Do you know where your food comes from? Throughout history, self-sufficiency has been the norm for acquiring food such as grains, meats, fruits, and vegetables. People and nations grew their own food and traded only on a local level. Today, food trade between nations has intensified, food is shipped thousands of miles across the globe, and world trade in agricultural products exceeds $1 trillion annually.   

Choose 1 of the foods from the following link (see attached) that you may have in your fridge or pantry:

Complete the following:

•List and describe the food item, and include where it came from (check the label or Web site).  

•Use this calculator to determine how far it has traveled to you. Answer the following questions: 

1.How does the vast movement of food from one nation to another benefit or potentially harm developing nations? Are there benefits of importing food to developed or wealthy nations?  

2.There is an “eat local” initiative developing throughout the United States and Europe. What are the benefits to buying fresh, local foods? Are there drawbacks? Do you buy local?  

3.Can you live without the food item you chose? Is there a local substitute available?  

4.Knowing what you do of how global food trade affects the global market and the economies of individual countries, explain your position on buying this food item in the future.

References:

Food miles calculator. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.organiclinker.com/food-miles.cfm   Mark’s fruit crops. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://fruit-crops.com