The problem we are addressing is that the industrial agriculture system is unsustainable. It uses large amount of fossil fuels in both production and transportation, which has adverse environmental effects and contributes to our dependence on foreign oil. It also contributes to an increase in health issues related to diets rich in processed foods and animal products. Industrial agriculture also has a tremendous impact on our communities. Many rural communities fell apart after the loss of their local farms because of pressure from big agriculture. Throughout the U.S. there is a fundamental disconnect between people and the foods system; many people do not know where their food comes from or anything about seasonality, and many don’t have respect and gratitude towards the farmers, which sustain them. In addition, due to the way we produce and process animal products, it is much easier for bacterium like E. Coli and Salmonella to enter the food system. Also, we cannot overlook the fact that industrial-scale animal farming practices such as CAFO’s are ethically questionable when it comes to treatment of animals.
This is a problem because environmental issues are becoming more prevalent in our society and the effects of fossil fuel use are becoming more visible. There is also an epidemic of chronic disease in the United States that correlates strongly to industrial-scale agriculture and health care is strongly affected by this. The huge disconnect between people and their food is problematic because they no longer have an idea of where their food came from, who farmed it, how it is farmed, and it’s greater impact on the health of the environment, their local community, and their own well being. Today’s farmers are and older, underappreciated group of people; but without their labor and expertise, we would be without food. The possibility that our food is easily contaminated is very serious because it opens up the possibility for terrorist attacks and means that contamination could be extremely widespread because of the concentration of our food sources.
Today, there are around 2 million farms in the country. That’s down nearly 5 million from the 1930’s, and only one fourth of the 2 million are family run farms. (http://www.sustainabletable.org/issues/familyfarms/)
The food industry accounts for 10% of all fossil fuel use in the United States. Of all the energy consumed by the food system, only about 20% goes towards production; the remaining 80% is associated with processing, transport, home refrigeration and preparation. (http://attra.ncat.org/new_pubs/attra-pub/PDF/foodmiles.pdf?id=Virginia)
If we do nothing to change our current food system, the environental effects could be devastating and cause ripples through the ecological community. We would see the health of our population decrease and the concern over health care increase significantly. Our farmers and workers would face greater degradation, poorer conditions, and lessened appreciation, while our people grow increasingly ignorant of the effects on our local communities’ health, culture, and environment. The current industrial-scale food system is totally unsustainable and it is vital that we begin to consume locally produced, sustainably grown food.
We should all care deeply about these issues because food is such a huge part of our daily life. We all have a right to know where our food comes from and if the practices used to grow, process and distribute that food are safe and sustainable. With the current disconnect between people and their food, it is often hard to know what industrial farming entails and there are many people who would like to keep it that way. More than likely, when people are educated about our food system they will begin to make different personal choices and demand changes. We cannot afford to remain apathetic when it comes to what we eat; it is time to start thinking locally.
Group C argues to shift to a more local, and organic agricultural practices. Group C argues that the current industrial agricultural system is unsustainable and is very detrimental to the environment. The large amount of fossil fuels used in production and transportation is both leading to global climate change, and dependence on foreign oil. Additionally there are health risks attributed to the consumption of processed foods. Another main point Group C makes, is that there is a very large disconnect between people and the food they eat, meaning they don’t know where it comes from, how it was farmed, its impact on the environment and in turn its impact on their health.
ReplyDelete--- Kirsten Dobson
An important point this group brings up that the other groups didn’t mention was the simple fact that most Americans don’t know where their food comes from, and they’re right! I have no clue where the food and produce comes from that I purchase at the store and it can be a bit disconcerting. Many times we pick up a bag of apples in the fruit isle without once thinking of the farmer who picked these apples, what environmental implications went into each apple, or how those processes will affect the community.
ReplyDeletePurchasing locally grown foods increases one’s control over the matter because it’s much easier to express concerns to a local farmer than a large, government-owned industrial power house. Local food production is more beneficial both health wise and economically.
I feel your position is very similar to Group B, and I anticipate the two of you having similar opinions during the debate. You both believe industrial farming is detrimental, and that local and/or organic is the way to go. I agree completely. I would certainly appreciate knowing what’s in my food, where I get it from, and if the practices were safe, sustainable, and animal-friendly. As I mentioned to Group B, I recently had grapes, apples, and watermelon from the local farmer’s market here in Blacksburg and it was fantastic! The apples had just been picked the day before, and if that wasn’t legitimate enough the apples still had the leaves on them! My personal experience with locally grown fruit was very cool, and very delicious.
Group C talks about how growing food locally is the only way to provide affordable, healthy food to the growing population. They talk about the costs/benefits of local vs. industrially grown foods. There argument lies on the fact that locally grown foods are cheaper due to the lack of need for transportation, and they are usually healthier for the people who get them. Cities and Towns also have a greater stake in the foods they grow locally, and therefore will work to ensure the safety and quality of these foods too a greater degree.
ReplyDeleteGroup C argues that locally grown organic food is the way to prevent diseases and stop the detachment with their food that is very prevalent in American society. They also argue that the use of fossil fuels to transport food across the country is unsustainable and contributing to many of our environmental problems. Finally they argue about the health risks that go along with eating processed foods and how the lack of localized food production contributes to health decline.
ReplyDeleteGroup C is arguing that we should be purchasing our food locally. By keeping our food local, we decrease our chance of disease that could enter the food we eat. We also keep the community alive by supporting our local farmers and helping them keep their jobs. Through buying locally, we help reduce our carbon footprint because industrialized food involved a large percent of fossil fuels. Buying locally also helps remind people where their food comes from and the hard work that has to be put into it. This brings about a greater satisfaction. Group C brings up valuable points, but I find it personally presented weakly. What makes this better than organic or vegetarian?
ReplyDeleteGroup C argues that if we continue to rely on industrial farming we will not be able to sustain ourselves in the future. They state that there is a tremendous amount of fossil fuels and water that go into processing our food. In today’s society few people can tell you where there food came from, who farmed it, or its health impact on the environment and our bodies. Also, the greatest use of fossil fuels comes from the transportation and refrigeration of our food. By consuming local food society could reduce the amount of fossil fuels by 80%. However, the problem with consuming local foods is that not all areas are suitable for growing crops/raising animals, in which case food would still have to be transported across the United States. Similarly, if the land is capable of producing crops, not all climates will be able to grow all of the foods we eat today, requiring the transportation of foods to continue in order to give people what they want.
ReplyDeleteGroup C supports local farmers because their practices are more sustainable when compared to the practices of the industrial food industry. The food industry accounts for 10% of fossil fuels in the United States; however, of this 10%, 80% is used in the processing, transportation, refrigeration, and processing of the food. If more people bought local food, there would be a dramatic decrease in the fossil fuels used by the food industry. Group C makes a few very important points. First, they mention that in today’s society, we are disconnected with the farmers that grow our food, and we have no idea who grows it or where it is grown. If people bought locally, they would know exactly where their food was grown, by whom their food was grown, and the techniques used to grow the food. Secondly, our healthcare system is suffering from a multitude of illnesses caused by bacteria that have entered our food system due to unsafe practices of the industrial food industry. However, Group C did not mention that the processed foods we are consuming greatly are affecting our health because they are nutritionally inadequate.
ReplyDeleteGroup C posits that the American people are “fundamentally” disconnected from the sources of their food. They raise the concern that our supply lines are so long that consumers have no concept of seasonality of produce or ability to distinguish where their food is produced. They suggest that the current food system uses significant portions of its fossil fuel consumption in the transport and storage of foods. I agree that the current system uses considerable fossil fuel. However, how could an urban area like Chicago feed all of its inhabitants on food grown on the asphalt and concrete within its city limits? No, it cannot. Food must be trucked in from outlying areas using diesel fuel. With our pattern of development in this country, its not feasible to use only local foods in every community.
ReplyDeleteC. This paper made me think about some of my experiences with industrial agriculture. I grew up farming and was exposed to some of the poultry industry in the Shenandoah Valley. There, a large company (Tyson, I believe) develops contracts with farmers to grow chickens. The company gives the farmer loans to build mutli-hundred thousand dollar chicken houses, which are then stocked with company birds. The concentration of birds is so tight in these houses (which do not allow sunlight or natural air in) that 12 out of 1200 birds die each day. The farmer’s job is to pick up the dead birds and dispose of them. He is responsible for nothing else. Immigrant workers show up and clean, and grain trucks fill the automated feeding system. When it is time for the birds to be processed, another crew hauls them away and the farmer receives a small check which hardly covers the cost of his loans. Most of the farmers that I know who are in this system went bankrupt after a couple of years. Would we give our neighbor grocery store cheap prices if we knew that he was losing heaps of money to feed us? I hope not.
ReplyDeleteThis group really emphasizes the fact that most Americans do not know where the food that they are eating is coming from. The amount of fossil fuels that are being used to transport food all over the country are increasingly large, and locally grown food will essentially save our envoronment. More details about the type of locally grown food might have made these points that they are adressing a but stronger. I really like the position that they are taking.
ReplyDeleteGroup C was to present a case for local foods. They believe that the current farming system is unsustainable. They state that large scale farming relies on a lot of fossil fuels that are imported mostly from foreign places. It is their opinion that farmers are under appreciated and are disappearing. Currently there are about 2 million farmers in the country. This is down from the 7 million farmers that existed in the 1930s. I felt like this group’s paper was mostly about why current the current farming system is bad and not so much about why buying local foods is good. They needed more support for their idea instead of so much information against current practices. It will be interesting to see what they have to say in class.
ReplyDeleteGroup C argues that the American population has a disconnect with where their food comes from. They claim that if we knew how our foods were produced, we would all change the types of foods we eat and change to locally and sustainably grown foods. By continuing to eat the way we do know, Americans will continues to grow more obese and contract more chronic diseases because our diet relies on the consumption of so many processed foods and animal products. The current way of producing food also causes the United State's dependence on foreign oils to transport, process, and spray our crops. They also point out that without the underappreciated farmers of our country, we would have nothing to eat.
ReplyDeleteThe local food group argues that the American public has become uninformed in the origin of our food. By supporting our local farmers we help support the economy of our hometowns. This also will help to reinstate independent farmers and become less dependent on industrial agriculture. There are only 2 million farms left in the United States. In 1930 there were as many as 5 million. They also state that we do not know how our food is grown and what chemicals are put on it. Also, by buying locally this will decrease the amount of fossil fuels used to transport food. However, this is not a practical option for vegetarians. By being totally dependent on local produce vegetarians limit themselves on off seasons for plant growth. What are vegetarians supposed to do during the winter? How is this option any healthy, you honestly can not know what the local farmers are doing to the crops the same as the industrial corporations?
ReplyDeleteGroup C’s argument is supposed to be backing the local food industry and account for local foods being better for human health, economics, and environment. Their position paper focuses mainly on the use of fossil fuels for transportation of food. I am a bit torn because I would have liked to see more about local food system. Their paper did not reach this topic until the conclusion. A strong point is the papers mention that in order to change the food system we must shift from using and relying on the use of fossil fuels, but that is a vague argument to why local foods are good. More detail on selling the positives of local food could be developed.
ReplyDeleteProponents of local foods aim to provide an alternative to contemporary industrial agricultural practices in a return to traditional methods that, while not necessarily turning out product on a small scale, aim to serve a small area. Local food systems provide security and accountability benefits in that, for example, if bacterial infections hit the products of a small farm (versus an industrial plant), a resultant outbreak would be both more manageable and easily traced. With local farming, fossil fuel use due to transportation of feedstock, end products, etc. is limited, which saves money and reduces carbon emissions. Further, a community that isn’t physically removed from its food source is more likely (it is argued) to be informed about their food. Key to local foods are that they need not also utilize organic methodology. Locally produced foods stand to benefit from biotechnology and other technologies that reduce cost and labor. Finally, reliance upon local foods allows communities to grow jobs and a supply chain that support a locality on both ends. Let’s not forget that food traveling shorter distances from producer to consumer will be fresher, which we can all appreciate.
ReplyDeleteGroup C argues that locally growing our food is the only sustainable method of agriculture. They argue strongly against industrial agriculture, blaming the industry for destroying local, farm-based economies and causing numerous environmental problems. Also, they bring up the fact that most Americans do not know where our food comes from, feeding into industrial agriculture’s power even more. This group does have many of the same opinions as Group B’s, and I think a combination of organic and local agriculture would be best for society and the environment. Combined with vegetarianism, it could quite possibly be the solution to a completely sustainable future where all are fed. Looking forward to the debate!
ReplyDeleteEating locally does make sense on a very small scale. It does usually mean fewer pesticides in the food as well as animals that were probably not fed any kind of corn concoction. However, what about the areas where there is no arable land available? Even if it is possible to support some part of the population through local farming, in areas like Virginia, it would become very difficult with the changing seasons. It would definitely work to implement a diet with local food, but very difficult to put into practice in a large scale.
ReplyDeleteGroup C- You state a lot of problems but nothing to solve these problems. How can we cut back on fossil fuels. What health problems are there? How can people become more educated about where their food comes from? What can we do about all these problems?
ReplyDeleteI look forward to seeing groups A and C debate, because both of their arguments hinge on the fact that their method is the only way to feed the growing population. I found group C’s argument more coherent, because it discussed external costs making industrial agriculture unsustainable for long term use, and it also discussed how local food internalized these costs. I appreciate the fact that group C discussed the divide between people and their food so thoroughly, and brought up the need for food education. As Pollan said in his reading, in order to make the lifestyle changes needed for a transition to “solar powered agriculture” education will be vital.
ReplyDeleteGroup C supports eating and living local. They point out that many communities have fell into collapse after local farms failed and folded under pressure from larger farming organizations. They also mention the increased risk from disease and bacteria that exists in large scale industrial farming. They recognize the disconnect between people and farmers and the lack of recognition and support that they should be getting. There is also a potential for a terrorist attck through our food system that should be addressed. Industrial agriculture consumes a large amount of fossil fuels contributing to our oil dependence and pollution. Overall industrial agriculture is not sustainable and contributes to ignorance about the food system and degrades the land. The only solution is to live and eat local.
ReplyDeleteBuying local and living local is all good and great for those who have access to such products. What about those people who cannot afford the high costs associated with locally grown foods, or do not have access to go and get those foods? Local farms can simply not supply the world's people, and those people that live in urban settings may not have readily available locally grown products.
ReplyDeleteGroup C argued that we must begin to eat locally and sustainably. The resources exploited to produce food on an industrial scale such as fossil fuels and water are limited. The side effects of agriculture in mass range from increased carbon pollution to dead zones from nutrient runoff. They also discussed how detached Americans are from there food source, and acknowledged that this has lead to obesity and weight related illnesses.
ReplyDeleteGroup C would like for people to start buying local and be educated about where there food cames from. Many people do not know where their food comes from. Many think their T-bone came from kroger. They also question the practices of "big farming." But they dont not address the facts that their is not enough supply to supply even a small town with local produce let alone a town like blacksburg.
ReplyDeleteGroup C has the stance that local food is better for the environment and better for you. They discuss how the farming industry has decreased around 5 million since the 1930s. They do not take into account that this statistic may be due because of advances in technology which may require less land and environmental impact from transport. They also don’t discuss many of the cons of local farming. Like the fact that with the size of our population today in urban areas local farming can not serve the entire population it must be combined with some mass production source like industry. Think you can’t feed everyone in New York locally, even if you turn Central Park into a corn field. There just isn’t enough land to provide for this source.
ReplyDeleteGroup C's argument sides closely with group B. Organics are the way to go especially because industrial agriculture is harmful to the plants, animals, landscape and even to the consumers that are all in touch with it. The difference between group B and C's sides, though, group C brings into prospective the amount of energy required for agriculture in general. Organics are made much more appealing after seeing that eighty percent of the total fossil fuel used in the production process is in transportation. Organics are usually a local product, therefore if we all started eating organic the cost may be higher for food, but since less fuel is utilized (in the long run) the cost of other things we use will decrease. How can you incorporate this into feeding other people, though? It is easy at a small scale but how can this be used to help feed hungry people everywhere?
ReplyDeleteI agree completely with Group C’s argument for local food production. So much fuel, energy, and time is spent shipping exotic foods from one side of the world to the other. We cannot afford to be so negligent. We are living in a time where our natural resources are dwindling – why would we want to use up our precious non renewable fossil fuels just so we can have multiple kinds of fruits year round? The only issue with this argument is not all areas are able to produce enough food, or any food at all. Places like have extreme temperatures need to import their food in order to live in their homes. No matter what we do, food will never be 100% local unless everyone moves to less extreme climates and areas with dependable farmland.
ReplyDeleteGroup C’s pro-local stance must be tempered with some rationality: good agricultural lands are not evenly distributed, and population has since sprawled out of the “eat local radius” boundaries, and suburban sprawl around once-famous agricultural port towns pastes over the fertile farmland with parking lots and half-acre McMansions. While eating locally would reduce the amount of energy needed to transport foods around the world, people would also have to migrate out of areas of low food productivity and into areas more apt for agriculture. This brings us back to the discussion of “the population simply must decrease for us to survive” and the rebuttal that gives all human life the right to make autonomous decisions echoes back menacingly, tolling in the doomsday.
ReplyDeleteGroup C argued for producing, eating, and living local. The industrial agriculture system is very unsustainable in that tons of fossil fuels are being used up to produce and transport the food. With industrial agriculture there is a greater chance of terrorist attacks through our food and by going local that will greatly reduce the chance of anyone getting into our food supply and contaminating it. Also, people just do not know where their food is coming from and maybe if they are educated about the food system they will want to revise it to become more sustainable. We need to help the environment by decreasing our impact and making our farming more sustainable, which will increase the health of humans. I wonder though, what about the big cities where there just is not enough room to grow locally?
ReplyDeleteGroup C supports locally grown food which is argued to be more sustainable. It is argued that industrial agriculture caused local farms to close and, as a result, caused rural communities to fail. Much of society can no longer distinguish growing seasons of different foods and do not know where their food comes from; let alone how it is farmed. By using industrial agriculture, we use a lot more fossil fuels than if we just ate local. A main issue that conflicts with local food is that some areas cannot supply the demands of local areas. Without industrial agriculture large cities (as well as many other areas) would be able to be supplied with enough food. The comment concerning older farmers, “without their labor and expertise, we would be without food,” that seems like a little bit of a twisted comment. Appreciating them should not be reasoned with that comment because of course a generation gets older so there would have to be farmers one way or another; it is not like they could just not exist. I also hope that you mention what health issues you were hinting at in your debate.
ReplyDeleteGroup C argues that we should buy locally grown food. This group argues that by buying food locally, we are reducing our carbon footprint and thereby helping the environment and we are also supporting local farmers, who are the minority in the farming industry. It is strange to think that most of us have no idea where our food comes from. I rarely think of things like that. I think this group makes a valid point, but it may be hard to support, since it is somewhat similar to the organic group’s argument.
ReplyDeleteGroup C makes a good point that people are more comfortable when they know where there food is coming from. Their position paper though, doesn't really push the local agriculture until the conclusion. I would have liked to see more in-depth detail of local agriculture and how it is carried out instead of problems with other types of agriculture.
ReplyDeleteGroup C's position is that we hsould shift to a local farms and abandon the industrialized method that has been used for so long. The reasons they use include the health risks and how fast they could spread. One of the big points the brought up was how the current food industry depends so much on fossil fuels and states that this cannot be sustainable in the future with the depletion of our supplies of oil. The group also mentioned that local farms should be supported not only for the environment and our benefit but for the benefit of the decreasing numbers of farmers. One thing that I thought that they could have brought up was whether local foods could support the growing population and they also neglected to mention the issue of price and whether this could be circumvented or dealt with in some way.
ReplyDeleteThis group established their position as being in favor of more local farming to support the growing need for agriculture in America. They gave a lot of information regarding the current agricultural practices, but not much in the way of local farming practices, and its ability to sustain areas of the country. It also brings to question exactly what the meaning of “local” is. In highly urban areas, like New York City, there is virtually no land available for farming within several hours driving of the city, so how would New Yorkers attain “locally” grown/produced food? They did state a lot of facts that found fault with the other arguments, but did not do much to strengthen their own.
ReplyDelete4. Group C talks about locally grown food is the only way to provide affordable and healthy food. The compare the cost and benefits of locally and industrially grown food. They believe that locally grown food is cheaper because we cut out the transportation cost, also since transportation uses the most fossil fuels. They argue about the health risks involved with eating industrially grown and processed food and how that will change with locally grown and healthier food. How is this better than organic? Would the best compromise be locally grown organic food? Do we have enough farm land and people farming to meet the demand of food today?
ReplyDeletePersonally, I believe that buying locally is the best option. It produces less greenhouse gasses, prevents runoff, and allows people to know where their food is coming from. However, the problem is that it's not always a possible option or an economically friendly one. Food shipping is a very large industry. Buying locally would greatly diminish the amount of money from food that is made today. One solution to this would be to increase the prices of local food. But, who would want to pay more? Not a lot of people
ReplyDelete