From the Earth to your Mouth (and everywhere in between): Paper Topic 

For my paper, I have selected the topic “Back to the Basics: Is the redistribution of available food resources through smaller, localized farms actually beneficial?” The main idea is centered on the claim that big, industrialized farming is hurting the environment, wasting food resources, and causing consumers to be less healthy. I want to go in depth to what really happens in the processing of food in an industrialized setting(the treatment, handling, added substances, etc. as concerns agriculture, livestock, dairy, and so on), and compare the alternative options. I am curious to see what factors influence what people spend money on in relation to what their needs are, and what factors affect those decisions(i.e. buying soda in lieu of produce, etc.). I want to look into the affect location has on health focusing on the available food items and relative pricing, extra costs due to shipping, and whether it is actually more cost effective to have a local or semi-local farm or garden. Once conclusions have been made I will look into whether change is likely if better, or how people's perceptions of the way industries work influences them more than facts. I would like to look into the health effects of eating certain kinds of foods, and whether bad quality food is actually part of the obesity problem. I think that there is a link between overeating and poor quality food, as well as the “guilt mentality” that so many Americans claim to have over food. I am interested in this topic because there seems to be a clear problem with how food is handled and treated from farm to fork, as well as a clear connection between overeating, diminishing resources and hunger, but I am not sure the solution is as straightforward as it may seem. I am hopeful that in researching for the paper, some of the questions will be answered, and potentially some understanding of a answer to these issues will surface. Too many people are suffering, unhappy and unhealthy for things to continue how they are without looking into other solutions.

- 346 words