In this day and age, it is common for people to consume food that has been transported over a long distance. It is said that if people ate food produced in close proximity to where they live, the environment and the economy would benefit greatly. I believe that the benefits of this idea are much more significant than its drawbacks.
The consumption of locally produced food can have some negative effects. Firstly, farmers and food producers in a certain region will have to produce a huge amount of food in order to satisfy all the demand of people living there. This can lead to overcultivation and overgrazing of the local soils, which can in turn result in land degradation and infertility. For example, in countries with big population size like Vietnam, there is a great demand for food and if Vietnamese people only rely on the local supply of produce such as beef and vegetables, local farmers will need to raise more cows and cultivate more crops, which can degrade the soil and reduce its productivity. Secondly, eating only local produce will not encourage trade between countries. In the globalized world nowadays, many countries rely on international trade to increase their overall income and boost their economy. The consumption of local produce will not enable this trade to flourish.
However, the aforementioned drawbacks can be greatly outweighed by the positive effects. Transporting food from other regions or countries requires the use of many airplanes and trucks which will release great amounts of CO2 emissions and other greenhouse gases, the main culprits for global warming which is currently having devastating effects, namely climate change, unstable temperatures and loss of habitats, on every single being on this Earth, including humans, animals, and plants. Therefore, a reduction in demand for food produced abroad can yield great environmental benefits in the longer term. As for the economy, the encouragement to eat locally produced food will boost the growth of the local farming industry. For example, increased demand for this type of food will create more jobs in food production and processing, which can reduce the currently high unemployment rates in many countries.
In conclusion, when considering a bigger context, it seems to me that the advantages of buying food that has been produced in one’s local area are greater than its disadvantages when it comes to protecting our environment and caring for the well-being of local inhabitants.
In this day and age, it is common for
people
to consume
food
that has
been transported
over a long distance. It
is said
that if
people
ate
food
produced
in
close proximity
to where they
live
, the environment and the economy would benefit
greatly
. I believe that the benefits of this
idea
are much more significant than its drawbacks.
The consumption of
locally
produced
food
can have
some
negative
effects.
Firstly
, farmers and
food
producers in a certain region will
have to
produce
a huge amount of
food
in order to satisfy all the
demand
of
people
living there. This can lead to
overcultivation
and overgrazing of the
local
soils, which can in turn result in land degradation and infertility.
For example
, in
countries
with
big
population size like Vietnam, there is a great
demand
for
food
and if Vietnamese
people
only
rely on the
local
supply of
produce
such as beef and vegetables,
local
farmers will need to raise more cows and cultivate more crops, which can degrade the soil and
reduce
its productivity.
Secondly
, eating
only
local
produce
will not encourage trade between
countries
. In the globalized world nowadays,
many
countries
rely on international trade to increase their
overall
income and boost their economy. The consumption of
local
produce
will not enable this trade to flourish.
However
, the aforementioned drawbacks can be
greatly
outweighed by the
positive
effects. Transporting
food
from other regions or
countries
requires the
use
of
many
airplanes and trucks which will release great amounts of CO2 emissions and other greenhouse gases, the main culprits for global warming which is
currently
having devastating effects,
namely
climate
change
, unstable temperatures and loss of habitats, on every single being on this Earth, including humans, animals, and plants.
Therefore
, a reduction in
demand
for
food
produced
abroad can yield great environmental benefits in the longer term. As for the economy, the encouragement to eat
locally
produced
food
will boost the growth of the
local
farming industry.
For example
, increased
demand
for this type of
food
will create more jobs in
food
production and processing, which can
reduce
the
currently
high unemployment rates in
many
countries.
In conclusion
, when considering a bigger context, it seems to me that the advantages of buying
food
that has been
produced
in one’s
local
area are greater than its disadvantages when it
comes
to protecting our environment and caring for the well-being of
local
inhabitants.