Meal Analysis
Mashed Potato
Potatoes are grown and harvested in large scale farms mostly in Idaho and Washington counties. The farms mostly use highly mechanized technology to ensure easy and fast management practices. Also, genetically modified plants are extensively used to increase yields and nutrient content ( Schwall, Safford, Westcott, Jeffcoat, Tayal, Shi, & Jobling, 2000). Most technology is used in land preparation, planting, spraying against diseases and harvesting. Mechanized tractors, sprayers, and reapers are used in these farms, therefore, posing environmental challenges through air pollution. Exhaust gases from the farm equipment and chemicals released into the environment are a major cause of soil, water, and air pollution. Herbicides and pesticides are extensively used to control weeds and diseases respectively. Also, fertilizers are regularly applied to supply nutritive contents to the potato plants. This poses a health risk to employees and the general environment (plants and animals) in those potato-growing areas. Harvested potatoes are transported into various packaging departments or companies than to specific markets using trucks. The trucks increase air pollution and carbon dioxide content in the air alongside releasing heavy metals such as lead which are attributed to the damaged ozone layer and health concerns, especially on respiratory organs. Damaged ozone layer allows passage of harmful rays which cause various skin conditions facilitated by global warming leading to change in climatic patterns with time.
Macaroni
Macaroni is made from processed wheat usually grown and processed locally in the U.S., especially in Kansas and North Dakota counties. Other wheat comes from Canada through road transit methods. Production is also in large scale farms and highly mechanized. Some wheat varieties grown are genetically modified to reduce maturity time, enhance climatic adaptation/resistance and yield more in both volume and nutritional quality. Planting to harvesting is done by tractor-type of equipment e.g. combine harvesters then threshed and shelled by the same mechanism. The resulting wheat is transported to milling industries which use high energy inputs such as electricity and petroleum fuels releasing a lot of gases and heat into the environment. Fine wheat is converted into macaroni by extrusion method then packaged into polythene bags transported to markets and stores for sale. Packaging materials made from polythene are becoming increasingly an environmental issue in both aquatic and land ecosystems.
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Cheese
Cheese is processed milk by coagulating casein. Most milk is produced from cattle in California and Wisconsin counties. High pedigree cattle are reared and managed to secrete high quality and quantity milk. Some of the animals are genetically engineered to increase milk production. Cheese-makers buy milk and transport it to their coolers and factories for coagulation, refinement, and packaging. It is then packaged and transported to markets around the country. These processes are associated with the above-listed health and environmental concerns.
Beef
Most American beef sources are imported products from Canada and Australia. Production is similar to the above process on milk. However, local sources also supply beef e.g. from Texas county. Red meat demand in the U.S. , especially from Australian lambs, has facilitated environmental degradation caused by extensive land clearing to develop ranches, fossil fuel consumption and shipping process to American warehouses and distributors.
Ecological and Economic Analysis
Advantages
Local food choices promote and sustain economies by providing wealth which is circulated in regions or counties. Due to the high accessibility and quality of locally grown and processed food, consumer demand is usually high therefore increasing returns to the community or individual farmers through direct sales (Brown & Miller, 2006).
Packaging process and expenses are reduced in cases of farmer markets, therefore, eliminating environmental concerns associated with most packaging materials such as polythene .
Leads to ecological and economic sustainability. Through environmental friendly techniques applied by small scale farmers such as organic farming, food products are made available and accessible to customers through environmental-conserving methods by eliminating transportation and mechanization (Seyfang, 2006).
Creates job opportunities, therefore, increasing the quality of lives of farmers. This creates cultural diversity through social interactions in food production and farmer markets, therefore, enhancing national cohesion and multiculturalism.
Consumers are offered varieties of fresh, healthy and quality products which are mostly safe from diseases and contamination which may occur during transportation and shipping.
Disadvantages
High production expenses per volume/acreage leading to expensive products in the markets deemed as organic foods and local food. This leads to competition and sometimes affecting to fake consumables in market and store shelves masqueraded as organic foods.
Reduced income from foreign exchange alongside limiting intentional trade. Production, buying, and consumption of locally grown foods such as fruits and vegetables inhibit imports leading to reduced foreign income and diminishing international ties based on trade.
Reduced health benefits and consumer preference options e.g. taste, color and flavor associated with genetic modification and food diversity. Consumers are limited to foods which their ecological conditions can sustain therefore diminishing freedom and choice provided by diversity.
Think Globally, Act Locally
It is an initiative aimed at ensuring/persuading local awareness of global environmental concerns and acting in their capacity to solve, prevent and manage the aspects facilitating environmental issues. It includes habitat protection, cohabitation with the environment and managing resources to promote healthy dietary processes without causing negative outcomes. It aims at maximizing local output and minimizing environmental issues for longterm considerations (Fletcher, 2000). It strives to promote sustainability by ensuring a healthy and efficient environment-farmer-market-consumer relationship is established and maintained. It means that if you live in communities cultivating or growing certain foods such as Mississippi and Columbus, you can consider local energy sources such as sweet potatoes as an alternative least-available Irish potatoes. Consumers should make alternatives and substitutes based on the nutritional values of foods where they cannot access their preferred products.
Individual actions combined with others, hold the decision for future environmental status resulted from meal analysis/preferences. Individual and collective local food choices, farming e.g. subsistence or small scale including kitchen gardening, have positive influences on maintaining environments and ecosystems alongside building local economies. Global challenges such as pollution and climate change can be managed through an individual change of attitude and behavior and considering positive actions in ensuring sustainability (Van, 2013). Food choices and preferences are key contributors to different production methods and processes which harbor negative environmental impacts. Therefore, it is both an individual and community responsibility to ensure they think globally and act locally in their respective ecosystems.
References
Brown, C., & Miller, S. (2008). The impacts of local markets: a review of research on farmers markets and community supported agriculture (CSA). American Journal of Agricultural Economics , 90 (5), 1298-1302.
Fletcher, D. (2000). Learning to “think global and act local”: experiences from the small business sector Education+ Training , 42 (4/5), 211-220.
Schwall, G. P., Safford, R., Westcott, R. J., Jeffcoat, R., Tayal, A., Shi, Y. C., ... & Jobling, S. A. (2000). Production of very-high-amylose potato starch by inhibition of SBE A and B. Nature biotechnology , 18 (5), 551.
Seyfang, G. (2006). Ecological citizenship and sustainable consumption: Examining local organic food networks. Journal of rural studies , 22 (4), 383-395.
Van Passel, S. (2013). Food miles to assess sustainability: a revision. Sustainable Development , 21 (1), 1-17.
