When we shop at our local grocery store we do not give much thought to where the food we are buying came from. We expect our favorite items to be readily available for our purchase but we do not think about what it took for those items to be on available to us. We do not consider the environmental and economic impacts that occurred to provide those items or how far these items traveled before arriving at the store. We do not think about the types of chemicals or fertilizers that were used to grow and produce the food but perhaps we should.
Let’s examine a meal consisting of shrimp cocktail appetizer, rib eye steak, macaroni and cheese, green beans, pineapple casserole, dinner rolls, and banana pudding. Some of these items traveled over 1,500 miles to arrive at the local grocery store and some had preservatives added to them so they would survive the journey (Landford, Blake, 2011). The shrimp we see in the seafood section of our grocery store does not necessarily come from our local waters. Around ninety percent of the shrimp we see in our grocery stores is imported with a small percentage actually caught by American fisherman. Sadly only a small percentage of the shrimp that hits the market is actually produced domestically (Fish Watch, 2013). The rib eye steak more than likely comes from a beef processing plant in the United States however up to ten percent of the beef we see in our stores is imported from other countries. If droughts continue and feed prices keep rising the amount of cattle raised and slaughtered in the United States will decrease and raise the percentage of beef that is imported and stocked in our stores (Andrews, 2013).
Macaroni and cheese has long been a part of the American diet. If we make ...
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...Sources of Your Favorite Seafoods. Retrieved December 11, 2013, from Fish Watch: http://www.fishwatch.gov/features/top10seafoods_and_sources_10_10_12.html
Food Production Daily. (2003, June 02). Fresh produce contamination . Retrieved December 15, 2013, from Food Production Daily: http://www.foodproductiondaily.com/Supply-Chain/Fresh-produce-contamination
Landford, Blake. (2011, July). Local Food: Does It Matter What We Eat? Retrieved December 12, 2013, from Clemson Cooperative Extension: http://www.clemson.edu/extension/county/horry/documents/local_fact_sheet.pdf
United States Department of Agriculture. (2013, July 15). Checklist for Importing Meat, Poultry and Processed Egg Products. Retrieved December 14, 2013, from United States Department of Agriculture: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/international-affairs/importing-products/import-checklist
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
"Organic Production and Organic Food: Information Access Tools." Organic Production and Organic Food: Information Access Tools. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2013.
United States Department of Agriculture. (2011). 10 tips for affordable vegetables and fruits. Retrieved , from http://www.choosemyplate.gov/foodgroups/downloads/TenTips/DGTipsheet9SmartShopping.pdf
The typical American diet is about 50% carbohydrate, 15% protein, and 35% fat, which is over the dietary guidelines for the amount of fat (below 30%), below the guidelines for carbohydrate (above 55%), and at the upper end of the guidelines for the amount of protein (below 15%) recommended in the diet. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_pattern_diet). Not only is the Standard American Diet completely lacking in terms of the quantity of macronutrients being consumed, but the quality of the foods that most Americans are eating is extremely poor as well. The Standard American Diet is high in animal fats, low in fiber, low in complex carbohydrates, and low in plant-based
On January 4, 2011 President Obama signed into law The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). This law has shed new light on the safety and security of our food supply. The last update to the food safety laws in the United States was in 1938. The food safety modernization act pays special attention at trying to modernize the food safety policies in the United States in hopes to prevent problems and concerns before they happen. As we all know, most of our food comes from overseas or sometimes from your neighboring state. The food products travel by car, truck, airplane, boat, or even train. We are all very happy to be receiving our bananas from Costa Rica and all of our other fresh fruits and vegetables that are imported into the United States, but we never stop to think about what pathogens are contaminating our produce and other foods on the way over and if they are safe for us to eat. In an article by Neal Fortin, he states that the law also gives the FDA new standards to hold imported foods to the domestic food standards and it also encourages the FDA to establish and develo...
"Organic Foods." : Understanding Organic Food Labels, Benefits, and Claims. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2014.
Harvey, Blatt. America’s Food: What You Don’t Know About What You Eat. 1st ed. Cambridge:
Meadows, H, Donella.. "Our food, our future." Organic Gardening. 01 Sep. 2000: 53. eLibrary. Web. 25 Feb. 2014.
The standards for organic foods are located in the Organic Food Production Act, USDA organic regulations, and the National Organic Program Handbook. The National Organic Program
My starting point for this paper was the movie Food Inc. directed by Robert Kenner. Although the film’s main purpose was to expose how detrimental today’s food industry is to our health, at the same time I found myself wondering how the food industry and our diets affect the environment. The film mentions how the meat industry takes heavy tolls on the environment because of the land that must be devoted in order to raise livestock—both to grow the food for the animals to eat and to provide a place for the animals to reside. The film also mentions how there are only 4 or 5 major crops that are grown in America—including corn, wheat, and soybean, which are used a lot for animal feed—which decreases America’s biodiversity (Food). All of these things led me to pursue the question: how does our consumption of animal products affect the environment?
...e food. There is much less risk health and safety wise. Yes there are downfalls to eating local food but the positives over ride them. Locally grown food boosts the economy, not to mention brings everybody closer together, creating a stronger closer-knit community. Food is something everybody will always need, it will always bring people together, so it’s important that its healthy and safe, like locally grown food.
...s that the processed food is going to waste. “In addition, a growing number of consumers are asking questions about where their food was produced, how it was produced, and who produced it (Hendrickson).”
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.
Roberts, Paul. "Spoiled: Organic and Local Is So 2008." Mother Jones 1 (2009). https://blackboard.syr.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-3188122-dt-content-rid-8212178_1/courses/33750.1142/Spoiled.pdf (accessed March 25, 2014).
"Where Does Your Food Come From?." Food Routes Network. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Jan. 2014. .