Industrial Farms make their food cheaper by…
Not paying their full costs of production through externalizing costs on nature and society by exploiting natural and human resources. Not to mention the numerous subsidies they receive from the government. THE NEGATIVES OUTWEIGH THE POSITIVES! Eating local may not be cheaper for food buyers, but it certainly reduces the negative health and ecological consequences of our food choices.
The Cost of Poor Health
John Ikerd, professor of agricultural economics at the University of Missouri, states that "Americans, on average, are spending half of much of their disposable income today on food as they were in the 1960's" but "the percentage spent on health care has doubled."
Conventional food processes don't reflect the hidden costs of the environmental & health problems caused by eating unhealthy or processed foods. For example, correcting a water supply polluted by agricultural runoff, or obtaining medical treatment for pesticide induced illness is more costly in the future than buying local produce from the start.
Between 1995 and 2006, the U.S. government spent more than $177 billion in taxpayer dollars on agricultural subsidies. Money that could have been saved if taxpayers bought local from the beginning.
The National Academy of Sciences predict that banning non-therapeutic use of antibiotics on livestock farms might increase the average consumer's food costs by between $4.85 and $9.72 a year. An extremely small price to pay to avoid the increased health care costs caused by use of these antibiotics.*
*See health reasons.
*See health reasons.
Food grown in season and locally costs less because you do not have to ship it from so far away. So not only do your June strawberries taste better, they are better for your wallet!
Generating the Local Economy
Money that stays in the community grows in the communtiy
A dollar spent locally generates twice as much income for the local economy than a dollar spent elsewhere. Buying locally generates the local economy, rather than helping a corporation separate from your community.
When large-scale farms enter communities and replace small farmers, they can actually create a downturn in the local economy. A Michigan study proved that small hog farms spend almost 50% more at local businesses than large farms do, primarily because the larger farms buy feed in bulk from sources outside of the community because of their size. So when small farms are taken over by large corporations the farmer is not the only one who may be out of a job.
When large-scale farms enter communities and replace small farmers, they can actually create a downturn in the local economy. A Michigan study proved that small hog farms spend almost 50% more at local businesses than large farms do, primarily because the larger farms buy feed in bulk from sources outside of the community because of their size. So when small farms are taken over by large corporations the farmer is not the only one who may be out of a job.
Economic Benefits for Farmers
Farmers that work on industrial farms, on average, get to keep only ten to fifteen cents from each dollar they receive; the rest goes for fertilizer, fuel, machinery, and other production expenses. But farmers who sell locally get to keep half or more of each dollar they receive, because they purchase fewer commercial production inputs.
Americans waste more than 40% of the food we purchase, the equivalent of throwing away over $100 billion in food over one year
Increasing Productivity
While industrial monocrop farms produce a large output per worker, diverse crop on sustainable farms produce more food per acre of land. Sustainable farms require more workers and create more jobs all while doing a better job feeding people on smaller plots of land. More jobs and more productivity have extremely positive impacts on the environment.
More Hidden Fees
Buying food locally saves on transportation and energy along with virtually eliminating wasteful spending for unnecessary packing and advertising (which together account for more than 20-percent of total food costs).
More than 20% of total food costs come from the need for packaging and advertising.
Buying local saves on the transportation costs of shipping food around the country.
More than 20% of total food costs come from the need for packaging and advertising.
Buying local saves on the transportation costs of shipping food around the country.