You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic.
Today’s food travels thousands of miles before it reaches customers. Why is this? Is this a positive or negative trend?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
You should write at least 250 words.
Sample Answer: (It is mostly a negative trend)
These days we no longer completely rely on locally grown food as we can now purchase food grown in some distant land whenever we want. Though this trend has some benefits as it widens our freedom as consumers, it has some severe disadvantages which makes it a dangerous trend.
We live in a global village, and with the introduction of the speedy transportation system, food grown anywhere could be transported to other parts of the world. It ensures that people can buy many types of local and foreign fruits, vegetables and other food items from the nearby markets. “If something is not locally grown, import it” – globalisation has made it a reality. It also fosters international trade, helps many farmers reach the international market and help countries fight their food scarcity. However, this does not come without a price.
The transportation of food requires burning more fuel, and this is detrimental to the environment. Just to supply internationally grown fruits, we are degrading our environment. This is a price we cannot afford to pay. Another negative impact of transporting food is putting the local farmers into the competition, and they are forced to produce more items at a lower cost and hence the increasing use of chemicals. This, in a way, is declining the quality of locally grown food items.
Furthermore, consumers are often forced to purchase imported food that was preserved and produced with the use of chemicals and preservatives. They are harmful to our health, and people are purchasing those items at a higher price. Importers cannot ensure the freshness and proper nutrition of imported food. Local sellers also preserve them for several days. This makes it less nutritious and less fresh than the locally produced fruits and vegetables.
In conclusion, I believe that transporting food over a long distance is undesirable and have more negative consequences than positive ones. It threatens our local farmers and chemically preserved fruits and vegetables that are being imported is not a healthy choice at all.