The Concept of Local - Essay Example

Part A From my own perspective, I define the term local as something that is home grown or found within the vicinity of the community which we live. In other words, local refers to something that we live with and regularly see and this thing often has an impact on our lives in one way or the other. There are quite a number of aspects that shape or define a local product in particular. In most cases, the members of a particular community identify with a particular product and there are certain connotations that are attached to it. For instance, the term local can be used to define a geographical location such as district, province or even state. I prefer to use the term local to refer to a certain state though the term can also be applied to the entire US. In case of food products, there are quite a number of features that are considered by the consumers. I consumed locally produced chicken as well as homemade grape drink. I only wanted to find out if there is any difference between locally produced food products and those imported from the other countries. I discovered that locally produced chicken tasted better compared to chicken imported from countries like Brazil. I gathered that chicken imported from Brazil is made from genetically modified organisms and it is too fat. However, our locally produced chicken is different from the imported products. It is original and it tastes good. Just the same like the grape drink that I consumed for two consecutive days. It had an original taste as a result of the fact that it had little additives. From this experience, I gathered that products that are meant for the local market are original and they often have high prices compared to low quality products that are imported from other local markets. Originality is the main aspect that has appealed to my interests towards locally produced goods. I have come to realize that when you want to obtain local products when doing your shopping, you should read the label and try to gain knowledge about the place where the product was made. I have also noted that locally produced products have slightly higher prices if they are original compared to genetically modified products sourced from other regional markets. Apart from differences in the cost of local and regional products, the quality also differs. From carrying out this exercise, I have realized that the term local is synonymous with quality and originality. Local people often identify with the products that are locally produced and they derive pride from these. In terms of nutritional value, locally produced food products are recommendable. Though my definition for local has not changed due to this experience, I believe that food products that are locally made are valuable in terms of quality. However, you need to be very careful when shopping around for local goods. Some products may not be readily available and you may end up buying imports from other regions. I also believe that these imported products are meant to supplement the locally produced food products. Though it is good to promote the local market, it can be seen that consistency may be challenging since we need to taste different products as buyers. However, I still believe that local products are valuable compared to the products that are imported from other countries. Part B In as far as procurement and consumption of food imported from other countries is concerned, it can be seen that this practice has a number of implications especially on the local market. In most cases, imported products are of lower quality and this entails that their prices are cheaper compared to locally produced products. This upsets the local market as the consumers would prefer to buy imported products with lower prices. Though there are some customers who look at aspects such as value as well as quality of the products they purchase, it can be seen that local products may fair poorly in the market as a result of the prevalence of imported products that often have low prices. As a result, the local market will suffer. As a result, it is ideal to promote locally produced food products in a bid to protect the interests of the local market. Consumption of locally produced food products will help create employment if the demand of the products increases. This in turn will help to improve the welfare of the people if they can get employment. It can also be seen that costs involved in the transportation of products sourced from other countries will be significantly lowered if all the products are locally sourced. Apart from the economic factors considered in case of locally produced food products and those sourced from other reasons, it can be seen that there are also societal values that ought to be taken into consideration. For instance, societal values and culture are preserved through the consumption of food that has been locally produced. Local people in particular identify with the products that have been produced locally since these have nutritional value that is not found in other products that have been imported. This also helps to promote growth of the local economy and society. The other issue that should be taken into account is related to ethical sourcing in as far as production of the products that are imported from other countries is concerned. Genetically modified organisms have long term impacts to the health of the people who consume them and this may not go down well with the aspect of ethical consumerism. The GMOs also have a negative impact on the environment and they should not be advocated though they cannot be banned completely. In as far as sustainability is concerned, it can be seen that it is a wise decision to practice organic farming since it does not have long term impacts on the environment which sustains human life. It is also important to note that food locally produced food also helps the local people to solidify their cultural values since they can identify with the products that have been locally produced. From my own perspective, I think there are quite a number of benefits that can be derived from consuming locally produced food products. Read More