Question

Outline the “true cost” of this food product. From the resources involved (energy, water, etc), production of the product, social implications of the production and use of product, what are the ingredients in bread and what are they derived from or where are they grown (in general). Also think about the distance the food and/or its components have to travel to get to your plate.   We pay a small portion of the true cost when we buy the food. This is in part because of subsidies in our agriculture system. How much you think the bread would cost if we had to pay the “true cost”.

Answer 1

The food appears to be cheaper today then ever before. Yet , when we look feepld, we find that we are paying far more for it then we can imagine. The predominant approaches to food production, distribution, retailing and consumption are causing damage to the environment, to soil , to biodiversity and public health. The problems arising range from climate change and soil degradation , to species extinction.

We are paying for this dsmagd in hidden wsys. For example to clean pesticides from the water etc. We are also incurring costs related to floods and diet related diseases.

Bread as a food item is having a massive impact on environment. Bread has four main ingredients.

1) Floor

2) Yeast

3) Salt

4) Water

The wheat is first grown and harvested. Then the grains are milled to make the flour. Nearly 66% of the emissions come from growing the wheat.

Also produce and food in the local stores, travel on an average 1500 miles to reach our plate. We don't always have to pay the true cost of the bread and other food items, as the government pays an incentive, or agricultural subsidy, to Agri buisinesses and farms to suplimsupp their income. This helps to reduce the price of the bread and other food.

If we have to pay the true cost of the bread and ther items it will be much higher then what we generally pay. As along with the distance travelled, the transportation costs, we will also have to put a monetory value on soil degradation, diet related diseases and their treatment, climate change etc.

Hence the bread would cost much higher if we had to pay the true cost.