Is local food better

Grover, Jan Zita. ” Eating locally.” Women’s Review of Books 21. 6 (2004 7-8. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 4 May Jan Zita Grover in his“ Eating Locally” has emphasized the changing global scenario regarding agricultural production. According to her not only the volume has experienced quite a multi fold rise rather it has become quite diversified in nature as well. Global trade in agricultural product has eradicated two things; first there is nothing called seasonal and second there is seldom a food product that we can call local and that way unique. Agriculture produce now makes a few thousand miles journey to reach parts of world that might be geographically at diametrically opposite position. In sharp contrast locally gown foods are far more fresh and tasty. Again as the geographical distance between the consumer and the producer is minimal for locally grown food, there is less chance of contamination or a food being a career of different pathogens. Grover’s greatest contribution in this article is to reveal the global food politics that the corporate and government nexus is ticking on. Citing the controversial case of global food giant Nestle that previously rocked the world and still attracts comments from experts; Grover leaves tickling the issue of local versus global regarding production and consumption of food. Ramirez, Lisa. “ Farm fresh: the health benefits of buying local produce.” 2008. Web. May 5, 2011 Lisa Ramirez, in her “ Farm fresh: the health benefits of buying local produce” has highlighted the inherent advantages that a local produce has over its global counterpart. Lisa has emphasized the importance of locally grown food by citing Darlene Price who is the senior resource educator at Orange County Cornell Cooperative Extension “ When you buy locally grown, you’re getting the produce at its peak form”. The time that passes by between the farmland and the market for food grown at distant places yet sold at local market rob the food of most of its nutritional value. This has also been supported by Erika Ichinose who is the program coordinator of the Farmers Market Nutrition Program at Cornell University Cooperative Extension in New York City. Lisa holds responsible for the damage a series of factors starting from exposure to air and artificial light. The article also announces superiority of farm markets over the super markets as a fresh source of food materials. The article also claims that even paying slightly higher price for farm market goods would at the end prove much more beneficial in real terms as it might cut the medical bill in near future. DeWeerdt, Sarah, “ Is Local Food Better?” World Watch Institute, Web. May 5, 2011 Sarah Deweerdt in her “ Is Local Food Better” led critical review of the problem. According to Sarah after considering the positives of local food it is simply common sense to resort to them, yet she has questioned the environment friendly argument that are often extended in favor of locally produced food. Regarding this she has cited Pirog who thinks that distance does not reveal much. The same conclusion can also be found from Weber and Matthews’s analysis as referred by Sarah. At the end through Sarah is sceptical about the reasons that are usually forwarded in favor of locally produced foods but hopeful that what ever be the reason at the end the benefit that locally produced food material offers to the society would remain unaltered.