Being aware of the economics of our food supply

As the project is coming to a close, it is a good idea to refresh ourselves with some key facts about why sustainable food is so important, but we should also be sure that our project has captured the issue from every angle. Something that should be remembered is that like most things, the food industry is part of a business, and the economics of the food system have changed drastically during the last several decades. Millions of farms have ceased to exist as government policies have favored larger farms with factory models for producing meat, eggs and dairy. With just a handful of corporations controlling most of our food supply, they have been given much more power and influence on the food and agriculture regulations than ever before. While this model may be more efficient monetarily, the increased speed of production can create many problems, such as antibiotic resistant bacteria due to the overuse of antibiotics, issues with contamination of water sources, and much more.

This is just the start of the issue, but one thing that we as a society can do is to continue to pay attention to the economics behind our food sources, and give our money to sustainable farmers locally whenever possible. As we begin to make wiser choices, we can make a statement based on where we spend our money, and make a point that we are not okay with the risks of highly manufactured food products.

Source: http://www.sustainabletable.org/491/food-economics