Monday, June 1, 2009

‘EATING LOCALLY” movements/farmer’s markets

In Simon Webster’s article, “Still a long way to go in travel debate; Food miles;” he maintains that food grown locally can affect the environment more. Transporting food is one part of the environment problem. For example, he says that British people prefer more dairy products from New Zealand to those from their own country because they are natural and farmers do not use a lot of chemicals for raising cows. Next, he says that in Australia calling local food environmentally superior is illegal to a local law and people believe that the shorter the distance food travels the quality would be superior. He also says that transportation from distant places would affect food, because it is exposed to greenhouse gas emission in a high percentage. The author concludes by saying that people demand that governments and retailers should ensure that consumers know how long this food has traveled by labeling in the package, so in this way people would keep in mind the environmental impact that it would cause. The group also wants that in the package label appears not only carbon emission but also water use.

Today, all over the world, eating locally is a desire. Everyone wants to buy food of good quality, so many people think that the best way to solve this is growing nearby. They believe that if they grow by themselves they will eat food more natural and fresh. Why do people want to grow locally? First, they encourage others to shop in local markets. Second, it cuts down the use of artificial substances. Third, it reduces the long distance transportation and finally, it is good for the environment. (Webster, 2008)

Encouraging others to buy in local markets makes people think in the good quality of the food and the benefit it brings for the health.

Growing locally gives people the opportunity to use organic products, which are something, that comes from the same land and it is not going to affect health in any way.

Bringing food from a distance is a problem because this is exposing it to the greenhouse gases that these vehicles emit.

Growing locally is not harmful because farmers are not going to use any substances that damage the environment.

Eating locally, then, is good for the environment, good for people who like fresher foods, and good for farmers and food merchants, but it is not so good, for fast-food restaurant chains. (Mahoney,2007)

In conclusion, People think that growing locally is very beneficial because they invite others to buy fresh food. They grow without the use of chemical but organic products. Transportation makes food lose quality because it sometimes comes from distant places. Then the environment would not be affected. That is Because they would locally take the needed measures to prevent this; in addition, I think that eating locally is good because consumers have the opportunity to talk with the market’s owner, farmers and sellers if they do not agree with the quality of the product and at the same time they can be witnesses of the process of farning.

One way that people could have sustainable food is by growing it in the place where they live.

Natural and healthy food is something that concerns many people today. They say that much of the food in markets and stores has traveled many miles and this affects the quality of the food because it receives much greenhouse emission gases.

References.

Mahoney. J. (2007, August 09). I’ll have to give up yak, Italian dressing, B. C. salmon to follow the eat-local mantra. The Hamilton Spectator. Retrieve from Google

Urbani, D. (2008 September 09). Organic farm in right place, time: Owner also focuses on seed crops. Peninsula Daily News. Retrieve from Google

Webster, S. (2008, November 12). Still a long way to go in travel: Food miles, Sydney Morning Herald (Australia). Retrieved from lexis-news database

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