Sustainability of the Current Model of Food Production - Research Paper Example

 Globalization is no longer a trend; it is a way of life. So it should come as no surprise to anyone that our food supply and distribution mechanisms are increasingly globalized. Whether you purchase your food in a restaurant or at your local grocery store, you are relying on the supply chain, labor, and transportation network of agri-business conglomerates. In many ways this has positive benefits of convenience and a lower price; however, in other ways its environmental and labor consequences are severe. Sustainability, pollution, use of pesticides, and unscrupulous labor force issues are just a few of many concerns associated with relying on the globalized food supply network upon which we are all so dependent. This brief analysis will attempt to capture the extent to which a normal person relies on the global food network for just two of his meals. Additionally, some of the benefits, risks, and advantages of our current system will be discussed and analyzed. As a part of this analysis, I will examine the individual items of food I consumed during two meals as a vehicle towards understanding and explaining the global nature of food supply. My breakfast consisted of an apple, a bagel with cream cheese, and a glass of orange juice from concentrate. I purchased both of these items at my local grocery store. The apple came from Pennsylvania, the bagel was baked in Connecticut, the cream cheese was cultured and processed in Wisconsin, and the orange juice from concentrate was processed in Florida. In effect, not a single item of my morning breakfast was grown, baked, or processed locally. With respect to the processing that was necessary for each of the aforementioned products, the complexities of our global market become even clearer. With the apple, little processing was required; however it was necessary to ship it several hundreds of miles to its final point of sale. The bagel originated from a bakery in Connecticut; however, the bagel itself has around 20 different ingredients that could have easily originated from any point in the world. A study entitled “Coming into the Foodshed” found the following concerning average distance that a single item of food travels: “Food in the United States travels an average of 1300 miles and changes hands half a dozen times before it is consumed (Kloppenburg, Hendrickson 1996 p. 2). Therefore it is important to note that not only is the food originating at a certain location, it then must be processed (perhaps in another location), then packaged (perhaps in yet another location), and then handed up to an array of shipping subcontractors that then carry the product to its final location. Additionally, as food prices are in constant flux, wheat in one package of a branded product did not necessarily originate from the same geographic area than did the wheat in another package of the branded product. As agricultural product price are in flux much as the stock market is in flux, suppliers of these ingredients can change on a weekly or daily basis. Logic dictates that the cream cheese that I put on my bagel was cultured from milk that came from a cow in or around Wisconsin as the dairy which produced the cream cheese is also located in Wisconsin; however, one cannot be certain in this assumption. Lastly, the orange juice was processed in Florida from concentrate orange juice and then shipped hundreds of miles to its final point of sale. Furthermore, climate adds another dynamic to the supply and demand of a globalized food network. In the book, From Columbus to Conagra: The Globalization of Agriculture and Food, Bonanno et al states: “Tropical and subtropical areas have an additional appeal for agribusiness in that their climates permit year round production of many crops which are subject to seasonal constraints in temperate regions (Bonanno 1994 p. 4). In order to meet continuous demand for products year-round, food suppliers are forced to outsource to tropical regions that experience little or no winter in order to maximize yield and profits. As I was busy during the middle of the day, I did not have time for lunch but my dinner consisted of corn on the cob from Nebraska, a glass of beer from Missouri, chicken breast from South Carolina, and broccoli from California. Each of these traveled hundreds of miles, was handled by several shipping firms, and frozen, chilled, or preserved in some way, shape, or fashion throughout its journey from “field to fork”. Not once during this entire day did I eat one single food product that was either grown, processed, or packaged locally. With respect to the benefits that this global market provides the consumer, there are many. Firstly, the availability of any product day or night in practically any part of the country – from sushi at midnight or fresh oranges in February, the choices are practically limitless. Additionally, better availability of foods can lead to a better and healthier diet for people. Compared to one hundred years when diet was oftentimes limited by logistics, fresh fruits, vegetables, and meats may now be enjoyed year around. Lastly, another benefit that this global market provides is the ability of developing economies to reap the benefit of global demand and in so doing increase the overall wealth and prosperity of their own people by exporting this product. With reference to the impacts of this global market there are many. Firstly, pollution from transport over the short term may not be noticeable but over the long-term the overall net effect can be disastrous to the world environment. As many of these products will travel hundreds if not thousands of miles, oftentimes from outside the country, the amount of fuel that is spent to transport them is likely unimaginable. Accordingly, when you take into account that the transportation of these goods is not always a vital necessity but rather a way in which agri-business works to save pennies on the dollar and maximize profits through volume of goods delivered, the problem becomes plainly manifest. Sadly, what is often sacrificed is environmental standards, labor and wage standards, as well as animal cruelty standards. Oftentimes when food is outsourced to developing nations the level of compliance with the rules of domestic agriculture, business, labor, and animal treatment are not upheld. Furthermore, Bonanno states the following: “Transnational (food) corporations, while experiencing many constraints, nevertheless have become notable for their increase in degrees of freedom. They can move production almost at will to new loci or change the venue of managerial direction, and many have become significantly freed from their national origins” (Bonanno 1994 p. 4). With respect to this statement, it becomes painfully obvious that these conglomerates are solely interested in maximizing profits and have little or no fidelity to a given region or location; instead, they focus on maiming profits at the expense of the locations in which they chose to do business. With respect to “thinking globally and acting locally” - this phrase entails the notion that the consumer should be ever mindful of their impact at the global level and be mindful from where the products they consume originate and under what circumstances they originate from. This is not about feeling guilt for buying a grapefruit that the consumer knows was transported from a great distance away; instead, it is about making an informed decision to purchase local products whenever possible and forego those that originate from a great distance and have little if any competitive advantage over local products. Furthermore, it entails being aware of the global impacts that pollution, unfair labor laws (i.e. the use of child labor in the cocoa farming in Sierra Leone), non-sustainable farming techniques, and forest destruction has on our world. Furthermore, even if food is certified as organic by the global conglomerates, this does not sanitize it from the ills of pollution and disregard of human labor laws in developing nations. Time magazine notes: “increasingly, even certified-organic produce is grown on vast monoculture spreads, many of them overseas, and shipping long distances” (Time 2006 p. 1). With respect to how this analysis has changed the way that I, as a consumer, will choose goods and services in the future - the unfortunate fact remains that no matter how important an issue the environment is to ourselves and to future generations, consumerism boils down to a handful of primary factors. The first of these is price. Therefore, because large agri-business is able to produce, supply, transport, and market en masse, they continue to have the price advantage over many; oftentimes even over the local competition. As a result, consumers, myself included, will often be tempted to opt for the less expensive choice as price is remains one of the primary concerns for consumers. However, if significant local alternatives exist at prices that are not beyond the realms of reasonability, I will make the attempt to support the local economy and to support sustainable agriculture. Bibliography Bonanno, A., Busch, L., Friedland, W., Gouveia, L., & Mingione, E. (Eds.). (1994). From Columbus to ConAgra: The Globalization of Agriculture and Food. Kansas City, KS: University Press of Kansas. Jenson, Jennifer. (2010). Local and Regional Food Systems for Rural Futures. Retrieved 16 July 2012 from http://ruralfutureslab.org/docs/Food_Systems_for_Rural_Futures_072911.pdf Kloppenburg, Jack and Hendrickson, John (1996). Coming Into the Foodshed. Retrieved 16 July 2012 from http://www.cias.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/comingin.pdf Time Online (2006). Local Food Movement: The Lure of the 100 Mile Diet:. Retrieved 16 July 2012 from Time Online: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1200783-2,00.html Read More