The Globalized, Industrialized Food System Is Destroying the World—We Urgently Need to Support Local Food Economies

Smaller, ecologically-focused farming methods like agroecology, permaculture, and holistic resource management are helping tackle serious issues in the global food system, such as biodiversity loss, pollution, and high carbon emissions. These methods rely on small-scale, diverse farms adapted to local conditions, which are the opposite of large, industrial monoculture farms that produce just one crop.

Despite their promise, these approaches aren’t spreading widely because the current food and economic systems favor large-scale, monocultural farming. Policies like massive subsidies for commodity crops, support for global transport infrastructure, and trade agreements such as NAFTA have made it cheaper and easier to run industrial farms. This model often harms the environment due to its reliance on chemical inputs, energy-intensive technology, and extensive fossil fuel use, which contribute to pollution and climate change.

Furthermore, industrial agriculture endangers food security. It has reduced crop diversity from 7,000 plant species historically used as food to only 150 primary crops, leaving the food system vulnerable to climate shifts and disease outbreaks. Economically, the emphasis on large-scale farming has put small farms out of business, decimating rural economies and driving millions to urban slums.

Localization—shifting food production closer to communities—could counter these issues. Local food systems reduce the need for packaging and transport, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and encourage diversified farming, which supports wildlife. They also promote employment and strengthen food security by using crop varieties suited to local climates.

Policies supporting local food, such as “cottage food laws” in U.S. states and Canada’s Local Food Act, demonstrate the benefits of a community-centered food system. To fully address the global food system’s problems, grassroots advocacy is crucial to press for a shift towards local food economies.

Read the full article “The Globalized, Industrialized Food System Is Destroying the World—We Urgently Need to Support Local Food Economies” by Helena Norberg-Hodge

🔭   This summary was human-edited with AI-assist.