Friday, April 20, 2012

Local Economy

A local practice or economy that I think would have great value in our society in America is the raising of livestock and the growing of food. Today with the emergence of big corporations, the food industry has become more about efficiency and making the food more appealing. Even if this means growing, or raising food through unnatural processes. For instance cattle is typically fed corn in order to obtain higher caloric intake and as a result grow faster. However their stomachs are made to digest grass, not corn. Not only are they given unnatural diets, but they are also given growth hormones in order to grow more efficiently. This is an example of how big corporations are making our food much more unnatural and unhealthy for us to eat in order to process food more efficiently. This is where local farms could step in and supply our local supermarkets with the necessary food. By doing so could reduce the amount of processing and give us more natural, healthy food. This will give local communities more healthier food, as well as keeping the economy local as far as food goes. It will help create more local jobs and will help keep money in the community.



http://voices.washingtonpost.com/all-we-can-eat/sustainable-food/the-economics-of-local-food.html

3 comments:

  1. That's a really good point. I guess I never thought about what the cattle is normally fed, but just eat it. I imagine that the grass fed cattle are more healthy, and there for taste better too?

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  2. That's a good point, The unnatural raised livestock is not healthy and the food industry are raising the cattle with unhealthy food so that they obtain their calorie intake and grow faster to keep up with the population's need.

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  3. I find your points to be very valid, and this to be and interesting topic. The way that cattle and meat in general are being produced in America is unacceptable. We produce some animals like chickens that are so deformed from meet production that they never have heads. Beef is a huge factor, as you pointed out with the use of Hormones and steroids. People in society want to know why children develop so much quicker then in past generations? It's simple you have to look no further then the food that hits there table. They want to question decreasing health? Simple, when lobbyist have the right to finical bend and curve the regulations of food production and allow pesticides, steroids, hormones, and other chemicals to come into play this is the outcome.

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