Food is an essintial part of our life as human beings. It is of vital importance to our health and well being that we have a stable and well balanced diet consisting of tropical fruits and forgein beefs!. However should we have all these tropical fruits at the cost of climate?
Before this weeks lecture the only thought that i ever passed about food was where am i going to get my next meal from. In primary school we were bombared about healthy eating and loads of fruits etc etc. However a banana on average according to “Plant Green” takes 8 pounds of carbon to get to your table for a four ounce serving. This is clearly wrong. Should our kids be thought to eat locally based fruits and vegatables instead of tropical fruits like bananas, kiwis, mangos, the list just goes on. I read the following article about our indulgence on tropical fruits and was amazed at some of the statitics. http://planetgreen.discovery.com/food-health/environmentalist-indulge-tropical-foods.html.
It is quite clear from this article that we need to drastically change the way we source or food. The last few weeks we have been talking about economies and trade and all that and at the moment “Fair Trade is taking a centre stage in world discussions. However it is my opion that in the interest of climate change trading large amounts of food with forgein countries is causing a massive carbon footprint. For a country like ours which is full of farmland we should be able to survive and have a healthy diet by just eating the food we produce in this country. Not only would this help the envoirnment it would also help our economy aswell. I think it is very important to buy Irish made foods. In my opinion the best way to do this is too tax imported food very heavily and that way encourage consumers to buy Irish food.
1) Locally grown food tastes and looks better. The crops are picked at their peak, and farmstead products like cheeses and are hand-crafted for best flavor. Food imported from far away is older and has traveled on trucks or planes, and sat in warehouses before it gets to you.
2) Local food is better for you. The shorter the time between the farm and your table, the less likely it is that nutrients will be lost from fresh food.
3) Local food preserves genetic diversity. In the modern agricultural system, plant varieties are chosen for their ability to ripen uniformly, withstand harvesting, survive packing and last a long time on the shelf, so there is limited genetic diversity in large-scale production. Smaller local farms, in contrast, often grow many different varieties to provide a long harvest season, an array of colors, and the best flavors.
4) Local food is safe. There’s a unique kind of assurance that comes from looking a farmer in the eye at farmers’ market or driving by the fields where your food comes from. Local farmers aren’t anonymous and they take their responsibility to the consumer seriously.
5) Local food supports local families. The wholesale prices that farmers get for their products are low, often near the cost of production. Local farmers who sell direct to consumers cut out the middleman and get full retail price for their food – which helps farm families stay on the land.
6) Local food builds community. When you buy direct from a farmer, you’re engaging in a time-honored connection between eater and grower. Knowing farmers gives you insight into the seasons, the land, and your food. In many cases, it gives you access to a place where your children and grandchildren can go to learn about nature and agriculture.
7) Local food preserves open space. When farmers get paid more for their products by marketing locally, they’re less likely to sell farmland for development. When you buy locally grown food, you’re doing something proactive to preserve our agricultural landscape.
8) Local food keeps taxes down. According to several studies, farms contribute more in taxes than they require in services, whereas most development contributes less in taxes than the cost of required services.
9) Local food benefits the environment and wildlife. Well-managed farms conserve fertile soil and clean water in our communities. The farm environment is a patchwork of fields, meadows, woods, ponds and buildings that provide habitat for wildlife.
10) Local food is an investment in the future. By supporting local farmers today, you are helping to ensure that there will be farms in your community tomorrow
These reasons are from a newsletter from the University of Vermount.
While flicking through the internet researching this i found this web site that you can count the carbon footprint that you make from your food consumption. Give it a go. The results are eye opening. http://www.foodcarbon.co.uk/
