Do you ever wonder what you’re actually eating or where it came from? Well, buy a premade sandwich from your local grocery store and look at the nutrition label. The ingredient list will take up two thirds of the label. Your turkey club sandwich isn’t just whole wheat bread, turkey, lettuce, tomato, and cheddar cheese. It’s loaded with preservatives and high amounts of sodium to keep it “fresh.” Much of what we consume is more than meets the eye. This piece is inspired by the book, “Food Wise, A Whole Systems Guide to Sustainable and Delicious Food Choices” by Gigi Berardi.
The majority of produce, if not all of it at supermarkets, comes from large-scale farms, also referred to as “factory” farms. In 2019, the United States Department of Agriculture reported that very large family-owned farms (with income over $5,000,000) accounted for 1% of farms but 35% of all sales. Small farms accounted for 76% of farms but only 3% of sales (Berardi 36). The statistics are wildly disproportionate. But why should you care if your produce comes from a large or small farm? The answer is complex, but in short, the quality, ethics, and sustainability of the food you eat are highly dependent on where it comes from.
The factory farms that produce most of our food consume massive amounts of resources from fossil fuels to chemical fertilizers to ship massive quantities around the globe. With all this transportation, there is inevitable spoilage in storage and shipping that large farms can count as collateral. They prefer efficiency over sustainability because it increases revenue and keeps the customer happy. Small, local farmers work on less land to produce more “whole” foods. Whole foods— meaning no genetically modified crops, no pesticides, and cage-free. Unfortunately, many of these farmers face hardships at the hands of the factory farms. For example, herbicides like Roundup spread to the small farm’s crops that are organic and free of pesticides and herbicides, thus killing an entire field because it is not engineered to resist it.
Pesticides and insecticides are harmful to human health as well. Organophosphates, which are commonly used in insecticides, can result in a sliding scale of effects. It ranges from dizziness and nausea to possible nervous system damage if one is exposed for a long period of time. It can also inhibit brain development in children. The Environmental Workers Group publishes a list called the Dirty Dozen in which you can find the top 12 fruits and vegetables with the highest amount of pesticide or insecticide residue.
It doesn’t stop at pesticides. Many factory farms are monolithic, meaning they only grow one variety of crops. This destroys the soil the crop is growing on because the farmers are not crop rotating, which enriches the soil with nutrients and acts as pest and weed control. Furthermore, with fewer varieties, there is a higher likelihood that a disease can decimate an entire species which leaves us with fewer types of tomatoes, cucumbers, or whatever it might be.
Why settle for mediocre flavor and risk losing our favorite fruits and veggies altogether? All for the sake of convenience and cost? As college students, it is completely fair to purchase cheap produce because our budgets are tight. However, be curious and cognizant when you’re food shopping. Think about the small local farmer. By supporting them, you are minimizing your carbon footprint and therefore supporting your community. Local farmers are our neighbors, they bring character to rural communities and provide a sense of togetherness.
We, the consumers, play a big role in the agricultural food web. What we want to eat determines what farmers grow, which, in hand, determines what seeds, labor, pesticides, insecticides and feed they must acquire to keep the supply chain running. I have merely scratched the surface of agribusiness and food supply chain, but I invite you to learn more of whatever may have intrigued you in this article.
Senioritis is an Opinion column written by one or two Stevens student(s) in their last year of study to discuss life experiences during their final year at Stevens, and other related subject matter.
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