Going Bananas For Local Fruit: Addressing The Negative Impacts of Imported Food Through Local Food Alternatives

Pageotte, Haley

Going Bananas For Local Fruit: Addressing The Negative Impacts of Imported Food Through Local Food Alternatives

Persistent URL

https://hdl.handle.net/10456/57660

Author(s)

Pageotte, Haley

Date Issued

March 22, 2024

Abstract

Bananas are one of the most consumed fruits in the United States. You can buy them for relatively cheap but their ecological price tag is quite high. Due to this fact, through an in-depth literature review of online academic sources, I researched the effects of bananas in all aspects to show the negatives of banana consumption compared to local fruit and produce consumption. Consuming fruits like bananas in the United States brings up other topics such as globalization which I touch on too. I used the data retrieved to show how local consumption can be beneficial in many regards and offered local alternatives for Meadville residents. I researched the ways local produce can be purchased in Meadville PA, and researched the farms that are supplying the local community. I found that the majority of small local farms in Meadville are using organic and sustainable growing techniques on their farms. I was able to prove my argument by showing how much these techniques can benefit the environment and compare them to conventional farming techniques. I also found that local economies are uplifted by a significant amount due to local agriculture consumption. It was determined that the benefits of consuming locally outweighed the barriers of seasonal consumption.

Major

Environmental Science and Sustainability

First Reader(s)

Krone, Adrienne M.