Why, Exactly, Does My Broccoli Need to Come from China?

I live in China right now and I wash everything twice (1st with bleach water!) I have seen what they spray and fertilize with. I hope the companies that export have a watchful eye on how their produce is grown, but just in case, buy local!

I cannot recommend Pollan's book enough, it is a must buy! If you live in an area that has a Farmer's Market or CSA, it is a great way to get local produce.
~Beth

Oddly enough, this is something we are discussing in one of my classes at school...and I'm studying Tourism Management!

The question we ask is: is it better to eat certified organic foods that have polluted their way to my table (think of the transportation of say, oranges from Florida to my town in BC, Canada), or eat food that has been locally grown? Why is it more expensive for me to buy Okanagan apples from a town an hour away than it is to buy apples from Washington state, 9 hours away?

As we use up more of the natural and the fabricated resources available to us, these issues are going to become even more important. We can't continue to consume at these levels because we can't sustain our current levels of consumption. And that's not even taking into account all the people of the world who don't consume energy and resources at the same rate as we in the industrialized world do. And they have every right to have access to the resources of our world!

So, whether that means starting to pay a little bit more to buy my apples at my local Farmers Market, or conciously choosing not to eat certain products, I will do what I need to, to support my local producers.

Oddly enough, this is something we are discussing in one of my classes at school...and I'm studying Tourism Management!

The question we ask is: is it better to eat certified organic foods that have polluted their way to my table (think of the transportation of say, oranges from Florida to my town in BC, Canada), or eat food that has been locally grown? Why is it more expensive for me to buy Okanagan apples from a town an hour away than it is to buy apples from Washington state, 9 hours away?

As we use up more of the natural and the fabricated resources available to us, these issues are going to become even more important. We can't continue to consume at these levels because we can't sustain our current levels of consumption. And that's not even taking into account all the people of the world who don't consume energy and resources at the same rate as we in the industrialized world do. And they have every right to have access to the resources of our world!

So, whether that means starting to pay a little bit more to buy my apples at my local Farmers Market, or conciously choosing not to eat certain products, I will do what I need to, to support my local producers.

As Gena points out, imported broccoli is part of a very complex discussion we are not having.

As Pollan touches on in Omnivore's Dilemma, the farm bill which drives US crop production overwhelmingly towards commodity crops is a big part of the reason why meat, dairy and processed foods are often cheaper than domestic fruits and vegetables. ( http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2007-10-26-sch... )

About three-quarters of the billions paid out each year in subsidies between 1995 and 2004 went for feed crops and direct aid supporting meat and dairy production, according to the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. Less than 1% went for fruit and vegetable production.

Figuring out how to feed not just the 300 million people in the US but the billions of us on the planet in an affordable and sustainable way is a question we must answer but are largely avoiding.

Kleenex® Let It Out™ Blog ( http://www.kleenex.com/blog.aspx )
Beyond Help ( http://mariax.vox.com/ )

We have the same dilemma in New Zealand and people are worried about food being imported from China. There were horror stories about peanut butter. And the garlic from China is bleached so they tell us. I keep well away from that.

I do understand that trade must happen, our economy is based on agriculture, we help to feed the world and it keeps us alive economically, but please traders import and export your best produce. We send the pick of our meat and dairy around the world and would you believe this…we import beef and lamb and pork. But I guess this makes the world go round.
Support your local farmers market, buy from your trusty greengrocer and you will be fit and well

It's one thing to be importing food that isn't produced in the country that is importing it.

But to force local farmers out of business because they cannot offer their produce at the same low price as third world countries is pretty disgraceful. Not to mention a horrible waste of fuel. Think about it. Track the frozen vegetables from China to Trader Joes. The vegetables are undoubtedly trucked from a factory farm to the packing factory. Those frozen packages are then put into a refrigeration truck (extra fuel required for that) and trucked to the airport to be flown across the ocean. They are then put onto another refrigeration truck to be driven across the USA to the various stores that will be selling them. How much fuel is that now? (And speaking of fair trade, how much of that money goes toward the Chinese farmer?)

Like Gena, I can't always afford to buy the local vegetables. Especially if they are labelled "organic". (Excuse me for opening another can of worms: those organic fields are exposed to the same air and groundwater toxins as the "non-organic" fields.)

But at the same time, as I choose the lower-priced head of non-local broccoli that has travelled hundreds of miles over the pricier head of local broccoli that is visibly wilting because it has been rejected, I feel terrible. Because here I am once again sending the wrong message to the shopkeeper, the other consumers, the shareholders, the farmers, etc.

Elizabeth, in Canada
blog from OUR kitchen ( http://www.etherwork.net/blog/ )

Over here in Germany, a lot of the food we buy has been imported from somewhere. It is clearly labeled, that's how I know. I should add that Germany HAS to import food because we can't grow enough ourselves, at least not enough for feeding people AND livestock. I think the US is facing the same problem. Even though there is plenty of fertile land available, it may not be enough to provide the 3790 calories consumed per day per person on average PLUS feeding billions of chicken, cows, and pigs.

China is one of the largest food exporters, so I'm not surprised that a lot of it ends up in the US. The US has a tremendous trade deficit, meaning they import more than they export. Some of these imports must be food, it can't be all consumer goods and oil. And where do people think fresh apples in April come from? (Argentina) Not to mention the "hidden" food - the soybeans for feeding livestock (Brazil, China).

On the other hand - what is so bad about trade? Most of the gas and oil used in the US is not "locally harvested", most of the clothes are neither spun nor sewn in the US, many computers, TV sets, cars and so on are imported as well. We should remember that it is trade that makes countries rich. And - not all climates are suitable for growing all kinds of things. Where does coffee, tea and chocolate come from? Clothes (Cotton)? Would you not buy it because it is not produced in the US?

Countries also get rich by exploiting other countries. Importing food from China is harmless, I suppose, compared to the conditions of the workers in Asia and Central and South America growing coffee, tea, and cocoa.

So, if you REALLY want to make a difference, start looking for and buying fair-trade coffee, tea, and chocolate.

Anke http://veganbounty.blogspot.com/

When the conversion from food crops to fuel crops takes place within the next few years there will be less allocated land for food consumption growing. It won't just be in the U.S. but a global agricultural shift.

There are going to be huge issues about labor costs, water rights and that is going to be balanced with ecological concerns & about the quality of food. I do read the package labels and found out my red onions come from China. We also get produce from Mexico, Chile and other South American countries.

I try not to eat package or processed foods from China but they are not the only country with shaky food quality and inspection problems. What do I do? I can't afford to buy organic or local grown foods. I certainly can't shop Whole Foods Market on a regular basis. It isn't in my budget. Not really my idea of organic and natural anymore.

There needs to be a whole lot of discussion about what consumers want from their food supply. What are we willing to eat and how much are we willing to pay for our convictions?

Gena - Out On The Stoop ( http://outonthestoop.blogspot.com )

I just finished Barbara Kingsolver's "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" so it was with interest that I read this post. It was a fantastic book, and I was #153 when I put it on hold at the library over the summer. I finally got it, and it was so worth it that I'm actually going to buy the book.

It is a year in the life of a real family growing and making their own food and only buying what is locally grown and produced (they live in SW Virginia). I had also read Pollan's book a few years ago and just saw that he has another one just out called In Defense of Food.

Like the women who posted here, I am surprised to find out frozen veggies might come from somewhere other than the US, especially when I try to be so conscious of what I am buying. When we see peaches in the grocer this time of year, my daughter always asks for them, and I typically get odd glances from other shoppers when they hear me tell her "honey, it's not socially responsible to buy peaches that were grown in Chile." Nevermind that she is four and doesn't know what that means... yet.

My hope is that by the time my daughter takes her children shopping that food for sale in the US will be grown in the US. Meanwhile, all we can do is educate ourselves and others and try to make the best decision we can.

Maria

Virtually all our vegetables, including fresh, are imported this time of year.

But I found myself asking a similar question last September at the height of our growing season in the fresh vegetable section of the store.

Why on earth were the red peppers from New York State?! And why on earth were they cheaper than the red peppers from Fruitland, Ontario?!

We rarely buy frozen vegetables - just peas and carrots. But now I'm going to have to look at the label to see where the peas and carrots are from. Thanks for the heads up.

Elizabeth
blog from OUR kitchen ( http://www.etherwork.net/blog/ )

P.S. I've put "The Omnivore's Dilemma", the large print version, on hold at the library. (I'm number 53 of 53 holds - eleven copies in the library - if I don't move up the list, I'll place a hold on the regular print version too. There are 92 copies of that one - but 233 holds...)

Great post. The truly sad thing is the success of Wal-Mart has proven that many American consumers are not that concerned about where things come from, they just want merchandise that's inexpensive. I've been to China where you can buy a beautiful lace tablecloth for $10.00 USD and it's a real moral dilemma whether to buy one or not. You aren't helping the people at all by not buying it, but somehow you feel like you're cheating them if you do buy one. (I tried to generously give more than the price when I had those feelings.) I'm sure vegetables are cheaper to send from China because some poor laborers there are getting $5 or $10 a day to pick or package the food.

Kalyn Denny
Kalyn's Kitchen ( http://kalynskitchen.blogspot.com )

We've had those laws in place for a long time for all packaged food in Australia. And more and more for the fresh, unpackaged stuff too. There's some tricks to watch out for, though:
- our juice is often labelled "from local and imported ingredients" but there's no laws about how much - it could be 80% from China, or 10%.
- our bacon says made in Australia, which is great. what they don't have to tell you is the original pork was shipped from Canada...

so it's complicated!

I, too, assumed that frozen veggies were frozen in the US. Wow.

I know my grocery store doesn't list COOL info yet, but I'll be watching for it! We already don't eat much processed food, but I wasn't thinking of frozen veggies as being that processed!

I've been slowly reading Omnivore's Dilemma - had to return it to the library twice, and now have it on my shelf, mocking me for reading chick lit...

Rachel - a Gaggle of girls and sites
blog ( http://www.ourgaggleofgirls.com/agog ), recipes ( http://www.ourgaggleofgirls.com/recipes ), and book reviews ( http://www.ourgaggleofgirls.com/books )

I had no idea we were importing veggies from China of all places. Wow.
I try to buy locally as much as possible during the summer months, but in the winter, I do stock up on my frozen veggies. Guess I need to start reading the labels a bit more closely.
Thanks for the heads-up.

Amy
Crunchy Domestic Goddess ( http://crunchydomesticgoddess.com )
BlogHers Act contributing editor ( http://www.blogher.com/special-events/bloghers-act )

We're not nitwits. I've been obsessed with vegetables for almost three years and this is the first time I thought about it. I suspect that the information just hasn't been there for us to know where they come from.

And you're right, I'd love to know what STATE vegetables, say, come from but for the moment, it'll be country only.

Alanna Kellogg, A Veggie Venture ( http://kitchen-parade-veggieventure.blogspot.com/ )

I feel like a nitwit, because it never crossed my mind that frozen vegetable would ever be imported from another country -- and because I've never really bothered to check where my frozen veggies come from. I'm assuming the U.S. because the brand I buy is based in Wisconsin. But who knows, they could have been imported to Wisconsin.

When COOL takes effect, it will probably change my shopping decisions. I'd rather support the hard-working American farmers who struggle to make ends meet. This is probably why I refuse to by California milk and cheese. It just feels wrong, especially when my uncles are hard-working Wisconsin farmers.