The Value of Healthy Food

“Should We Care About Genetically Modified Foods?” by John N. Shaw appeared in Food Safety News issue of February 1, 2010, as a feature under the health section on the controversy between the pros and cons of genetically modified foods (Also known as GMO, genetically modified organisms). The main idea of this article is to inform people of the benefits of GMOs . The author, John Shaw received his Bachelor of Science degree in Finance with a minor in Marketing from the University of Arkansas in 2007, where he was a “leadership scholar.” In addition to his studies, he has worked as a research assistant with Food Law LL.M. Director Susan Schneider, interned with Wal-Mart Government and Corporate Affairs division, the Arkansas Attorney General Public Protection Division, and with United States Senator Blanche Lincoln. John has a passion for Food Law, sports, and outdoors. In the article, he states, “ I submit that I am no scientist; merely an interested student.” According to the article, he is passionate and has done sufficient research about the topic to support his argument.

Locavores argue that food travelling long distances before being consumed declines in nutrition as antioxidants and nutrients decay — meaning that food which travels less distance (and is therefore eaten faster) is better for your health. However, Marion Nestle (as quoted by Alisa Smith and J.B. McKinnon) thinks that the nutrition argument isn’t based in science. According to her, “a person making smart choices from the global megamart can easily meet all the body’s needs”, and “there will be nutritional differences, but they’ll be marginal” (Source B). It’s clearly not unhealthy to eat locally grown foods, and they may even be better for your health. However, the benefits of eating freshly picked food may not be as great as locavores claim they are.

Saving the planet is a topic that is taken seriously by a huge part of this planet’s population. James McWilliams argument, “The Locavore Myth: Why Buying from Nearby Farmer Won’t Save the Planet,” explains why people need to buy food from people other than the local farmers. He believes that the focus of the locavore movement on transportation is wrong because the real problem lies within the energy-hogging factors in food production. McWilliams also went on to explain that another mistake that the locavore movement made was how food miles were calculated. He believes that a truck with 2,000 apples driving 2,000 miles would consume the same amount of fuel as a truck that carried 50 apples to a local shop only 50 miles away. James McWilliams states that “The critical measure here is not food miles but apples per gallon.” He also argues that taking meat out of a person’s diet would cut down on the carbon footprint of his or her dinner because it takes less energy to bring plants, rather than meat, to the table.

First of all, in the article “On My Mind: The Locavore Myth”, the author, James McWilliams, explains how only eating locally grown food is inefficient. When talking about the difference in the scale of local and conventional food operations, McWilliams states “...a shipper sending a truck with 2,000 apples over 2,000

In 2009 a movie by the name of Food Inc. was released that challenged the production of food we eat. The movie examines everything from the science of seeds all the way through the consumption of the food, the food’s often negative effects on the body. The movie ends with the line “You can change the world with every bite”. This quote embodies the heart behind movie that change starts with the individual, and how they make food choices. This sort of change that Food Inc. invokes implies that top down change that the consumer can bring about change to the seed level. Food Inc. challenges the processes that allow companies like Monsanto to feed the world. We must understand how media like Food Inc. effects this mission to feed the world by examining the movie, the history of Monsanto as a company, and looking at the response from both sides to these challenges made in the public square to better combat and address issues brought forth.

The first introduction in the film is multiple images of farms, and agriculture of all kinds. Then the author quickly states that farms do not look like they use to. The message, and start of this film is to inform the viewer about the changes in agriculture, and present ideas about where our food actually comes from. The purpose of the film is to introduce to consumers the risk of eating foods that are owned by large corporations. This film addresses issues with large corporations owning all food sources, treatment of animals, and food-borne illnesses.

In the end, it becomes troublesome to go grocery shopping. Likewise, this ties into the idea of environment. Which is more environmentally friendly: to walk to a local Whole Foods or to drive to the “local” farmer’s market? Many would say buying local reduces waste due to transportation; nonetheless, a chart from the magazine Conservation Magazine proves that a majority of gas emissions actually comes from the production of the food (Source D). Transportation is low already, so why should we add to that by traveling far distances? Becoming a true locavore for an environmental reason is not worth the efforts because the changes are very miniscule To become a true locavore has many incentives, but there are other reasons that influence can someone to dedicate a portion of their diet to local foods.

Berry talks about how consumers should know where the food they eat comes from and should learn to adapt in producing their own food. His main idea is “eat responsibly” (47). Food is not considered by farming

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

After watching GMO & OMG, Fix Foods, Fed Up, and reading “ If you pitch it they’ll eat it”, I realize that I need to make changes to my eating habits and that there needs to be a humongous change in our food industry. For an example many of us don’t really pay attention to what we eat if it looks good or smells good we're going to want more. As they said in GMO & OMG “ The Supermodel Foods”. Us people we tend to buy the food that looks best to our preference and not if it’s actually good for us. In the documentary GMO & OMG by: Jeremy Seifert he argues and tries to bring to our attention that there’s Genetically Modified Organisms has been put in our food without our knowledge. But even when knowing this we still continue to buy the genetically

In the past 15 to 20 years, eating locally grown, organic, and non-genetically modified (GMO) foods has become a major movement in the United States. While some have embraced the local farmer’s markets and imperfect fruits and vegetables, others have written it off as a pointless movement that fixes very little. Author Robert Paarlberg sides with the latter, and his essay Attention Whole Foods Shoppers is critical of the organic food movement and contends that world hunger should be the focus of the West and the food industry. Attention Whole Foods Shoppers by Robert Paarlberg has some positive aspects but ultimately fails to present readers with a detailed solution to the world hunger epidemic.

When you hear the word "food" what does it make you think of? Does it make you think of hunting over grueling terrain for hours, sometimes days at a time? Does it make you think of forriging through leaves and bushes for nuts or roots? Unless you have been living as a wolf, these are probably not what you think of when you hear the word "food". Today, food is easier than ever to procure, as it should be. Thanks to thousands of years of advancements, food is nowhere near as hard to come by. We are still working towards a world where hunger is not a problem, and this problem is being solved through the practice of creating GMOs, or Genetically Modified Organisms. These are living organisms whose genetic material has been artificially manipulated

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.

But in reality in a lot of places the local food comes from feedlots and farms that depend on chemicals. But at the same time when food is grown closer it takes less fossil fuels to get the food to where it's going. Local farming has different pros and cons that may affect the opinion people have of it. Its takes three pounds of feed to raise one pound of chicken. There are some companies that use or idea that locally grown food is better for us than food that was grown farther away to make us believe that there food is

Over one-third or 78.6 million of U.S. adults are obese. Obesity and childhood obesity, in particular, are the focus of many public health efforts in the United States. New regulations have been implemented by the US Department of Agriculture for food packages in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has funded state- and community-level interventions, and there have been numerous reports and recommendations issued by the Institute of Medicine, the US Surgeon General, and the White House. According to Polis, Many people assert that unhealthy eating habits are the result of economic hardship. They say that healthful food is simply more expensive than unhealthful food. Now, science backs them up. The most comprehensive study of its kind indicates that yes, unhealthy food is about $1.50 cheaper per day, or about $550 per year, than healthy food. In a meta-review of 27 studies in 10 countries, researchers publishing in the British Medical Journal found that meats and proteins had the largest price differences, with healthier options costing an average $0.29 more per serving than less healthy options. Other categories such as snacks/sweets and grains also cost more for healthier options, at $0.12 and $0.03 respectively. No significant price differences were seen between healthier and less healthy soda and juices. Research and