Buying American is not quite the same thing as buying locally produced food only. Not everyone has access to farmer’s market or can have a garden. The whole point of the article is that the proponents of “buy local” believe that it is more efficient and better for the environment. That is not true. If you live in Florida, you buy spuds grown in Idaho, and people in Idaho buy oranges grown in Florida. That is the only reasonable thing to do. If we are going to feed all 275 million (if that number is correct) people in the US, it is highly impractical, inefficient, and expensive to buy food that is produced within a 100 miles of where you live.
The guy is arguing globalism and he has left American producers out of the equation in his article. America is a food export country that produces food far in excess our own needs, so buying American should be a consideration, especially with all the horror stories about unregulated farmed fish, poisoned pet food, and produce that carries hepatitis from food that comes from abroad. We can do both, we can export as well as feed a domestic market, but thats not an option that he covers.
“global food products present substantial advantages in terms of affordability, in particular for middle and low-income consumers.” Is what the guy says.