Borderless Society: Social and Environmental Effects of Imported Food - Report Example

Borderless Society: Social and Environmental Effects of Imported Food Sources of Components of a Typical Meal Breakfast, in most cases, consists of eggs, toast and coffee. On a closer look, all the breakfast, except the water, is imported. Eggs are imported all the way from China while most of the ingredients that make up a loaf of bread are imported from EU countries. Coffee travels through several countries before turning into breakfast i.e. most originates from Africa and processed in Brazil just to mention a few handlers. Dinner, the last meal of the day, is not spared by the importation mania, consisting mainly of spaghetti which is imported from Italy, and beef that comes from Japan. Despite mention of only these countries, they are not the only sources of the daily food. They just happen to be some of the sources of food that we consume. Countless number of people handles many other foods originating from other countries before they come to the local supermarket for sale. Process of Production First is an example of coffee that originates from Africa and at cheap prices. Those farmers must work extremely hard to harvest the coffee berries and take them to the local factory to remove husks and then package the coffee for export. The coffee beans are loaded onto some trucks or trains and taken to sea or ocean ports. At these ports, most of coffee is loaded onto the ship and ferried to South Africa for unpacking and processing to produce the instant coffee used for breakfast. Exporters buy the coffee and in turn sell it to large-scale traders in foreign countries. These traders resell the coffee to small traders, and the cycle continues until the local retailer buys the coffee and sells it to the consumer. Before the coffee changes hands at any stage, which it does many times, money also changes hands in the opposite direction. However, the amount is not usually proportional to the amount of work done but according to the value added or the level of utility (Pendergrast, 2009). Benefits of Global Market The global market offers countries with vast opportunities to specialize. By concentrating on what they can produce best, every country can produce the best quality of the product, most effectively and sustainably. By so doing, international trade offers foreign exchange to a country. The country in question uses the foreign exchange earned to purchase what it does not produce from other countries. This form of exchange eliminates shortages that would result if each country tried to produce everything it required. Specialization also enables less technologically advanced countries to acquire technological advancement (Kloppenburg, Hendrickson and Stevenson, 1996). This is through selling what they can produce using conventional means and buying advanced tools and equipment as well as knowledge on their use. In this way, the trade allows for considerable global development parity. World trade promotes bilateral and multilateral ties between and among countries respectively. For two or more countries to import from and export to each other, there is the necessity for a preexisting tie. The trade, therefore, persuades or forces countries to be at peace with each other failure to which there is no export and import of surplus and shortages respectively (Kloppenburg, Hendrickson and Stevenson, 1996). A country finding itself in this predicament is virtually doomed as it would have to produce all its requirements and consume all its products. Demerits of International Trade The environment bears the heaviest load in the quest to turn the world into one large market. No one has yet come up with sustainable alternatives to oil and related products. Most of the processing factories are petroleum-product dependent, and so are all the transport systems, with very few exceptions. On combustion, the hydrocarbons that make up petroleum products produce CO2, CO and other toxic gases and substances that pollute the environment. In the long run, these pollutants deplete the ozone layer that protects the atmosphere from harmful radiations from the sun or ultraviolet rays. This insulation, referred to as the greenhouse effect, results in the phenomenon known as global warming (Time 2006). Global warming, as scientists are now claiming, is the reason behind current massive flooding, drought and other environmental catastrophes across many parts of the world at increased proportions. Secondly, world trade has resulted in deteriorating health standards. There are attempts to control the conditions for production of these imported foods. However, it is virtually impossible to ensure that high standards are adhered to considering the number of different countries and people involved in the production process. For instance, there is a global attempt to ensure organic farming of all agricultural products. However, there is no global agreement on how much of organic farming is purely organic and thus consumers are presented with foods produced using questionable methods. These methods include cultivation using highly toxic chemicals, and in developing countries sewage wastes (Kloppenburg, Hendrickson and Stevenson 1996). Foods produced this way are clearly harmful regardless of theoretical justifications provided. In modern days, the quest to increase the volume of production within the shortest time possible has resulted in use of little understood techniques like use of artificial hormones, enzymes and other growth enhancers. These biochemical compounds are to some extent believed to have severe but under-researched ramifications. Some have been associated with development of carcinomas and other types of cancers. These mass-produced foods have resulted to dietary diseases since most have disproportionate nutrient content. Think Globally, Act Locally This phrase means that, on one hand, one should always think of ideas that will be of benefit to all humankind. On the other hand, it means that one should not compromise the quality of their life and that of other people in their locality. First, one has to take care of their own including their health, wealth and environment before extending the favor to the rest of the world. This research has resulted in reconsideration of food choices in that it is necessary to buy from traders who uphold health consciousness right from the source. References Kloppenburg, J., Hendrickson, J. & Stevenson, G. W. (1996). Coming into the food shed: Agriculture and human values. 13(3): 33-42. Pendergrast, M. (2009). "Coffee second only to oil?" Tea & Coffee Trade Journal. TIME (2006). Local-Food Movement: The Lure of the 100-Mile Diet. 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