Foods Travels Thousands Of Miles From Producers To Consumers | Band 9 IELTS Essay Sample
Food travels thousands of miles from producers to consumers. Some people think that it would be better for the environment and economy if people only ate the local food produced by farmers. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
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Band 9 IELTS essay sample
Food is crucial for our survival. These days, many consumers eat food that has traveled thousands of miles away from their producers. Some people opine that it will be good for the environment if people only eat locally produced food. I agree with this view to a certain extent. In my opinion, consumption of local food will create jobs in the local economy and help the environment, but if people eat only locally produced food, they will have fewer choices.
Environmental problems are a highly debated topic these days. Huge amounts of fossil fuels have to be burned to transport food to distant places. This causes considerable damage to the environment. There will be a massive reduction in the consumption of oil if people start preferring locally grown food and hence it is good for the planet. Another argument in favour of eating locally produced food is its nutrient value. Locally grown food is nutritious because it is free of preservatives. Also, locally grown fruits and vegetables are plucked when they ripen and this retains their nutritional content. By contrast, when they are transported from a distant place, they are plucked when they are still raw and then ripened with the help of chemicals. Regular consumption of such food items will lead to health problems in people.
Even so, in my opinion, eating locally produced food alone is not a viable option because there is a limit to the kind of food that can be grown in each place. For example, fruits like apples and grapes can only be grown in cold climates. Likewise, some fruits and vegetables only grow in hot climates. There are also many regions that are not suitable for cultivation. If people eat only what is available in their region, they choices will be limited. Hence, in my opinion, locally grown food should be given preference. However, it should not be the only food available to people.
To conclude, if people give preference to the local produce, it will certainly benefit their health, the environment and the local economy. Even so, in my opinion, eating locally cultivated food alone is not a viable option because it will seriously limit the food choices people have.
Food travels thousands of miles from producers to consumers – Band 9 IELTS essay sample
Nowadays, food items travel from one country to another country to fulfill consumer demand. According to some people, consuming locally grown food is better than importing it. I agree with this view to a great extent.
Consumption of local produce is good for the environment because food does not have to be transported over long distances. It is good for the local economy and local producers as well. Imported food is usually cheaper. That is why it is imported in the first place. If locally grown apples are cheaper than foreign apples, they will not be imported. When cheap imported foods flood the local market, local producers will not get good prices for their produce. This hurts them. Also, locally grown food tends to be fresher and healthier. Since they reach consumers within hours of leaving the farm, they are unlikely to be laced with preservatives or other harmful chemicals. Imported food, on the other hand, may contain dangerously high levels of chemicals used to enhance their shelf life.
On the other hand, there are also some disadvantages to consuming only locally produced food. If people get to eat only locally grown items, their choice will be pretty limited. Also, if food is not imported local producers will have a monopoly over the market and they may artificially drive up the prices. This is bad for the consumers. In some cases, importing is essential to control prices in the local market and sometimes importing is the only option to deal with shortage of food.
To conclude, if people consume locally grown fruits, vegetables and other foods, it is largely beneficial for the environment and the economy. However, there are downsides too. Personally, I believe that people should favour local food as much as possible. However, in some cases, importing may be necessary to control prices or to ensure availability.
Food travels thousands of miles from producers to consumers. Some people think that it would be better for the environment and economy if people only ate the local food produced by farmers – Band 8 IELTS essay sample
With the ever increasing population, a huge amount of food is transported from one place to another to meet the consumer demand. Although some people believe importing food must be stopped to benefit the economy and environment, the benefits of consumption of locally produced food do not outweigh its disadvantages.
Consuming food from local farmers benefits the environment and health. With respect to environment, moving the food from one place to another place requires the use of thousands of trucks and airplanes, which contributes to pollution given all the emissions they produce all day. They negatively affect the environment leading to global warming. That said, the increased contamination of air due to pollution reduces good quality air and thereby affects peoples’ health. For example, a study by American Pollution Control board shows that the air quality in areas around Southern California and West Coast has significantly deteriorated due to increased pollution caused by vehicles used for food transport. Buying food from local farmers and markets makes sense when we consider these issues.
Banning the food imports has its own negative consequences related to economy, employment and food quality. Many developing countries export food to other countries. If they stop the supply of food, the farmers in supplier countries would suffer economic losses. As a result, the farmers are unable to pay taxes, leaving a negative impact on the environment. For example, India is the major supplier of mangoes to more than a dozen countries in Asia, if it stops exporting mangoes it can have significant negative impact on its economy. Moreover, thousands of local people are provided work in farms. With no exports there will be no work and these people will be out of work. Furthermore, many fruits require specific weather conditions to grow without affecting its quality. These conditions may not be available locally .It is better to import such fruits to retain the quality.
To sum up, the merits of consuming only locally grown food do not outweigh it demerits.
Consumption of locally grown food may have less detrimental effect on environment, but the negative impact on farmers, their employees and food quality is far more significant.
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