The locavore movement is an up and coming way of life that taken up the preference of many people in different countries. Yet what begs the question is whether it’s possible for everyone to become a locavore as many wish. The locavore movement, like any movement that a population takes on, has a variety of different factors; such as, the economy of many businesses and farmers and shipping companies, availability, and also the legitimacy and quality of new local farmers. This issues must be addressed in order for an actual beneficial locavore movement to take place and become something actually life changing.
The locavore argument for becoming a locavore revolves around two basic ideas: helping the local economy and living a healthier lifestyle through the foods they consume. The locavore movement helps out the local farmer’s economy. The locavore movement is better because food is fresh and the fresher the healthier and better you’ll feel! All these points for the locavore movement only focus on very shallow factors and don’t look at the big picture or the complex structure there is to the food market. One thing to look at is the quality of one’s local farming. Are the methods of the local farms safe, humane, and good for one’s health? Source C is all about a study conducted by the New Zealand government on the method of raising lamb in both New Zealand and England and what is better for a Londoner to consume. According to the studies a lamb in England is raised in a factory while a lamb in New Zealand is not. Most of the common people understand how inhumane it is to an animal for it to be raised in a factory, but for many urban places with less land area it’s convenient so it’s done anyway. However, for some that like to eat a less guilt filled meal, there is the shipping of product from other lands with better agricultural techniques.
With these conditions of the quality of agriculture in mind we move on to availability. Most urban places will have farms of different sorts’ miles away from urban civil life itself. What happens in places that don’t, they have to get their food from a faraway source. In California there are many local farms that provide Californians with fruits and veggies of all sorts, there is enough land to raise livestock, and conveniently there is an ocean from which to get a variety of seafood. It’s all pretty much great for a Californian, food wise at least. However, what about the more center states that have limited food sources, perhaps not crop wise since most of the center states are mostly giant planes, but they would have a limited source of other types of food like seafood. Unless those states invest to bring those types of food from other places from other non-local places. The point here is that the locavore movement will eventually limit the vast American diet the most are used to having in this modern world.
The economy of farmers and shippers should also be acknowledged that if the locavore movement does take over the agricultural market, it will affect those people’s economy and income. It will affect many big businesses and corporations as well, and perhaps that’s a good thing since most require a tremendous amount of agricultural recourses from many different parts of the globe and the locavore movement of buying only locally could affect them negatively. Also the shipping industry will also be affected in a negative way if people start becoming locavores. The requirement for food shipping in planes will drastically drop, and that is probably better for the environment; even though humans still kill it with doing a lot of other things, but it would be a move in the right direction. Either way most locavore advocates don’t seem to think about how the locavore movement will affect the economy on a much grander scale, even if it could work to further their movement.
The locavore movement needs work and needs to take all these factors into consideration if it actually intends to be a global phenomenon and new way of life. With the rate of technological advancements and the demand for faster ways to live, it’s very possible that the locavore movement can find a way to please the modern human and his or hers demands for variety. Eventually if all these factors of availability, economic influence on a grander scale, and how the quality differs from farm to farm then they could truly progress and transform the locavore movement to be at its maximum of potential.
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