A community wide locavore movement could prove beneficial in the generation of income for small businesses and farms, healthy eating, and beneficial growth for the environment. Locavores are crucial to the developmental advancements of small communities and the survival of local produce production. Locavores, local consumers, are significant benefactors to their communities’ environment and economy. “Eating local means more for the local economy. According to a study by the New Economics Foundation in London, a dollar spent locally generates twice as much income for the local economy. When businesses are not owned locally, money leaves the community at every transaction.” (Source A, Maiser). Because of locavores contributions to their communities, an organized locavore movement could generate a large revenue for small businesses and developing economies. A movement will make families want to participate which will result in more people eating fresher, healthier produce. This will encourage more people to consume healthier products. …show more content…
“Locally grown produce is fresher. While produce that is purchased in the supermarket or a big-box store has been in transit or cold-stored for days or weeks, produce that you purchase at your local farmer's market has often been picked within 24 hours of your purchase.” (Source A, Maiser). Fresh produce is healthier and promotes better eating. With a wide variety of specialty produce, eating can become an even more enjoyable experience. Due to a lack of chemicals such as hormones and pesticides, local produce tastes superior to store bought, mass produced foods. A large locavoric movement will promote the lifestyle and even has the potential to interest children in healthy local
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
Reason 1: the locally grown produce’s nutritional value is overall better than unfamiliar produce shipped from foreign countries
You are required to pay for everything yourself, such as paying for the seeds to plant, paying for the fertilizer, and paying for the water to help the plants grow. Thats just for plants there are many more responsibilities that come with animals. Mass production is cheaper for the economy “Today’s high crop yields and low costs reflect gains from specialization and trade, as well as scale and scope economies…” this is stated by Steve Sexton in “The Inefficiency of Local Food”. The prices of food would skyrocket if Locavorism was implemented indefinitely everywhere. This could cause an economic depression. Many people believe that eating local food would be a positive for their local economy, however that has been shown differently in a recent research paper by Elaine De Azevedo called “Food Activism: The Locavorism Perspective” “The slogan "local food, local money" espoused by Halweil, which argues that Locavorism generates wealth and local jobs, is another (controversial) economic issue that informs the movement”. Not only would prices go up indefinitely from locavorism but there would also wouldn't be enough food to go
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).
Within these past few years, more and more people have tried to use their community’s grown produce instead of large company-based products. These ‘locavores’ have grown in numbers as people have taken into account the health related, environmental, and economic consequences of choosing locally grown products. The key issues associated with the locavore movement are the economic effects and the change made in the environment of a community.
On the extreme side of having a healthier lifestyle there is a locavore system. This system means that you confine your food to a 100 mile radius (Pelletier703). In “The Locavore’s Dilemma” by Christophe Pelletier, he disagrees with movement, but believes that the distance is not more important rather than the carbon footprint. Pelletier also recognizes the struggle of busy tight budgeted families when deciding their food decisions. Therefore, the support of this movement is more of the wealthier population. People who are able to spend considerable amounts on only local. But eating only locally produced is not necessary to live a healthy lifestyle. The difference between Bittman and Pelletier regarding this is that buying for real food versus buying food locally grown, which of course is the healthier option but not needed. Like Pelletier, I agree that eating only locally grown food is not needed and not realistic (Pelletier703). There should be the healthy medium of eating real home cooked meals rather than eating highly processed foods and between eating only food that is in 100 mile radius. Americans shouldn’t go for the extravagant and costly diets or fads when going toward their health. Simply cooking healthy meals at home rather than eating out will increase their
"We all grew up in communities with grandmothers who cooked two, three vegetables that you had to eat. There was no ifs, ands or buts about it. But that's because many of our grandparents, they had community gardens; there was the vegetable man that came around. There were many other resources that allowed them to have access. So it's not that people don't know or don't want to do the right thing; they just have to have access to the foods that they know will make their families healthier ("Michelle Obama in Chicago," 2011). People who have options of vegetables and fish products in grocery stores eat better and will have better outcome on health (Edberg, 2007).
It is true that growing foods on a farm show that there 's no bad “chemicals” added in the food which starts all out as seeds. If only it weren’t for the fact that again, college students just don’t have time. Along with that, some students live alone in an apartment complex and, I’m sure not too many apartments have an outside area big enough for a private garden. As a college student myself, I find it easier just going to the grocery stores and farmer’s markets to get my food; then again, I still live with my parents and they pay for the groceries. Thankfully, I don’t have to travel to the real farms to get farm-fresh produce; the food comes to local places like the hospital and downtown on certain dates. I suppose a tip for college students; in reality, traveling to the grocery store is easier because it’s a once-per-week-deal while keeping watch over a garden is an every-day-deal and students have things to keep up
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
This concedes that now America is creating health issues from consuming unhealthy foods. According to, “The battle against fast food beings in the home”, by Daniel Weintraub, “Kids eat unhealthy food and sit in front of the television or computer for hours at a time”. The article states that now obesity has affected many kids in America. Due to obesity affecting many kids in America the argument here is that, parents are not thinking about their child’s health and how it affects their body. Their main worry if the food is cheap and that it’s reasonable to buy for their family; which is understandable. Thus, many kids health are in danger from the lack of a nutritious diet. At the same time, fast food companies believe that it’s not their fault. According to Daniels Weintraub’s article, it states that “ It’s the parents, not the government, not the fast food companies who are responsible for teaching kids unhealthy habits” (Weintraub 1). The argument here is that parents need to try to feed their kids much healthier diets such as vegetables. Feeding them fast food is going to wreck their health. For this reason, fast food companies should try to sell healthier food for a reasonable price. Having produce companies sell more affordable fruits and vegetables will clear this problem. This will allow people who don’t have much money be able to provide a healthy dish
Our current system of corporate-dominated, industrial-style farming might not resemble the old-fashioned farms of yore, but the modern method of raising food has been a surprisingly long time in the making. That's one of the astonishing revelations found in Christopher D. Cook's "Diet for a Dead Planet: Big Business and the Coming Food Crisis" (2004, 2006, The New Press), which explores in great detail the often unappealing, yet largely unseen, underbelly of today's food production and processing machine. While some of the material will be familiar to those who've read Michael Pollan's "The Omnivore's Dilemma" or Eric Schlosser's "Fast-Food Nation," Cook's work provides many new insights for anyone who's concerned about how and what we eat,
For economists and politicians, there are a few things that still are not considered, and the missing answers are only piling up; someone always has to win or lose out. Food policies are one of them. Bringing urban agriculture to cities is an incomparable move. When community food growing flourishes, the consumers seem to be healthier and smarter about what they eat, less p...
In 1987 Carlo Petrini started a coalition dedicated to the politics and pleasures of slowness and the opposition of fast food. (Leitch 439) He describes one of his goals by saying:
On the extreme side of having a healthier lifestyle there is a locavore system. This system means that you confine your food to a 100 mile radius (Pelletier703). In “The Locavore’s Dilemma” by Christophe Pelletier, he disagrees with movement, he believes that the carbon footprint is more important rather than the distance. Pelletier also recognizes the struggle of busy tight budgeted families when deciding their food decisions. Therefore, the support of this movement is more of the wealthier population. People who are able to spend considerable amounts on only local. Pelletier believes that eating only locally produced is not necessary to live a healthy lifestyle. While it may not a hundred percent necessary, locally grown food are fresher and more nutritious to your body. I agree with Pelletier that limiting your food to 100 mile is unrealistic. On the other hand, eating locally is beneficially, while it may not be cost efficient, it is valuable to your health. Simply switching one or two food items to locally grown can make an impact. The differences between Bittman and Pelletier regarding this is that buying for real food versus buying food locally grown, which of course is the healthier option but not needed. Americans should not have to go extreme measures to have healthy lifestyle, locally or not. Simply cooking healthy meals at home rather than eating out will increase their
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.