Summary: A War Of Semantics

Global warming, pollution, and dwindling fossil fuels will always be the conservational problems if nobody starts to buy local grown foods. Katherine Spriggs, author of the essay, “On Buying Local,” explains how having a large variety of foods at all times of the year is not worth the negative effects in the communities and their economies (Spriggs 92). As a community, many environmental challenges are being faced; Buying local will help bring advantages to not only the environment, but also the small towns and the

The growing locavore movement suggests that local food is key for healthy eating and community growth. One would imagine that the closer the source of one’s food is from, the healthier and more sustainable it is, right? However, this is not the case. In the set of locavore articles, the authors provide information to show that the locavore movement brings about issues involving inefficiency, energy use, and impracticality.

Throughout the US there has been the big concern of where the food we eat comes from and if it is healthy. Everyone wants healthy food, yet we fail to eat the healthy food that is right in front of us, instead we eat industrial made food that causes the death of thousands of people each year. In the Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan, you explore the pros and cons of our five main food chains; industrial,industrial organic, organic, sustainable, and hunter gatherer. In all ways, the sustainable food chain is the best food chain to feed the US. Animals and plants are developed naturally without any chemicals or pesticides and all of the produce is grown and sold locally and harvested by hand.

The locavore movement encourages people in towns to consume more locally grown food, by society consuming locally grown food transportation is cut down which helps better the environment. Since locally grown food is produce that is cultivated in the community transportation is down to a minimum which is a blessing for the environment. “ Eating local is better for air quality and pollution than eating organic. “ ( Source A ) less transportation use helps lessen the pollution in the air which in turn helps provide the community with cleaner fresher air. “ The move towards local food for all its trendiness highlights one of the problematic pieces of the modern food economy : the increasing reliance on foods shipped halfway round the world. “ ( Source E ) The

The locavore movement has become a much larger cause in recent years.  People are increasingly aware of some of the issues pertaining to eating foods grown far away.  These issues have banded some communities together to sacrifice their favorite foods and to begin buying locally grown foods.  These communities are experiencing numerous benefits as a result of their decision to change their culture and eat locally grown foods.

How would you feel about only eating the food that is 100 miles within the distance that you live? Would you be able to do it every single day? Within 100 miles of where you currently living, do you have access to fresh meat products, seafood, dairy products, fresh fruit, and vegetables products? If you drink coffee, are coffee beans readily available within that area? What about chocolate or coco, are coco beans grown nearby? Are you in an area where corn and wheat are grown where you can produce all the carbohydrates like cereal, bread, and pastries that you consume regularly? What about sugar cane or sugar beats, the main sources of sugar used in soda, candy, and other sweet products? Locavores are people who only eat local food that is grown within a 100 miles from where they live. What effect does this have on people who come to visit and have to eat food that is only local food? In the article “The Locavore’s Dilemma,” author Christophe Pelletire’s skillful presentation of his ethos overshadows his less successful portrayal of pathos for locavores and logos concerning the topic about locavores. Pelletire shows his pathos for the quality of food, shows ethos by giving the readers many examples of the types of resources people would lose, and shows his logos by providing his story with data he collected while physically living in Vancouver.

The Locavore movement is sweeping across the nation in a swirl of excitement and thrill. The locavore movement encourages members to buy and eat foods locally. This movement (when used properly), will allow the Nation to cut down GMO intake and maximize our nutrition, lower shipping cost, and boost our local economies.

Locavore communities are slowly but surely impacting local economies in a positive way. The Locavore movement has already played a huge factor in the revival of small farms. The number of small farms has increased 20% according to the Agricultural Department. (Source E). This economic growth not only will help communities and farms be less dependent on outside sources, but it will also allow the community

Although incorporating the idea of a locavore movement can be influential, it will also impact the community environmentally, economically, and socially. The locavore movement doesn’t change climate impact much at all. Instead, there should be a movement to reduce the amount of harm put on nature through the production stage. The economical implication is primarily convenience. Why would a person waste money on a store 30 miles away, than drive to a local supermarket 1 mile away?

The locavore movement has become more popular and has gained more attention in the recent years. Social and media attention usually display locavorism as an idealistic lifestyle, “Buy local, shrink the distance food travels, save the planet.”(Source C). However, there are some negative issues and implications with the locavore movement.

The different sections of the book “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” embody the flawed system that America is currently facing, particularly the food industry. There is a limited understanding of what constitute an ideal meal, and process of prepping one. It could be that the information available are not clear and direct, or most consumers are choosing to overlook the lurking dangers behind the accessible food products. Either way, it is evident that most consumers have fell out of touch with knowing what they eat. The book provides a precise, comprehensive, and intuitive summary of the elements on the definition of foods. “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” is written in a direct, clear, and informative manner for the general audience, including farmers, consumers, and those who actively involve with processing foods. Readers will be able to establish a deeper understanding of the evolution of collecting food, and how that has affected the choices of putting together a perfect meal.

Today’s increasing popularity with becoming a locavore has skyrocketed with the new age of health nuts. The main issue with becoming a locavore is whether the fresh produce is local. However, as part of a group that enjoys the luxury of eating fresh food, becoming a locavore should be the only way of living.

Locavores emphasize how eating locally is the best choice because it’s healthier and has more nutrients. Alisa Smith and MacKinnon J.B., creators of the book 100- Mile Diet, support that locally produced food is better in nutrients by explaining that, “Fruit and vegetables that travel shorter distances are therefore likely to be closer to a maximum of nutrition” (Smith and MacKinnon). Is locally produced food actually healthier? Is there an assurance given to the consumer that the products are fresh and local? In James McWilliams, “On My Mind: The Locavore Myth”, he clearly gives his views as to why somebody should not overlook the contradicting points in becoming a locavore. He does so by saying, “The one big problem with thinking beyond food miles is that it's hard to get the information you need. Ethically concerned consumers know very little about processing practices, water availability, packaging waste, and fertilizer application. This is an opportunity for watchdog groups. They should make life-cycle carbon counts available to shoppers” (McWilliams). Watchdog groups are people who alert the public when they detect actions that go against the public interest, they help bring people by informing them what as beneficial for them. Knowing whether the product that is being given is actually local or not is a key issue that needs to be addressed. One solution to the problems associated with the locavore movement is establishing a food shed. Michelle Glowa explains in her article that foodshed is “A term used first by Kloppenburg et al., foodshed derives from the bioregionalism idea of a watershed, as a metaphor to be used to unite people and place” (Glowa). By establishing a foodshed people are able to meet up on a certain day and place to exchange different products from their area. A foodshed

Locavores want to ingest tasty foods meanwhile conserving the environment: which is almost impossible. Their practices will always have an environmental impact but on a smaller scale. McWilliams, in source C, argues that we need to take a close look at water usage, fertilizer types, processing methods, and packaging techniques. By looking further into this, locavores will find that other factors other than shipping far outweigh the energy it takes to transfer food. The movement’s approach to conserving the Earth contrasts its objective. A study from an online article in an environmental magazine presented the total greenhouse gas emissions by supply chain tier

Would you rather find a bug in your apple and have your salad be on the wilted side, or take a big bite of artificial flavors and chemicals? What would you rather eat for dinner; a quick pick up from a fast food restaurant or a nutritious home cooked meal? For some, there may be no choice but to pick off the dollar menu at McDonalds or Burger King. Due to this circumstance, the consequences include an all-time rise of childhood obesity and Type 2 diabetes in the U.S. However, this circumstance is usually due to parents not being around, or a parent not having enough time or money to purchase fresh produce. The access to fresh, local, organic produce is difficult to come by, especially in low-income neighborhoods or towns. “I tend to sympathize