This assignment requires an example of food source locations, methods of growth and

distance to market for seven types of produce found in local grocery stores.
The table below represents a sampling of produce consumed regularly by my family,
where and how it is grown, and the number of miles the produce must travel to reach
Salt Lake City, Utah.

Produce Company Type Region Miles
Artichokes
Boggiato
Produce, Inc.
Conventional California 830
Cucumbers
Miracle
Greenhouse
Conventional Mexico 1,250
Asparagus
Altar Produce,
LLC
Conventional
Northern
Mexico
740
Apples
Washington
Apples
Organic Washington 698
Potatoes
Arrowhead
Potato Co.
Conventional Idaho 218
Bananas
Senda Verde,
Corporation
Organic Ecuador 3,524
Table Grapes Frutamerica Conventional Chile 5,758
Data source: Store labels and Internet

For this section of the assignment we were asked to reflect on how climate change is
projected to impact traditional staple growing regions of the world, the impact on
fruit and vegetable farms, and the possible economic and political effects of the
changing climate on global agriculture.
Africa, India, China, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East are areas of the world
where the population heavily relies on staple crops (wheat, rice, maize, sorghum and
potatoes) for much of their food security. These regions have already seen decreasing
yields from drought, extreme storms, flooding, and soil erosion, pests and water scarcity.
Crop yields are projected to decline further by 2030 and 2050 as the atmospheric
temperature continues to rise. Small-scale farmers in the Horn of Africa will be the
hardest hit. It seems apparent that the developing countries of the world are going to
bear the brunt of climate change impacts on their basic food supplies, while their
populations grow disproportionately. Most farming in poorer countries is done by smaller
scale subsistence level farmers. They are at the greatest risk of losing everything when
bad harvests occur. (Growing a Better Future, Oxfam International, 2011). US and
Northern Europe have projected stable food crops until 2050, but these have been
based on simulations in which excess atmospheric CO2 is expected to boost some crop
yields. This assumption is being challenged in real field trials where any expected increase
has not occurred. This research suggests that by the end of the century, if not sooner,
with more heat waves during the growing season, yields of crops could fall by 30% or
more. A Warming Planet Struggles to Feed Itself, (New York Times, Gillis, 2011).
Popular fruits and vegetables consumed in the United States could become severely
limited as their growing areas (Mexico, Central America and Southern California)
become hotter and drier. Asparagus, bananas, coffee and table grapes could become
almost unobtainable. California alone provides half the US supply of fruits and
vegetables. More variable temperatures and rainfall increase the probability of
abnormally low yields of almonds, table grapes, walnuts and avocados. (Climate
Change Consortium for Specialty Crops, California Dept. of Food & Agriculture, 2013).
The decreased yields of food source crops, especially staples will increase prices
around the world causing economic instability, food shortages, and loss of livelihood,
increasing malnourishment, famine and disease. The political effects have already
been demonstrated in the past few years when high food prices in 2008 caused violent
food riots in 23 countries and helped destabilize governments in Haiti, Yemen, Tunisia,
Mexico and Uzbekistan, among others. As hunger increases, so do the humanitarian
disasters contributing to civil war, revolution, ousted governments and failed nations.