Posted on 11/12/2009 10:57:47 AM PST by Still Thinking
Researchers at MIT and Columbia University believe the answer to the so-called obesity “epidemic” lies in getting Americans to eat more regional food. So they’re outlining different “foodsheds” that we should all be relying on for our needs—especially if we live in a U.S. city. Will it work? Can we afford it? Let’s take a look.
The PhysOrg news service spells out the proposal: Each metropolitan area, the researchers say, should obtain most of its nutrition from its own “foodshed,” a term akin to “watershed” meaning the area that naturally supplies its kitchens … [T]hese local efforts should form a larger “Integrated Regional Foodshed” system, intended to lower the price and caloric content of food by lowering distances food must travel, from the farm to the dinner table.
Lower the price? We don’t know about shopping in New England, but the farmers’ markets selling “local” foods in our nation’s capital are where people go for $11-per-pound pork chops and $5 pints of raspberries, not discounts. As for lowering the caloric content, it’s hard to see how a local carrot might have fewer calories from a carrot that’s traveled 500 miles. Unless it’s a scrawny organic veggie, of course—which makes the price differential even more appalling.
We suspect that these researchers’ real motive is to attack what they see as a food system that’s too efficient and provides too many calories. But with over 1 billion hungry people in the world, efficient food production is hardly a bad thing.
So-called “locavore” advocates usually make environmental arguments for reducing our “food miles,” the distance food travels from farm to fork. This, too, is just another trendy foodie myth. In 2006, researchers at New Zealand’s Lincoln University compared the emissions and energy performance of their country’s domestic agriculture industry. They found that shipping lamb from New Zealand to England was four times less emissions-intensive than serving the Brits lamb produced right in the UK.
Why is this so? Because of economies of scale. It’s the same reason fresh flowers grown in Kenya and shipped to England have a smaller environmental impact than blooms grown by Dutch producers closer to home. The production process in Kenya is much more efficient, and emits fewer greenhouse gases per flower. This efficiency more than makes up for the jet (or truck) fuel burned to bring it to market. Food miles, the New Zealand researchers aptly note, is “a very simplistic concept.”
But back to today’s “foodshed” research: If switching to a regional-food-only diet has any chance of reducing our waistlines, it’s likely to be the result of food boredom. Maybe people in Boise will eventually get sick of eating recipes dominated by sugar beets and potatoes. And as for Alaskans and North Dakotans, a long canned-food winter is enough to make anyone eat less. Especially when they see everything Californians would be allowed to eat in a locavore utopia.
Of course, instead of slimming down by ditching our whole food production system, people could simply balance their calorie intake with physical activity. Or would that be too simplistic?
...and if you live in the Mohave you can eat cacti and lizards.
Yum. “Not Invented Here” comes to food distribution.
Glad I live in Texas. Keep the steaks coming. Medium-rare.
SnakeDoc
And sand.
So much for citrus fruits in far northern climates...
Don't rush it, that's the key!
“Ever eat a pine cone?”
“So-called “locavore” advocates usually make environmental arguments for reducing our “food miles,” the distance food travels from farm to fork. This, too, is just another trendy foodie myth.”
This bs combined with the green sustainable food BS will starve most of us if they get control of our food supply.
A little over a year ago, one of these green eco terrorists started a so called locavore/sustainable produce market in our city. She would go into a high self righteous orbit explaining how great this concept was. Yet, she had no answer to who should starve to death in our county since we only have a handful of farmers selling produce in the local farmers market or to the local grocery stores.
Thanks to truth in labeling re where produce comes from this Eco B$tch now pushes organic produce. She never was a able to get a contract with the few local farmers, who preferred to use capitalism and sell in our local farmers’s market. Her “Organic” produce with bugs and whatever comes from all over our hemisphere.
Nothing but wheat and beef for my diet...Montana doesn’t grow much else.
I was in Colorado during peach season, the wanted $48 per bushel!!!!!!!!! At the roadside stands! And they were just like the ones at the store, picked before they were ripe.
My husband’s cousin from Maine was recently here and talking about how Europe was so much further ahead of us in the local distribution of food. I turned my head and rolled my eyes.
Granted there are extremes that could save everyone money but if someone is selling something in California and someone in NY wants it and pays for it, then they should be allowed to buy it.
If I don’t eat a banana every morning I feel hungry all day. Does that mean I have to eat breakfast in Ecuador?
Should they manage to pass health care reform and Cap & Trade they will have the means to control the food supply. Bureaucrats will be able to make the decisions without any further legislation. The government health care managers can make a health issue out of how food is grown and who gets to eat it. The energy managers can make an environmental issue out of it based on CO2. Check and checkmate. Game over.
They taste better than the Grape Nuts he was pushing
Go first to the Central Valley in Calif and sell this theory to the farmers who own the 2 million acres there which have had their water cut to less than 10% of what they are legally entitled to have to raise their crops and produce food for many more than their own families.
Ugly....at least they grow strawberries and oranges around here....but I don’t see much beef or wheat production.
Well, dayum. Anybody got any tobacco recipes?
“Should they manage to pass health care reform and Cap & Trade they will have the means to control the food supply. Bureaucrats will be able to make the decisions without any further legislation. The government health care managers can make a health issue out of how food is grown and who gets to eat it. The energy managers can make an environmental issue out of it based on CO2. Check and checkmate. Game over.”
Yes, and when this happens, we should move directly into CWII,
It's on the Green Channel. I have not watched it yet, but there could be some good ideas for minimalist living that we may need to brush up our skills on soon.
We certainly should.
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