think globally, eat locally

[Guest guest]

A fledgling "buy local" movement is inspiring a growing number of

Americans to get more of their food from local sources and resist an

increasingly globalized agriculture industry. Today produce travels

an average of 1,500 to 2,500 miles to reach Americans' plates, 25

percent farther than in 1980. Grapes, for example, make an average

trek of 2,143 miles, according to a study by the Leopold Center for

Sustainable Agriculture. Produce shipped from far afield often takes

one to two weeks to get to grocery stores, losing freshness and

flavor along the way. Environmental costs also mount as food travels

further to reach its destination. The Leopold Center found that

growing and transporting just 10 percent more food within Iowa would

lead to an annual savings of 294,000 to 348,000 gallons of gasoline

and 7 million to 7.9 million pounds of emissions. One positive sign

of change throughout the U.S. is recent rapid growth in the number of

farmers markets, up from 1,755 in 1994 to 3,137 last year, according

to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

 

straight to the source: Christian Science Monitor, Jennifer Wolcott,

14 May 2003

<http://www.gristmagazine.com/forward.pl?forward_id=1125>

[Guest guest]

Don't forget that US farmers (and European ones too) receive much greater government subsidies to farm "efficiently" than their more efficient Australian (but much less subsidised - we can't afford it) counterparts.

 

Tom

 

-

EBbrewpunx

ESI-List ; eco_vegans ; homesteadcafe ;

Thursday, May 15, 2003 10:00 AM

think globally, eat locally

A fledgling "buy local" movement is inspiring a growing number of Americans to get more of their food from local sources and resist an increasingly globalized agriculture industry. Today produce travels an average of 1,500 to 2,500 miles to reach Americans' plates, 25 percent farther than in 1980. Grapes, for example, make an average trek of 2,143 miles, according to a study by the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture. Produce shipped from far afield often takes one to two weeks to get to grocery stores, losing freshness and flavor along the way. Environmental costs also mount as food travels further to reach its destination. The Leopold Center found that growing and transporting just 10 percent more food within Iowa would lead to an annual savings of 294,000 to 348,000 gallons of gasoline and 7 million to 7.9 million pounds of emissions. One positive sign of change throughout the U.S. is recent rapid growth in the number of farmers markets, up from 1,755 in 1994 to 3,137 last year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.straight to the source: Christian Science Monitor, Jennifer Wolcott, 14 May 2003<http://www.gristmagazine.com/forward.pl?forward_id=1125>To send an email to -

[Guest guest]

Hi Tom

 

> Don't forget that US farmers (and European ones too) receive much greater government subsidies to farm "efficiently" than their

> more efficient Australian (but much less subsidised - we can't afford it) counterparts.

 

I don't know about the US, but in Europe farmers are basically paid subsidies for the most ridiculous things - it has nothing to do with farming more efficiently, but to do with ensuring that they do not produce too much. The result of this is that (factory) farmers do not have to live by a capitalist ethic of supply & demand - prices are kept artificially high by subsidising farmers to keep them too high. Sadly, this doesn't make any allowance for the environmental damage done by farmers across Europe, and actually encourages more factory farming, as organic farms (who would generally be unable to produce too much) get paid virtually nothing.

 

All in all the CAP is an environmental & economic disaster.

 

BB

Peter

 

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