Like any chain, the strength of today’s ubiquitous “supply chains” depends on their weakest links. A year ago, when the rapidly erupting COVID-19 pandemic swept across the streets, sidewalks and pantry of the country, Americans again learned this basic lesson, clearing cars, people, and groceries.
For example, according to the American Federation of Agricultural Bureaus (AFBF), processing delays continue to weaken the ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Oakland, California, which are the three main ways the United States has access to the vast agricultural export markets of Japan and China.
In fact, the AFBF pointed out in mid-June that the delay was so long that some shippers now “believe that it is more efficient to ship empty containers back to Asia”. “This has led to a significant drop in the number of containers available to agricultural exporters.”
This is not the only weak link exposed by the pandemic in today’s ever-longer and more detailed food supply chain. The Rockefeller Foundation took a closer look at the “cost of producing, processing, retailing, and wholesale food” in a detailed 38-page analysis entitled “The True Cost of Food” published late last month and cited in a recent column. Let’s buy it and eat it. ”
However, this huge sum “does not include the medical expenses of millions of people who are ill due to diet-related diseases,” the report states. “It also does not include the current and future costs of the food system’s contribution to water and air pollution, biodiversity reduction, or greenhouse gas emissions…”
If you “take these costs into account… it is obvious that the true cost of the U.S. food system is at least three times that-$3.2 trillion.”
“Malnutrition is now the main cause of poor health in the United States,” and “most adult hospitalizations” are attributed to one of four pre-existing diseases: obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and heart failure, in this order. ‘”
Ironically, “Americans who bear the burden of these cost impacts are disproportionately borne by marginalized and underserved communities, usually communities of color, many of whom are the pillars (of our food system), such as farmers, Fishermen, ranchers and food workers.”
Mainly in the daily supply of meat, poultry, vegetables, fruits and dairy products in the United States, almost 70% are handled by poor rural workers and immigrant communities
The author suggests that by following the strategies already implemented in other countries, today’s cost increase can be slowed down and then reduced. For example, “if the prevalence of diet-related diseases is reduced to the same level as in countries such as Canada, the cost of healthcare can be reduced by nearly US$250 billion per year,” in the United States
The same goes for working to improve the health of the only world we have: “Similarly, if the United States can reduce agricultural specific emissions to comply with the 1.5C path,”-control the global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius-”then additional environment The cost can be reduced by nearly 100 billion U.S. dollars.”
We can work together to become more slack in today’s costly, climate-changing, and generally unhealthy food supply chain, or, “If it’s not addressed, the true cost of food will continue to rise, and it will have a negative impact on climate change and dietary prevalence. Impact-related diseases, and growing inequality.”
Long before business school discussions on supply chains, blockchains, and export chains began to dominate U.S. agriculture, almost every inspection of the U.S. food system resulted in a common-sense conclusion.
In fact, we have enough chains. What we need more is a lower cost and more environmentally friendly regional and local food system.
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“Farm and Food Archive” is published weekly in the United States and Canada. Past columns, events and contact information are posted on www.farmandfoodfile.com.
Fred Abraham is an emeritus professor at the University of Northern Iowa. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent the views of the university.
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Post time: Aug-23-2021