Another problem with not buying local is that the food grown elsewhere needs to travel thousands of miles which requires large amounts of fossil fuels and releases greenhouse gases. Small farmers can’t compete with large scale farms and it…
In almost every culture, one of the most cherished pass times is food. We eat to sustain or health, to celebrate, to morn, and sometimes just to do it. Yet, how often do we question were that food comes from? Most everyone purchases their meals from the grocery store or at a restaurant but have you ever wondered where that juicy steak grazed? How about how those crisp vegetables? Where were those grown? The Omnivore 's Dilemma, by Michael Pollan, analyzes the eating habits and food chains of modern America in an attempt to bring readers closer to the origin of their foods. Not only where it comes from, but where it all begins, as well as what it takes to keep all of those plants and animals in production. In part two of the Omnivore’s Dilemma: Pastoral: Grass, Pollan gives background on what all produce and livestock need to be the best it can be. As simple as it may sound, it starts with the grass. Yet, Pollan makes it very clear it’s not always as simple as it sounds. After starting The Omnivore’s Dilemma I had a few expectations. Firstly, I enjoy a blend of humor and philosophy; I want what I read to make me think, for the words to flow nicely from one completely thought to the next, and for the overall of the chapters to hold my attention.…
The circumstances surrounding the locavore movement have been continuously debated over the past decade. Pro-locavores insist that locally grown produce just naturally tastes better. They claim that purchasing local products ultimately protects the consumer from bio-terrorism. However, the benefits of becoming a locavore are still undefined from a statistical standpoint. Because it has been proven that food miles are insignificant during the food handling process, and the definition of “local” is still unclear amongst supporters of the movement, it’s easy to see through a larger scope how becoming a locavore is highly impractical.…
When I was asked to search my kitchen and the supermarket I expected to see some healthy food, some non-healthy food, and a variety of different ingredients that were used in each product, but what I came to find was a shock to me. To my surprise, I found a common ingredient in most of my food, corn. It shocked me because of all the negative facts, experiences, and examples given in Michael Pollan’s book, The Omnivores Dilemma. Never would I have ever thought I consumed as much corn as I realized I do. After reading the book, it has brought to my attention how bad corn related ingredients really effects what we consume in a more or less negative way.…
Throughout his essay David H. Freedman keeps an authoritative tone on his subject by citing a large number of credible sources and statistics from many reputable sources. However, while Freedman’s use of said tone is backed by what is clearly a large amount of research, it seems in some key places hints of personal bias appear within the piece. The author utilizes a great deal of information from different sources in a variety of different ways. Firstly Freedman uses quotes from leading proponents of the “wholesome” food movement, such as Michael Pollan and Mark Bittman, alongside of statements made about them in the Wall Street Journal, in order to provide for himself points of contention. Secondly, in conjunction with said points, the author…
The smell of warm, baked bread and fresh apples fills the air and sends crowds drifting towards it. Swarms of people immediately hustle to find the target of the scent in a rush to purchase the food. The locavore movement is a movement based on food that is produced locally, and has not traveled long distances to markets. It is gingerly reforming how food is being flourished and provided to people in America. The locavore movement is beneficial to economic and environmental associations; therefore, the practice of locavorism should be espoused nationally.…
Overall being a locavore has no big effects on your health or the health of the environment.It is also harder to be a locavore considering that most people live in the city closer to the supermarket and it can also hurt the economy of other…
The first section of this article deals with a brief history of locavorism. In this section, the writer goes into some of the history of the movement and how the movement has changed from a small group of friends to be the largest, most influential food trend in the country. From the beginning, of the article we are given hints that the author is in support of the idea of locavorism when he tells us how he favours local foods over certified organic ones and the reasons why, even though he states that the movement still has a long way to go.…
This is the omnivore’s dilemma. This problem is amplified in America, a melting pot of diverse people without a single unified culture. Supposed experts advise a smoothie-only diet, to skip every other meal, or other extreme, often unsupported solutions. With all kinds of differing opinions on the best diet, how can anyone decide on what to eat? Utterly perplexed by this longstanding dilemma, Michael Pollan set out to figure it out himself. His hands-on approach begins with research about the composition of food, and moves onto thoroughly analyzing each aspect of the industrial food chain, the industrial organic food chain, the hunter-gatherer method, and small, local farms.…
The locavore movement has been receiving a lot of popularity due to its healthy eating and healthy lifestyle benefits, but these benefits are still causing a lot of major issues to the consumer. For example, Jennifer Maiser a blogger explains all of the benefits that the locavore movement provides, such as “...eating local is better for air quality and pollution than eating organic…” (Source A). All of these benefits which are mentioned have proven to have difficult challenges. James McWilliams an author for a business magazine explains how “a 2006 study...discovered that it made more environmental sense for a Londoner to buy lamb shipped from New Zealand than to buy lamb raised in the UK.” (Source C). This explains how it is more beneficial to purchase food or in this example lamb from New Zealand which would have more transportation, than purchasing food from London which requires less transportation. This is due to the fact that the lamb in New Zealand is “raised on pastures with a small carbon footprint” which proves to be more healthier and beneficial to the consumer even though it requires more transportation. This idea that nutritious food is only…
“The Carnivore’s Dilemma”, an essay by Nicolette Hanh Niman, incorporates rhetorical elements, such as logos, ethos, and rhetorical questions, in an attempt to convince the audience that meat itself is not the root of global warming. Written from a rancher’s point of view, the essay relies on studies and logic to prove itself. Niman starts out with a short acknowledgement that the meat industry has a hand in the increasingly noticeable global climate change. She then quickly changes gears, stating that the studies that show the meat industry is a major player in global warming only take the prevailing methods of producing meat into account and spews facts that show the flip side of the food industry.…
The locavore diet is about building a strong local food system and a healthier community. Many locavores find that their diet helps them learn new things about the food they eat and the community where they live. The locavore movement impacts our local community and the financial stability. According to Jennifer Maiser, “When businesses are not owned locally, money leaves the community at every transaction.” The locavore movement strengthens the community; however, it also hurts farmers in other parts of the world (Source C). Locally bought food supports farmers and small businesses in the communities (Source A). According to the UK-based International Society for Ecology and Culture, one of the leading lights in the localvore movement, “Such…
Some may think that becoming a locavore will reduce the transportation of foods, resulting in saving gasoline and the air. According to James McWilliams, while everyone focuses on transportation, “they overlook other energy-hogging factors in food production.” Depending on where the produce is coming from can become a decision changer. If animals are being raised on pastures, it won’t harm the environment, although this may not be local. Contrary to this, if produce is being “produced under intensive factory like conditions” in a local area, there is no beneficial reason to buy from local places (Source C). Considering one of the main objectives of the locavore movement is to improve the environment, people should focus more on how the food is being produced as an attempt to decrease the carbon dioxide being produced. Statistically, gas emissions from the production of foods are greater than wholesale, retail and transportation all together (Source…
Standard American Diet (SAD): Defining the Benefits of the Organic Omnivore Diet and Free-Range Animal Ethics…
Bill McKibben’s essay “The Only Way to Have a Cow” establishes a sense of comfort as his approach to the meat eating controversy is superbly logical. The current industrial approach to livestock has birthed an issue pertaining to the sustainability and healthy feeding of our lives. Yet there is another problem in relation to our consumption, which tends to be overlooked. If the pricing of meat reflected in the damage done to our environments, feedlot beef would cost more than grass-fed beef both financially and environmentally. It is the rapid, inhumane dietary feeding of the cow which is insulting, not the consumption of it, and taking no responsibility for the run-off is an offense to the earth and it’s inhabitants. These costs alone are part of the reasoning for the current system which is inefficient and uneconomically feasible. The…