What is the primary advantage of Conventional Food?
The Conventional Food System is highly efficient and is easily able to provide a large amount of food at a relativley quick pace at an affordable price.
100
Does Organic Food have any nutritional difference from Conventional Food?
Surprisingly, no!
Organic Food is simply grown/raised in a different fashion then Conventional Food.
100
What is the average transportation distance for food (Farm to Table)?
Between 15,000 and 25,000 miles (24,140.6 km to 40,233.6 km).
To put that in perspective, the Earth's equator is roughly 25,000 miles in circumference.
Soil Conservation is a set of strategies designed to protect the soil from erosion or depletion, such as during the Dustbowl in the 1930's.
200
How much of the Market does Conventional Food hold compared to Organic Food?
Between 66% (Two-thirds) and 75% (Three-quarters) of the market is dominated by Conventional Food.
200
Why does Organic Food usually cost more then Conventional Food?
Stricter regulations and higher standards of farming cause the overall production cost to be higher, thus increasing the price.
200
Why are foods available year-round, despite growing seasons?
Most foods are imported long distances from South America and China, where growing seasons are different then those in North America.
200
Why is it more viable to distribute stock in small quantities over a larger area (more stores/distributors)?
Distributing in large quantities or at one place risks flooding the market with one particular item and decreasing it's value. If you buy in bulk and distribute over a large number of locations, with a small amount of stock in each, you don't risk over-stating demand from one particular area and you don't risk flooding the market or devaluing the item.
One example of this is your local Co-Op or Sobie's: Trucks deliver goods from store to store, never dropping all of one stock in one location and always meeting (not exceeding) demand.
200
Why is Soil Conservation important?
It safeguards the local environment, helping to sustain the ecosystem in the area, as well as allowing for sustainable production in following years without risk of soil loss or depletion.
300
How does the food supply chain impact the quality of Conventionally-produced food?
Due to ever-higher demand and production quotas along the chain, many producers and manufacturers vouch to go for quantity much rather then quality, mechanizing the process and cutting corners to minimize cost. Often, this also results in the subsequent genetic modification of the food and many 'Un-natural' food processing methods (Such as Chlorine baths to kill bacteria).
300
Why is it impractical for large retailers to buy from small organic farms?
The output of those farms is not constant, and can change every year. In order to turn a steady profit, you must have a steady supply. Thus, Big Organic is more favored because it is capable of doing this.
300
What is the primary method used to transport food from Distributor to Retailer?
Primarily Truck or Train, although Airplane is often used on longer distances.
300
Why is it cheaper to import food from around the globe rather then locally?
Lower Labor costs as well as reduced tariffs result in a much cheaper environment to be able to ship goods in, thus reducing the cost overall.
300
What are the possible effects of not practicing soil conservation?
Widespread topsoil loss, resulting in drought and a complete loss in nutrients required to grow plants, making the soil unusable. Damage to the local ecosystem may also occur.
400
How does Genetic Modification assist in the Conventional Food production process?
Genetically Modified foods have higher yields, are pesticide-resistant, and aren't affected by certain diseases that other strands may be affected by. This is a clear positive advantage to traditional crops and assists in cutting the costs of food production.
400
How has mechanization and the industrial model contributed to the viability of Organically-Produced Food?
Lowers production and purchase costs, making it more lucrative and economically viable for distributors and retailers to purchase and sell Organic.
400
How has the transport of food changed since 1900 compared to today?
In the early 1900's, food was grown and transported much more locally due to a lack of fast, efficient long-distance transportation and the fact that food was perishable (Eventually went bad).
With the advent of Refrigeration and the increasing size and speed of transport (Such as with large cargo ships and airplanes), it easily allowed for large amounts of food to be transported across very long distances, leading to the rise of food corporations.
400
What are "Commodity Speculators" and how do they effect the Economy of Commodities (Such as wheat)?
'Commodity Speculators' are people that invest in and stockpile a large amount of a particular commodity or item (Such as wheat) because they predict that product will increase in value later and offer a return in profit. Many suppliers also do this, and carefully release portions of stock into the market instead of all at once (Thus keeping the price and profits up).
400
Why did farmers in the 1920's-30's not practice Soil Conservation?
High crop Yield as well as government subsidies promoted farmers to farm (and, as such, over-farm) as much land as they could to earn money.
500
How does the Conventional Food supply chain differ from the Organic Food supply chain?
The Organic Food supply chain often leaves out two major components (Dependent on the company): Manufacturing and Supplying. Many organic retailers or producers are Wholesalers, and depending on the company and their standards, they may not process food at all.
500
What are the differences between Big Organic and Small Organic?
Big Organic is highly mechanized, and (in fact) not too much different from Conventional Food production. Small Organic is usually much more local, and grown on a smaller scale with higher standards, relying more on worker productivity then sheer mechanization and efficiency.
For instance, look at the differences between Polyface Farms (Food Inc clip) and the average Big Organic company.
500
How has the crisis in Somalia affected the global food supply chain?
Due to the incredible poverty present in Somalia and the Horn of Africa, many of the population has turned to piracy and theft to support themselves. A large amount of trade, including foods such as rice or oranges from India and China, flow through the Red Sea past the gulf of Aden. Because of Piracy, the system as a whole is slowed down and loses money because of the risk of lost goods.
500
How do global economics affect the crisis in the Horn of Africa?
Mechanization, combined with low labor costs in places such as China and Venezuela, allow for a dramatically lower amount of workers in order to efficiently produce food. Due to large amounts of humanitarian aid in the region, the economy and sustainability of agriculture in the region has Stagnated (After all, why sell food in a place that already gets it for free?).
500
Who was the "Father of Soil Conservation" and what group did he create?
Hugh Hammond Bennett, often regarded as the "Father of Soil Conservation", founded and headed the Soil Conservation Service, established during the Dustbowl in the 1930's and promoting practices such as crop rotation and fighting practices such as over-farming or over-tilling of soil.