Factory Farming And Its Impact On The Environment

A farm produces crops, raises animals and the owner known as the farmer manages the land. In the modern world, the traditional idea of farming is rare, and the convenience of a pre-packaged food and the microwaveable meal tempts the busy people of America. Over the years, food has become more convenient and cheaper, but there is a problem with the current system that needs acknowledgement. There are environmental problems with food that travels 1,500 miles to the store, profits that goes to major corporations, and the decline of food quality and nutrition. Mass produced fresh fruit and vegetables, factory farms’ livestock, and processed food has a large impact on the environment. A common belief is CO2 gases from food transportation has the largest impact when it comes to the environment. A study from Iowa in 2001 states the produce grown locally traveled 65 miles to the markets within the state, whereas produce from more conventional sources travel 27 times the distance of the local produce at 1,494 miles. Research also shows that the cost of transporting food has decreased from $0.23 a metric ton in 1890 to $0.18 a metric ton in 2000. This decline of cost of delivery is likely due to delivery techniques becoming more efficient, not necessary customers eating more locally (Dunning).

In The Locavore’s Dilemma graph shows the climate impact by the metric tons of by-product for each household annually. The greatest impact from the energy and fertilizer for cattle feed required for red meat products. Although people who eat locally are decreasing their carbon footprint from transportation, switching to produce from red meat once a week would have a greater environmental impact