Flores 1

Gabby Flores
English 114B
Professor Morinini
16 March 2014
Local
Agriculture has increased ithin !any years of in"ol"e!ent in the #$%$ A!erica has
changed fro! !a&ing 'roduction to increase of consu!'tion$ Many of the foods are trans'orted
through trains( shi's( and 'lane across fro! "arious countries$ An idea as brought u' hether
local food is better than non local food !ar&ets hich has scattered throughout A!erica$ A
co!!on ter! for those co!!itted to buying locally ithin 100 !ile radius fro! their ho!e are
called Loca"ores$ Eating locally can hel' the co!!unity( sa"e energy( and tastes better$
Eating locally has brought a beneficial sign of hel'ing the co!!unities econo!ically$ As
in the boo& )he *!ni"ore+s ,ile!!a states that -out of e"ery dollar s'ent on food in this
country( ninety.to cents goes to these non.far!ers /Pollan 10123$ %u'er!ar&ets( holesalers(
0and food 'rocessors are in fact !a&ing !ore than the far!ers ho are raising the food( as they
only get enough !oney to reach the re4uired necessities of li"ing$ Although so!e far!ers li&e
%olatin states -5e ants the sale of his eggs and !eat to hel' other local businesses( li&e s!all
sho's and restaurants /Pollan 10223$ By %olatin selling his food locally far!ers and groers
!oney stays close to the! as they can rein"est ith businesses in their co!!unities$ )he
co!!unity !e!bers are able to recei"e fresh food( har"ested in the 'ea& of its fla"or$ 6n the
ebsite doso!ething$org in the article hy buy locally gron7 it states that -For e"ery 81 in
re"enue raised by residential de"elo'!ent( go"ern!ents s'end 81$11 on ser"ices( hich
Flores 2
increases ta9es$ For e"ery 81 in re"enue raised by a far!( a forest or o'en s'ace( go"ern!ents
s'end 80$:4 cents on ser"ices3$ Local food has the benefits into hel'ing the co!!unity by
loering the ta9es and &ee'ing the! on balance$ ;or'orations ha"e ta&en ad"antage using
co!!unities land and building toers to 'rocess the food$ As they gain !oney they lea"e little
to the ton to bring their on econo!ic status u'$ <here( as to getting to going to other non
local !ar&ets the food has been sitting in 'ac&ages being trans'orted for days$
)rans'ortation of food inco!ing to A!erica can tra"el ty'ically about 1(=00 !iles aay
or !ore$ At the eLocal ebsite it 'ro"ides that trans'ortation by -a!ount of sulfur o9ide
'ollution that co!es fro! the 1= largest shi's e4uals the co!bined a!ount co!ing fro! all the
cars in the orld /200123$ )he earth has beco!e into9icated ith air 'ollution to the e9tent to
tearing so!e of the o>one layer hich 'rotects us fro! the heat$ )he <orld <atch 6nstitute
stated that -Each year( 011 !illion tons of food are shi''ed around the around the 'lanet$ )he
results are that a basic diet of i!'orted 'roducts can use four ti!es the energy and 'roduce four
ti!es the e!issions of an e4ui"alent do!estic diet$3 ?ot only is A!erica causing 'ollution to our
states but are 'art of a orld issue that affects the 'lanet$ Peo'le are thus contributing to air
'ollution by buying the 'roducts sold at su'er!ar&ets$ )he 4uestion ould be ho !any are
unaare of the facts that go behind trans'ortation$ )he BB; nes adds that -agricultural
'ractices( 'rocessing( storage( and the ay e sho' for food all 'lay a role in food+s carbon
foot'rint3$ )he 4uote e9'lains ho !uch 'ollution is being created due to long distance tra"el$ 6f
'eo'le ere to buy locally there ould be less energy sa"ing to9ic gases being released$ ;arbon
foot'rint is ho !uch gas e!ission a thing has( so!e of the food carry a little due to 'esticides
used in far!s$ Although the ay 'rocessed food is being !ade and 'ut in storage as it aaits its
Flores :
destination it can increase the carbon foot'rint$ ;arbon foot'rint also affects global arning as to
!uch gas e!issions in the air causes ice !elting hich i!'acts the ani!als( floods( and the
ater e drin&$
Eating locally can ha"e a different taste than foods bought at su'er!ar&ets$ 6n the ebsite
fro! the #ni"ersity of Florida -Li"ing Green3 it states that -%tudies ha"e shon that fresh
'roduce loses nutrients 4uic&ly during trans'ortation$ ,uring the tri' fro! har"est to dinner
table( sugars turn to starches( 'lant cells shrin&( and 'roduce loses its "itality3$ )his 4uote
signifies that the food loses !any i!'ortant factors of its nutrition$ By buying the food locally(
the food ould be fresher and ha"e !ore of its nutrients$ Far!ers !ar&ets -groers all o"er the
orld gather ee&ly to see their 'roducts directly to the 'ublic3 in the Local 5ar"est ebsite$
6ndi"iduals can 'ost their >i' code and find out that !any far!ers !ar&ets are close by$ )here
are also others ay of buying local than fa!ers !ar&et such as food shares and 'roduce stands$
Another great benefit of buying locally is that there is !ore di"ersity than hen being
trans'orted since in the ebsite Li"ing Green it states that -shi''ers de!and 'roduce ith a
tough s&in that can sur"i"e 'ac&ing( trans'ort( and a long shelf life in the store3$ %o as ,arin
ould say -sur"i"al of the fittest3$ *nly certain "arieties of food ill !eet the re4uire!ent
li!iting the choices ith 'erha's different colors such as a''les or taste$

%o!e !ay disclai! that eating locally ould not be a right choice due to -its ay to
e9'ensi"e3$ ;onsu!ers ha"e ad@usted to industrial food since it is affordable$ Most of the food
that is sold chea' is either going to e9'ire soon so it+s beco!es a sale or unhealthy that brings no
"alue to the body only da!age$ Mc,onalds has the dollar !enu here !any fa!ily and
Flores 4
indi"iduals find it easier to get so!ething so chea' although the calories( !eat 'rocessing(
'ac&aging( and the ay they are !adeA creating the rise of obesity and diabetes$ Many 'ro@ects
in the #$% had !illions dollars in"ested that soon had long ter! benefits such as freeays(
healthcare( and buildings$ %o hy should 'eo'le not in"est hen it co!es to health7 5ealth is an
i!'ortant factor for hu!an life e9'ansion$ An idea for hel'ing the children ould be ha"ing
garden at schools( ha"ing fresh 'roducts for the students$ 6n this ti!e fra!e our technology has
also co!e a long ay as it can hel' e9'and !ar&ets for local food$
Local food is still an idea that is li!ited to the 'eo'le since there are not as !uch local food$
Local food !ar&ets ould !a&e a different ay of li"ing that !any ould ha"e to !a&e
ad@ust!ent only to bring 'ositi"e as'ect$ Local food ad"ocates ill be bringing about increasing
local food !ar&ets as cor'orations ould not find it suitable as it can loer their 'rofit$ <ith the
research conducted it has shon local food can bring !ulti'le ays of hel'ing the co!!unity
econo!ically( energy sa"ers( and fresher nutrients$
Flores =
<or& ;ited
5e"at( Bichie( and Michael Pollan$ The Omnivore's Dilemma: The Secrets behind What You Eat$
?e Cor&D ,ial( 200E$ Print
FBuy LocalD Guic& Facts on the Benefits of Buying Local$F ELocal.com$ ?$'$( 20 A'r$ 2011$
<eb$ 11 Mar$ 2014$
FLocally Gron Food$F Food-Living reen$ ?$'$( 2006$ <eb$ 11 Mar$ 2014
F5o Food Affects the En"iron!ent$F W!!.ceeonline.org$ ?$'$( 200E$ <eb$ 11 Mar$ 2014$
F<hy Buy Locally Gron7F ,o %o!ething$ ?$'$( n$d$ <eb$ 04 May 2014$
Hhtt'sDII$doso!ething$orgIti'sandtoolsIhy.buy.locally.gronJ$
FFar!ersK Mar&ets . Local5ar"est$F Far!ersK Mar&ets . Local5ar"est$ ?$'$( n$d$ <eb$ 0= May
2014$ Hhtt'DII$localhar"est$orgIfar!ers.!ar&etsIJ$