FOOD ANALYSIS

This food analysis paper should be about 1 page (single-spaced) in length and similar in format to the ecological analysis paper. The first 1/2 page should review and compare various foods that support your daily life. It should include the foods origination point, transport route, quality, and price. That is, evaluate where the foods come from (source), the route the food travelled to you, whether it's a GMO, non-GMO, or organic (include Fair Trade too), and its cost. Choose several staple foods that you consume, and a couple that you don't (I suggest Coffee as one). You will have to go to several stores. Choose one that you frequent and compare it with another like Trader Joes, Wholesome Choice, Whole Foods, Henry's, etc. Ask the local supermarket where particular foods originate and its transportation route--if need be. Finally, you'll want to compare prices. Try not to compare say Albertson's prices directly to a specialty store on a particularly food. If you buy 'X' cereal at Albertson's, then try and find the same cereal at the specialty shop (to compare directly that price), and then the organic version too. That way you know the additional cost of the organic version. So, you basically want to determine: source (origination point), transportation route, quality of food (GMO, non-GMO, organic), and price. I would suggest going to Whole Foods as one stopping point because they have a variety of foods with various origination points and purity, and most are marked/labeled.

In the second 1/2 page, you should analyze the linkages between food choices, your health, and environmental degradation. Think first about what impact this has on you (longer drive to store, etc), your health, and pocketbook. Compare and evaluate. Then, think about how your food choices impact the environment: carbon emissions (you, and the transportation of food), environmental degradation, human rights implications? You should also explore what changes you could make to reduce your food footprint, but also, what changes you would make in light of the costs. Does it cost more/less than you thought, is it manageable? Do you believe many people (similarly situated) would make the same choice--why or why not? What about people not similarly situated (different socio-economic status)? What 'societal' changes need to be made in order to most effectively the address the gap between food choices, health and environmental degradation?