Opposition to Globalisation
Supporting Local Food: Opposition to Globalization or Capitalism?
Key Words: Localization, Scale, Embeddedness Supporting Local Food: Opposition to Globalization or Capitalism? - 2
Introduction
The local food movement is an expression of resistance to industrial capitalist agriculture but is often confused seen as an appropriate method of resisting globalization as well. There are a variety of values often merged within the idea of local that are not necessarily the product, goal or benefits of the movement. Local food has recently become very popular in many parts of Canada, the United States and many parts of Europe and some of the more popular expressions of it are through an emergence of farmers markets, community supported agriculture, and the 100 mile diet. This essay will explore some of the many things that must be considered before supporting local agricultural movements. The first part will briefly look at the current industrial capitalist food system and discuss the issue of scale. The discourse will continue by addressing common perceptions associated with local food. Environmental effects related to the transportation and production methods used by agriculture systems is one of the most common concerns allied with the local food movement. Finally issues relating to consumer practices and the concept of embeddedness of the market in society.
The Capitalist Food System and Globalization
Agriculture has been the economic foundation of most societies for thousands of years. The collection and production of food has always had a significant and special place in human activity. Because of the importance of food, agricultural practices have been constantly changing in order to find the best ways of supplying the sustenance people require. Probably the most significant change in agricultural production began to take place in 1945, with what has become commonly referred to as the green revolution. Essentially, the green revolution transformed the
Key Words: Localization, Scale, Embeddedness Supporting Local Food: Opposition to Globalization or Capitalism? - 2
Introduction
The local food movement is an expression of resistance to industrial capitalist agriculture but is often confused seen as an appropriate method of resisting globalization as well. There are a variety of values often merged within the idea of local that are not necessarily the product, goal or benefits of the movement. Local food has recently become very popular in many parts of Canada, the United States and many parts of Europe and some of the more popular expressions of it are through an emergence of farmers markets, community supported agriculture, and the 100 mile diet. This essay will explore some of the many things that must be considered before supporting local agricultural movements. The first part will briefly look at the current industrial capitalist food system and discuss the issue of scale. The discourse will continue by addressing common perceptions associated with local food. Environmental effects related to the transportation and production methods used by agriculture systems is one of the most common concerns allied with the local food movement. Finally issues relating to consumer practices and the concept of embeddedness of the market in society.
The Capitalist Food System and Globalization
Agriculture has been the economic foundation of most societies for thousands of years. The collection and production of food has always had a significant and special place in human activity. Because of the importance of food, agricultural practices have been constantly changing in order to find the best ways of supplying the sustenance people require. Probably the most significant change in agricultural production began to take place in 1945, with what has become commonly referred to as the green revolution. Essentially, the green revolution transformed the