Does where the food comes from matter?

People of developed countries have virtually unlimited access to food either produced by local farmers or imported from other countries. Now that lack of food seems unlikely, should people be even worried about where their food comes from? My answer is positive. As consumers, our choices of food sources influence not only ourselves but also everyone involved in the supply chain.

Our choices of food deeply influence our health. There are many scenarios in which our food can be grown in poisonous environments. For one thing, farmlands that are previously locations of industrial plants can be polluted with heavy metals. On the other hand, farmers in ceratin areas overuse pesticides and leave toxic chemicals in soils and the surface of the plants. In either condition, those toxic chemicals enter our bodies eventually when we consume those contaminated plants or livestock. Does it matter that the toxic chemicals accumulate in our bodies? Unfortunately, previous research has established concrete evidence to support the harmful effects of the chemicals on our neurologic, hematologic, and reproductive systems.

In recent years, people become aware of the health issue and start to advocate for organic food. Consumers also urge the government to oversee the process of food production. Such movement gives birth to a lot of standards across the world. The authorities are responsible for examining the levels of certain toxic chemicals and certifying food products that pass the standards with a unique certification label. With the label, food producers convince their customers that their products are uncontaminated. This is exactly an example of how consumers' actions can affect the entire supply chain. Consumers consciously expend their money on organic food while promoting the government to legislate for cleaner food production.

To sum up, where our food comes from does matter to us all. For one thing, toxic chemicals harmful to human health are contingent on food sources. Furthermore, our choices of food sources and favor of cleaner food products actually promote not only governments but also food producers to work together and supply uncontaminated and certified food. I would say this is a triple-win situation.