establishes the importance of global environmentalism in her passage “Buying Local” in “Everyone’s an Author” with contributors Andrea Lunsford, Michael Brody, Lisa Ede, Beverly J. Moss, Carole Clark Papper, and Keith Walters. Spriggs makes it clear that her position is for buying locally grown products from small sustainable farms. She claims that is is an advantage to the environment in terms of contributing to social and economic factors as well. However, “buying local” in my opinion is more of a “local trap”. Perhaps there are certain limitations to “buying local” such as pesticides, chemically grown or DNA altered produce, and unsustainable
...led an average of 1,518 miles (about 2,400 kilometers). By contrast, locally sourced food traveled an average of just 44.6 miles (72 kilometers) to Iowa markets. (DeWeerdt)” This is not only bad for the environment with all the food being transported all around the world causing pollution, it also does not support the local growing gardeners. When people buy locally grown produce it helps the community out because of the taxes made from the produce they buy.
More and more farm-to-table restaurants, farmer’s markets, and food co-ops are cropping up to meet the demand among consumers for healthy, local foods, as more chefs and consumers recognize the poorer taste and nutritional integrity of ingredients shipped in from far away. Fruits and vegetables that have to be shipped long distances are often picked before they have a chance to fully ripen and absorb nutrients from their surroundings. Because local food doesn’t have to travel long distances, it is grown in order to taste better and be healthier rather than to be resilient to long travel. The farm-to-table movement also helps local economies by supporting small farmers, which is a dying
Before going any farther, I should clearly articulate my intentions in this seemingly non-lucrative venture. In the past few years, I’ve become fascinated with America’s food systems, the rise of organic and local food, and the injustice of “food deserts,” or areas that lack affordable nutritious food, that plague low income areas. Consequently, you could say that my direction in this plan is that of personal satisfaction, but I would assert that my goal is to remain true to the concept of sustainable development, and thus I wish to make ...
Alice Waters, in her 2007 article “Farmer Bill Should Focus on Healthful Foods”, instead of focusing on the farming techniques themselves, makes a more pointed inspection over the products and produce
Food production has many challenges to address: CO2 emissions, which are projected to increase by two-thirds in the next 20 years, as the global food production increases so does the number of people going hungry, with the number of urban hungry soaring. The environmental issues are not the only ones to face; politics and economic globalization take also the big part in the food world. These days agriculture and food politics has been going through many changes but mostly under the influence of its consumers; back in the days people wanted as little as safety, variety and low costs of food. Now consumers demanding way more – greater freshness, nutritional value, less synthetic chemicals, smaller carbon footprint and less harm to animals. And that’s the time when urban agriculture emerged quite rapidly delivering locally grown and healthy food. Within the political arena, there are a few still in charge of defending the conventional food industries and commercial farms to retain the upper level. Against the hopes of nutrition activists, farm animal welfare defenders, and organic food promoters, the food and agriculture sector is moving towards greater consolidation and better sustainability. Although in social and local terms, food-growing activists know their role is under attack. Caught two words in the middle, is it possible to satisfy both?
"Organic Food." Issues & Controversies On File: n. pag. Issues & Controversies. Facts On File News Services, 8 June 2007. Web. 18 May 2011. .
The final draft will be explaining the positive actions of organic agriculture that companies such as ‘Polyface Farm’ promotes for an awareness of natural grown and unconventional farming methods to open the public understanding for a healthier lifestyle. Various cases of organic farming reduce the risk of environmental impacts in agriculture due to climate change, depletes the need for genetically modified food inducing a nutritious diet which lessens health risks, and drives an opportunity for higher wages to unconventional organic farmers. The following five sources will propel informative insight on organic farmer’s earnings and experiences which supports environmentally friendly agriculture and the ecology of nutritiously grown food that
Sustainable agriculture integrates three main goals--environmental health, economic profitability, and social and economic equity. A variety of philosophies, policies and practices have contributed to these goals. People in many different capacities, from farmers to consumers, have shared this vision and contributed to it.
Have you ever considered what is in the food you are feeding your children? Most foods that are bought at the neighborhood grocery stores are considered global foods which are packed with additives and chemicals making them far less nutritious than local produce from the community farmer‘s market. After much research, I have concluded that it is better to buy produce which is grown locally rather than produce which is sourced globally (from other countries). I think this is important because most people, like myself, buy global foods and do not realize how much better local foods are for the local economy, the global environment, and our personal nutrition. Nutrition is vital to the healthy of everyone especially children, so with the purchase of local fresh produce, it can ease the worry in parents of what children as well as ourselves are ingesting.
Thirty years later, organic farming was in high demand, but suffered developing pains. Although there was agreements being made, there was no regulations put forth towards organic farming. Fast forwarding to present time, many consumers are starting to purchase organic food products even making it a trend. Written in Inouye, Alena, and McCauley’s 2006 article “Organic Farming Should Be Pursued”, “organic farming is gaining in popularity due to Americans ' increasing concern about food safety and environmental protection.” This quote assumes the reasoning behind the sudden popularity in organic farming is society’s attraction towards the idea of a cleaner food industry and environment. The article also mentions, “As a result, sales of organic foods in the United States have increased by more than 20 percent every year since 1996, reaching $7.8 billion in 2000.”(Inouye, Alena, McCauley) The fact that popularity towards organic farming grows at a rate of 20 percent every single year further proves how its movement has such an impact towards the consumers of
Agriculture is one of the most ancient forms of art and science that ties human development and well-being to natural resources and ecosystems. (Fritz J. Häni, 2007) Sustainable Agriculture is the production of food, fibre, plant and animal products using farming techniques that protect the environment, public health, human communities and animal welfare. (Sustainable Agriculture - The Basics, 2015) Sustainable agriculture is an integrated system of plant and animal production practices having a site – specific application that over the long term will: