Posted on 06/02/2021 10:38:42 AM PDT by Pining_4_TX
...the authors of a new article in Review of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Studies, have some potentially upsetting news for local food aficionados:
'Local food' cannot simply be equated with 'sustainable food'; in most cases, it neither can ensure food security nor does it necessarily have a lower carbon footprint. For the environmental sustainability of food systems, many more factors matter than just transportation, not least consumers’ dietary choices
… In terms of economic sustainability, selling via short supply chains [those with few intermediaries between farmer and consumer] into local markets can benefit certain farmers, while for other producers it can be more profitable to supply international markets.
How do they know this? Let's look at the evidence.
(Excerpt) Read more at acsh.org ...
"It should be obvious that buying locally produced food is worse for the environment, from the simple fact that it is more expensive. If buying food produced far away is cheaper, it follows that it is more efficient to produce food far away. After all, if it were more efficient to produce food locally, meaning that local producers have lowers expenses, and locally produced food also commands a price premium, it must be the case that locally produced food is more profitable. But if selling food locally were more profitable, why would anyone go to the trouble to produce food far from its consumer just to get lower profits? Ergo, the lower price of non-local food must reflect greater efficiency. And by definition, superior efficiency is better for the environment. After all, what is superior efficiency but the ability to produce at least as much product with fewer inputs of land, natural resources, energy, etc, and also less waste? If you are using less land, less energy, and fewer natural resources, all while producing less waste, how can that not be better for the environment? In short, greater economic efficiency is better for the environment. If you are paying a premium for "environmentally friendly" products, then it is a safe bet that you are hurting the environment."
I have to admit, the amount of time and money I put into my garden is break even at best. But I do what I can to feed the local deer.
Because of the vast acreages of crops required to feed large urban populations, you cannot grow enough “locally” to feed them all unless your real goal is to reduce population via starvation.
A horse and a cow can provide a family with necessary ingredients for a prosperous garden and the labor to make it easier.
Life is not that hard ..... as long as you're not going to work for someone else.
I agree. A garden is hard work. I put mine in this year and didn’t even take into account it’s carbon footprint. I guess I’ll get the tractor out and till it under before I do anymore damage.
Ah - another step in the path to starving the masses into submission. Can’t have people being self sufficient and all...
Carbon foot print? STFU!!!
Translation: Big Agriculture doesn’t like you buying from the little guy. You know, cuz of “science”.
Until its not available any longer. Anyone relying on food ingredients from Asia is now paying 4X costs vs. 14 months ago for ocean freight -- if you can even get a shipping container.
A railroad can move a ton of freight about 423 miles on average on a gallon of fuel.
About the amount of fuel a DC area commuter uses in a workday on average is enough to keep him supplied with California produce for a year.
You just have to recognize that you're building relationships and getting a good value, not saving the planet or the local economy.
And that's the point. I care about my family, first and foremost. I don't care about the plight of farmers in some distant area or the climate impact of my individualism, or the profit maximization of Archer Daniels-Midland.
The pandemic may have had an unintended (and maybe unwanted...) consequence of making people a little more self-sufficient and selfish. I know many people who now go to a farmer to buy meat vs Piggle Wiggly, and who uber-care if their canned goods come from Pennsylvania vs Transylvania.
Maybe they pay a little more for a steak from the cow down the interstate and green beans from the farmer 60 miles away, but their utility function's low weight on some imaginary carbon footprint is what frightens these concern trolls.
Yup
I’m personally going with “buy American” during the local growing season and putting up what I can for the winter.
I care about keeping American farmers going, because the alternative is some multinational buying up the farmland, and then what are you going to do?
I am a foodie. I call it freedom of choice to be able to buy ingredients at all times of the year, but I am also pretty frugal. I have a garden and I also buy produce from local farmers, at a discount when compared to grocery stores. I don’t give a damn about climate change, carbon foot prints and other Marxist BS.
The horse and cow have to get their food from somewhere. They need anywhere from an acre - extremely rich and productive pasturage - to hundreds of acres of desert to obtain enough food to survive and prosper.
>>”It should be obvious that buying locally produced food is worse for the environment, from the simple fact that it is more expensive.”
This one sentence is so ridiculous in its premise and conclusion, that the rest of the article is a waste of time to read - utter garbage.
People start a sentence that way when they want you to shut off your brain and just accept some sort of crap story that they made up.
Sounds like BS paid for by Big Agriculture. Pure propaganda from the megacorporations.
Buy local, eat local.
What is missing from this equation is the use of pesticides and chemistry to increase yield, which people shopping at farmers’ markets tend to value.
Hmmmm ... missed that part .... still .... friend with acreage ?
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