Eating Local

Eating Local — page 5 — In the early 1900s in the United States families joined together to enjoy meals prepared with only local foods to transport food farther and farther from its source Refrigerated trucks allowed food to be transported longer distances without spoiling Farm technology also improved Soon small family farms were replaced by large-scale farms that operated similar to factories and corporations At the same time national and global food supply chains replaced local food supply chains As farm sizes grew many farmers began producing single crops to sell rather than the traditional mix of different crops to sell and to eat themselves This monoculture food production allowed for single crops such as corn and wheat to be grown on a massive scale Food processors also learned how to better preserve food and food was increasingly 8

Eating Local — page 6 — packaged in boxes cans or bags These processed foods were a boon for busy families looking for quick meals or snacks By the 1970s a majority of food production in the United States was industrialized Family dinners were less the norm and fast food restaurants and frozen dinners replaced fresh home-cooked meals The industrialization of food production continued including raising increasingly larger numbers of animals in close quarters To stimulate milk production or growth and to ward off diseases that plague farms where animals are closely confined farmers began to regularly administer antibiotics hormones or other drugs with undetermined health risks to humans Farmers also began planting genetically modified seeds also known as genetically modified organisms GMOs in the 1990s By scientifically modifying organisms scientists have created GMOs that are resistant to herbicides This allows for a greater application of these weed To Your Health Food on the Brain The industrialization of food processing made possible fast food restaurants and junk food These food choices are extremely convenient yet they are frequently high in fat sugar and salt and low in essential nutrients and vitamins They are also addictive Studies have shown that these ingredients stimulate the reward center of the brain in much the same way as many illegal drugs As a result the more fast food people eat the more they crave it Long-term diets based on fast food and junk food can lead to diabetes high blood pressure and high cholesterol as well as obesity 9

Eating Local — page 7 — GMO tomatoes have been modified to stay firmer and have a longer shelf life than unmodified tomatoes controlling chemicals without damaging crops Other GMOs have been engineered so that the crop itself releases a toxin as it grows The toxin then repels insects Scientific studies have yet to conclude whether GMOs are safe for human consumption The result of the industrialization of food production GMOs and the advent of processed foods is a dramatic shift in the types of food on grocery store shelves Meat milk and eggs may come from animals treated with antibiotics or hormones Other foods are full of preservatives and chemicals And most processed foods are high in fat and sugar This shift in food consumption in the United States has led to health concerns including high rates of obesity diabetes and other diseases Modern food production has put the health of the environment and natural resources at risk as well Not only is soil depleted by monoculture 10

Eating Local — page 8 — farming but biodiversity or the growing of a variety of plants is also being lost in favor of single crops such as corn and soy that grow fast and resist pests Water quality in rivers lakes estuaries wetlands and groundwater is also negatively affected by the runoff of chemicals used in commercial farming In addition the growing packaging and long-distance transportation of food in the United States accounts for 20 percent of the country’s total fossil fuel consumption This also accounts for substantial greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution To Your Health Avoiding GMOS As of 2015 the debate around the safety or risks of genetically modified food was ongoing and the scientific evidence unclear Because of this people looking to avoid GMOs do not eat processed foods that have corn canola or soy They also avoid sugar because most of it doesn’t come directly from sugarcane Buying locally grown produce is another way to avoid GMOs after getting to know a farmer’s practices Likewise consumers looking to avoid GMOs should avoid meat from anonymous retailers because many animals raised for food are fed GMO corn soy and alfalfa As of 2015 identifying GMO products with a label was not required in the United States Nevertheless the Non-GMO Project a nonprofit whose mission is to help shoppers make informed decisions has created a seal that labels non-GMO products after going through a strict verification process Consumers can also look for the USDA Organic label because food can only be certified as organic by the US Department of Agriculture USDA if it is grown and processed without GMOs 11

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