In the United States, food travels an average of 1500 miles before it is eaten. By eating locally, you significantly decrease the amount of fossil fuels being used. Eating local foods with less food miles reduces your carbon foot print!
Species are at risk of disappearing because of human development, pollution, and rapid use of resources. Much of the development, pollution, and depletion of resources are a result of the industrial food industry. If we cannot support healthy food production, then we are supporting the rapid killing of species. By 2100, some scientists have predicted that 14 percent of all bird species may be extinct, 1/4 of all mammals, 1/3 of amphibians, and 42 percent of all turtles and tortoise species will also face extinction.
Buying local gives local agricultural businesses, such as farms or pastures, an economic reason to stay open and by keeping these farms open, you are protecting local habitats and wildlife from harmful construction.
*VOCAB*
SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE: A way of raising food that is healthy for consumers and animals, does not harm the environment, treats workers fairly, respects animals, provides a fair wage to the farmer, and supports or enhances communities.
FOOD MILES: The measurement of the distance an item of food travels from the producer to the consumer.
DEAD ZONES: Areas where large amounts of phytoplankton die from pollution, and as their bodies decompose, they use up all the oxygen in the water. Fish cannot live without oxygenated water, so they either flee or die off creating large zones where there is no life.
THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT: When fossil fuels, like coal or oil, are burned huge amounts of gasses, like carbon dioxide, are released into the atmosphere. These gasses stay in our atmosphere and hold in the suns radiation which is causing the earth to gradually heat up. The greenhouse effect is a huge contributor to climate change.
33% of the total global warming effect is linked with the industrial food system.
Biodiversity
Honeybees help pollenate our crops
Biological diversity encompasses the variety of life at all levels (from genetic diversity within a species to the diversity found within ecosystems or areas of land). Having a diverse animal and plant population protects how the ecosystem works. For example, ecosystems depend on the diversity of insect and avian pollinators for agricultural productivity. We humans depend on this agricultural productivity to survive.
We are slowly killing off biodiversity by destroying land for massive farms and further harming the ecosystem by using harmful pesticides. If ecosystems aren't diverse, crops and animal populations suffer and we humans face the consequences. For example take the honeybee. We depend on the bee to pollinate our crops, but because of the massive amounts of pesticides and loss of habitat bee populations have plummeted. By not protecting biodiversity we have endangered the way we grow our crops.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), humans now rely
upon just 14 species of mammals and birds to supply 90% of all animal-derived foods.
We are slowly killing off biodiversity by destroying land for massive farms and further harming the ecosystem by using harmful pesticides. If ecosystems aren't diverse, crops and animal populations suffer and we humans face the consequences. For example take the honeybee. We depend on the bee to pollinate our crops, but because of the massive amounts of pesticides and loss of habitat bee populations have plummeted. By not protecting biodiversity we have endangered the way we grow our crops.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), humans now rely
upon just 14 species of mammals and birds to supply 90% of all animal-derived foods.
Agrobiodiversity
Large scale farming leaves crop populations at risk
Agrobiodiversity refers to the biodiversity among planned agricultural crops or livestock. The diversity found among agricultural plants today is a result of thousands of years of human intervention and selective breeding. The more diverse a crop is, the better, because it is more likely to survive a variety of crop fails (as result of drought, flood, or disease).
Genetic erosion is the loss of genetic variety as result of large scale gene selection or modification.
As of now, 75 % of genetic crop diversity has been lost because of large scale corporations. Now more than ever our food supply is at risk because of its vulnerability to pests and disease.
Genetic erosion is the loss of genetic variety as result of large scale gene selection or modification.
As of now, 75 % of genetic crop diversity has been lost because of large scale corporations. Now more than ever our food supply is at risk because of its vulnerability to pests and disease.
Our Dangerous Dependance on Oil
A pelican is covered in oil from BP's 2010 oil spill in the
Gulf of Mexico
One fifth of all oil now used in the United States is used by machines on industrial farms. And that does not even conclude the additional oil used to distribute the food across the country. Buying from local producers prevents the unnecessary use of oil.
The United States uses up around 20 million barrels of oil in one day. Scientists have estimated that for every one calorie of edible food produced, seven to ten calories of energy are used to create it. As we continue to grow more and more food on industrial farms the more and more oil or other fossil fuels we will need, furthering the greenhouse effect.
Another repercussion of massive oil use is the risk of oil spills. Oil spills not only kill thousands of animals, but also destroy the environment. Underwater drilling is becoming more popular, but since it is riskier it has lead to more spills. Because oil and water don't mix, oil that is spilled into the ocean does not disappear, but instead spends thousands of years floating around in the water eventually washing up as sludge on beaches.
The United States uses up around 20 million barrels of oil in one day. Scientists have estimated that for every one calorie of edible food produced, seven to ten calories of energy are used to create it. As we continue to grow more and more food on industrial farms the more and more oil or other fossil fuels we will need, furthering the greenhouse effect.
Another repercussion of massive oil use is the risk of oil spills. Oil spills not only kill thousands of animals, but also destroy the environment. Underwater drilling is becoming more popular, but since it is riskier it has lead to more spills. Because oil and water don't mix, oil that is spilled into the ocean does not disappear, but instead spends thousands of years floating around in the water eventually washing up as sludge on beaches.
Cattle Catastrophe
Beef has such a large environmental impact because cattle are among the worst converters of grain to meat. In nature cattle, which are ruminants, convert inedible-to-humans grasses into high-grade proteins, but under industrial production they are fed grain. It is estimated that cattle only provide about 1 pound of beef for every 10 to 16 pounds of feed they consume.
Because large feeding operations are too large, the waste cattle produce is not used as natural fertilizer. Instead, it is stored in manure “lagoons”. Without sufficient oxygenation, this waste emits methane and nitrous oxide into the air.
*Cutting meat from your diet one day a week can have huge positive impacts
1/5 of the world's greenhouse gas emissions come from the raising and
production of livestock
Because large feeding operations are too large, the waste cattle produce is not used as natural fertilizer. Instead, it is stored in manure “lagoons”. Without sufficient oxygenation, this waste emits methane and nitrous oxide into the air.
*Cutting meat from your diet one day a week can have huge positive impacts
1/5 of the world's greenhouse gas emissions come from the raising and
production of livestock
A Chemical Problem
Large amounts of hazardous chemicals are used in industrial agriculture to kill weeds and insects. However, when it rains these poisons wash into rivers killing aquatic life. These rivers eventually run into the sea, bringing these chemicals with them to kill off more animals and create dead zones.
Phosphorous and nitrogen pollution from fertilizers can kill fish populations, create toxic algae blooms, and cause other significant changes in water systems.
These harmful chemicals also hurt the land by causing soil erosion. When soil erodes nutrients that plants need to grow are diminished. Eventually, if erosion is not stopped, plant life can no longer grow. The solution that industrial farms have come up with is to pump more chemicals into the ground, or move their farm somewhere else – even if they need to cut down forests.