Local Food Is Not Always The Best Choice - Essay Example

College LOCAL FOOD IS NOT ALWAYS THE BEST CHOICE The thesis, local food is not always the best choice is incorrect. Local foods are the consumable products grown and found in one’s country. Most Americans choose to use local foods and not global or imported due to many reasons. Local food is always the best choice as it tastes better and most Americans agree. A high percentage of Americans feed on local foods due to the many advantages it brings to consumers, farmers and the nation at large. However, imported foods are not entirely harmful, as a country cannot produce all kinds of foods in the world. A few need to be imported (Paarlberg 87). Local foods are healthier and fresh compared to imported foods. In Arabella Forge’s book- Frugavore: how to grow organic, buy local, waste nothing and eat well, local foods nutrition value is higher as they grow in the country and farmers use only the recommended fertilizers by the government. These foods reach the consumers immediately the harvest them thus no nutrients lost due cases of processing and packaging (Martonez 34). The foods are fresh, as they do not undergo chemical food preservation methods that kill most of the nutrients. Additives on preserved foods can cause harm to the health of individuals. Wide local food consumption, supports farmers greatly as they sell their produce and little or none goes to waste. In a book by Tracey Ryder- Edible: a celebration of local foods, Americans support to their producers portrays respect and appreciation for one another. Farmers return the favor by working hard to meet the needs of most Americans who are their loyal customers. Organizations formed by the government help the farmers greatly by providing them with the necessary resources such as fertilizers (Chen 36). The government also supports farmers by free educative campaigns on better farming methods. These organizations also create a platform for farmers to market their produce. The local foods produced offer a wide and better variety of products to the consumers. George Kent in a book- Freedom from want: the human right to adequate food explains that local foods offer much food to people and in enough amounts. Due to competition in the local market, farmers grow different types of foods. All these benefit the consumers as the foods become readily available and in plenty. The varieties include cereals, grains, seafood, meat, milk products and more. On the other hand, imported foods are not available in all these varieties. Most of the global foods are not in plenty thus not available to all consumers. Therefore, the variety makes local foods the best option (Shulman 87). Another major reason why local foods are the best is that they create job opportunities for most Americans within the country. The industry of local food production is big and involves large labor force. Farmers have lifetime jobs to ensure citizens get food constantly. Processers of these foods earn a living through local food production (Kent 90). Job opportunities are available to transporters who channel the foods from the farms to the market. In the market, there are also sellers who buy the products in large scale then trade in small scale with their consumers. Van de Mark in a book- Local foods and low-income communities: expanding access to farmers markets, talks of the many jobs created due to farming of local food. Local foods offer the consumers with a chance to know the sources of their food before they purchase and consume. This is a huge advantage as it helps them understand the methods used to grow the foods locally and all the processes taken before the foods reach the market. Knowing the exact sources of the foods offer Americans assurance that what they buy and feed on is exactly what they need. Imported foods on the other hand, reach the people from far and not much knowledge of their sources is available hence posing a risk to consumers as they could eat wrongly grown foods (Welland 89). Local foods are cheap and of good quality. Most Americans afford the food because they go for the cheaper option, which happens to be local foods. Global food is of low quality and at the same time very expensive for the average American to afford. In most cases, local foods vary in prices depending on the availability but when the supply is in plenty, prices go against the rule of supply as the prices fall. However, when the prices increase the consumers still manage to purchase, as they do not hike up by far. Quality is always at its best when it comes to local foods. The Local Food Movement a book by Amy Francis supports local foods due to their quality and affordable prices (Francis 67). Local foods are easily accessible to all Americans all over the country. Any person can access these foods faster compared to imported foods. Imported foods take time before they reach the Americans and not all can access them as soon as the foods are available. Local foods thus are more advantageous and Americans can purchase them any day and any time in the markets. A shortage of imported foods is common but local foods shortages are rare. Welland Diane in a book- The complete idiot’s guide to eating local says that local foods are all over and more so cheap. Local foods are safe to consume in terms of health related issues. Americans have the knowledge of the exact source of the local foods. This is not the case when it comes to global foods. The government authenticates the resources used for the growing of local foods for instance the fertilizers and other farm related products. This enables the citizens to feel confident when feeding on the local foods as no there are no harmful risks. As for the global foods, pollution of the foods is a major factor during the shipping and transit of these foods from the source country to America. Harmful foods or spoilt foods may reach the markets and the consumers may undergo financial loses and health complications. Food politics: what everyone needs to know a book by Paarlberg Robert says that food safety is crucial and looked into when it comes to local foods (Leon 65). Wide consumption of local foods improves the economy of the country in many sectors. Agriculture is a huge sector of the country’s economy as farmers produce a great deal of farm products that sell locally and internationally. This benefits the farmers individually and the government. The high demand of local foods increases the gross domestic product of the country annually. Farmers, processing companies, transport industry, the loyal consumers and both small and large-scale retailers contribute greatly to a sound economic status. Importation of global foods leads to many finances channeled to pay the import taxes and other expenses. This affects the country’s economy negatively thus not the better choice. Steve Martinez- Local food systems: concepts, impacts, and issues, says local foods improve economy due to market involved. Medically, local food consumption proves to save most Americans off diseases and other health complications. This is because; any local food in the market undergoes thorough check if it fits human consumption. Investigations made on farmers by the concerned government organizations help to ensure only the legal farm resources are available to farmers. Medically, few cases of health complication arise from consumption of local foods. This proves that doctors have trust in local foods than imported ones. Nancy Chen in a book- Food, medicine, and the quest for good health: nutrition, medicine, and culture, argues that local food consumption is natural and better for the health of Americans (Patel 56). Local foods consumption helps in reducing global warming. This is because, less transit of foods occurs around the country. Importation of foods requires transport via roads, ships and via air. All these forms of transport require much fuelling. The gases released because of this cause air pollution hence increasing global warming (Singer 59). This favors use of local foods and proves that they are the best for Americans as compared to imported foods. Cooler smarter: practical steps for low-carbon living: expert advice from the Union of Concerned Scientists a book by Shulman Seth, advices on how to reduce global warming through local food consumption. Imported foods are mostly organic. This is because they require a large market when sold to the Americans after importation. They are organic to match up to the competition of the local foods. This means that the imported foods have additives that make them look fresh and of high quality. However, the additives such as growth boosting hormones and other chemicals, pose a great risk to the health of the consumers hence proving that the imported foods are not the best. Local foods are natural and improve the people’s health hence the best. From the above facts, the conclusion is that local foods are the best for consumption. Work cited Chen, Nancy N. Food, Medicine, and the Quest for Good Health: Nutrition, Medicine, and Culture. New York: Columbia University Press, 2009. Print. Shulman, Seth. Cooler Smarter: Practical Steps for Low-Carbon Living : Expert Advice from the Union of Concerned Scientists. Washington, DC: Island Press, 2012. Print. Martinez, Steve. Local Food Systems: Concepts, Impacts, and Issues. Washington, D.C. : U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, 2010. Internet resource. Paarlberg, Robert L. Food Politics: What Everyone Needs to Know. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010. Print. Welland, Diane A. The Complete Idiots Guide to Eating Local. New York, NY: Alpha Books, 2011. Print. Francis, Amy. The Local Food Movement. Detroit, MIich: Greenhaven Press, 2010. Print. Kent, George. Freedom from Want: The Human Right to Adequate Food. Washington, D.C: Georgetown University Press, 2005. Print. Leon, Warren, and Caroline S. DeWaal. Is Our Food Safe? A Consumers Guide to Protecting Your Health and the Environment. New York: Three Rivers Press, 2002. Print. Patel, Raj. Stuffed and Starved: Markets, Power and the Hidden Battle for the World Food System. London: Portobello, 2007. Print. Singer, Peter, and Jim Mason. The Ethics of What We Eat: Why Our Food Choices Matter. Emmaus, Pa.: Rodale, 2006. Print. Singer, Peter, and Jim Mason. The Way We Eat: Why Our Food Choices Matter. Emmaus, Pa.: Rodale, 2006. Print. Read More