The Food System's Negative Impact on Communities

In this food-focused installment of a series on "great places", Grist's Tom Philpott argues that food system as currently structured creates the opposite of great places.

1 minute read

June 4, 2011, 9:00 AM PDT

By Nate Berg

Advances in the industrialization of food have meant lower prices, but also diminishing returns to local communities and lower levels of quality of life, according to Philpott.

"What have we gained from this systematic pauperization of the food-industry work force? True, food as a percentage of income is cheaper here than anywhere else on the planet; but what about quality and public health? As I've shown before, access to cheap food does not translate to higher quality of life -- in fact, quite the opposite."

FULL STORY: Great places, great food: part one

Thursday, June 2, 2011 in Grist

Community / Economic Development Education & Careers Social / Demographics World Agriculture Food Community Places View More

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