The most important implications for a community considering organizing a locavore movement are the freshness of the fruits and vegetables as well as the promotion of small farmers in the community because buying locally is nutritionally better for you and saves the environment. In the modern age people are more concerned on what they put into their bodies. As the food is harvested they start to lose nutrition and as they travel to their destination they lose more and more of their nutritional value. Starting a locavore movement will cut the transportation down drastically and maximize nutritional value. Produce contains “all these phytochemicals and really powerful disease-fighting substances,” (source B) if they travel great
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
James E. Mcwilliams stated his aversion to the locavore movement in his essay “The Locavore Myth: Why Buying from Nearby Farmers Won’t Save the Planet”. The locavore movement is the concept of buying produce, meat, and other farm-grown food locally as opposed to having your vegetables or fruits shipped from across the world. This notion believes going local reduces harm to the environment by decreasing the miles food needs to travel before landing on your plate. From the title of his essay itself, the claim would seem obvious. The locavore movement does not essentially help save the environment through lessened food mileage. Don’t be easily swayed, in short. Mcwilliams presented several grounds and data for his justification on this issue.
It not only tastes better, but are closer to a maximum of nutrition than store-bought produce (Source D)
A major issue that is occurring in America is a phenomena known as “food deserts”, most are located in urban areas and it's difficult to buy affordable or good-quality fresh food. Whereas in the past, food deserts were thought to be solved with just placing a grocery store in the area, but with times it has become an issue that people are not picking the best nutritional option. This issue is not only making grocery store in food deserts are practically useless and not really eliminating the issue of food deserts because even when they are given a better nutritional option, and people are not taking it. In my perspective, it takes more than a grocery store to eliminate ‘food deserts’. It's more about demonstrating the good of picking the nutritional option and how it can help them and their families. For example, “Those who live in these areas are often subject to poor diets as a result and are at a greater risk of becoming obese or developing chronic diseases.”(Corapi, 2014).
A positive result of the movement would be the return of health to the land. In Paul Robert’s book, he mentions the superior effects of the locavore movement. According to a UK-based study he used, “Such a shift would bring back diversity to the land… destroyed by chemical-intensive mono-cropping…” (Source F). As large corporation farmers plant only one crop repetitively with the aid of chemicals, the land used becomes unhealthy, and eventually sterile from the lack of nutrients. With the locavore movement, farmland can be saved as local farmers only sell to local buyers. These farmers will only have to plant what buyers need, and have the opportunity to plant diverse crops. These different crops naturally regenerate the land with different nutrients, keeping the environment more healthy. On the contrary, the locavore movement may harm the environment due to the likelihood of forming a large carbon footprint. In James McWilliam’s business article about the locavore movement, he gives the example of a Londoner wanting to buy local lamb instead of lamb from New Zealand. “...New Zealand lamb is raised on pastures with a small carbon footprint… English lamb is produced… with a big carbon footprint” (Source C). Even though food may come from far away, the process of producing the food may be better for the environment. Such as cattle, packaging and feeding them in a factory-farm may create more pollution and harm the environment. If the product is more naturally fed and packaged, pollution can be reduced and be more environmentally friendly. The environmental issues associated with the locavore movement are significant as they can both improve and hurt the environment. The more diverse, local crops grown can help keep the soil healthy, perhaps making people’s bodies more healthy as chemical use is slimmed or ignored. This could trigger a growth in society’s overall health. However, the
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
The book The No-Nonsense Guide to World Food, by Wayne Roberts introduces us to the concept of “food system”, which has been neglected by many people in today’s fast-changing and fast-developing global food scene. Roberts points out that rather than food system, more people tend to recognize food as a problem or an opportunity. And he believes that instead of considering food as a “problem”, we should think first and foremost about food as an “opportunity”.
Former editor of Us News and World Report and recipient of Guggenheim Award,Stephen Budiansky in his article, “Math Lessons For Locavores”,published in August 19,2012 addresses the topic of locally grown food and argues it as a more sustainable choice in terms of freshness and seasons.I agree with Budiansky for growing food locally,however; with three other reasons: we can reduce food waste,(which will benefit the environment), and obesity(which will help an individual mentally and physically), and improve our economy. The purpose is to illustrate why locally grown foods would be a finer option for an American lifestyle. Budiansky adopts an informative,persuasive,and insightful tone for his audience,readers
As a consumer, I have been searching for ways to acquire what I need in the most ethical and ecological way possible. For example, though I like to eat bananas, I am aware of the great social and environmental injustices of banana plantations. I know that by eating at many fast food chains, I am supporting cattle ranchers in South America who deforest land that has little top soil, and graze it until all nutrients in the soil have been depleted, making the land barren in a number of years. One solution to these concerns is a recent development in agricultural strategy, known as community supported agriculture, or CSAs.
Environmental advocate and cofounder of Eatingliberally.org, Kerry Trueman, in her response to Stephen Budiansky’s Math Lessons for Locavores, titled, The Myth of the Rabid Locavore, originally published in the Huffington Post, addresses the topic of different ways of purchasing food and its impact on the world. In her response, she argues that Budiansky portrayal of the Local Food Movement is very inaccurate and that individuals should be more environmentally conscious. Trueman supports her claim first by using strong diction towards different aspects of Budinsky essay, second by emphasizes the extent to which his reasoning falls flat, and lastly by explaining her own point with the use of proper timing. More specifically, she criticizes many
The Stewards of the Land provide a great example of community sustainability through working together to grow great produce instead of competing for the sales of the same product, they also follow sustainable gardening methods in which they take care of the soil by rotating what they are growing and refraining from the use of pesticides and herbicides. This organization has kept many local farmers dreams of having their own farms alive and has instilled the importance of working together to maintain food security and the economic viability of their businesses.
Food Miles is how far the food travels from its production location to the consumer’s location, the less distance that the food has travelled are a better choice for the environment and the consumer’s health. Buying food locally reduces the food miles on the food and growing food can help reduce the food miles. Growing food in the backyard helps reduce the food miles on the food a lot since the food only travels from your backyard to your house. The effects of food miles are measured in the amount of pollution it has caused during the travel to the consumer. (Food Miles, 2013; Eco Friendly Food, 2010)
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.
There are barriers in certain lifestyles or dietary choices that influence with an individual will eat. It also depends on the life stages or the group of people in question. Those groups can be classified as low income, high income, adults, children, and teens. In order to influence the diet of a particular person there has to be a plan with groups that have different priorities. There is solutions that involve the investment in research so that people in remote areas also have a way to access nutritional food and the technology to be able to keep up with the growing population. Advances in technology are needed to insure the availability of resources to future generations. With knew finding new ways are farming can be found that allow farmers to plant more types of crops. This will influence the region's food choices. Maintaining a sustainable food system is important in shaping consumer
This can not be done with the same ineffective tactics that were used in the past, so that’s why people are developing new ways to eradicate hunger. When the Second International Conference on Nutrition (ICN2) was held, they discussed the nutrition component and how important it is that it is not overlooked. By paying attention to nutrient-dense foods and recognizing the different entry points for improving nutrition, the ICN2 argues the world will be one step closer in achieving the Sustainable Development Goal. Some of the entry points they discussed include “the promotion of crop diversification…, strengthening local food production and processing, and exploring regulatory or voluntary instruments for promoting healthy diets” (goals 2). Promoting the nutrition aspect of the goal can help achieve it because nutrients are what keep people alive and