The food industry in the United States has and continues to play a comprehensive role ranging from supporting the country’s economy to providing food for the country’s populations. Nonetheless, a heated debate rages as to whether the pros of this industry outweigh the disadvantages. Speaking of food industry in the United States, this connotes to a complex collection of different businesses that provide food to the Americas populations. Overall, food industries in the United States are not only limited to the firms that manufacture processed foods, but it also connotes to any business establishments that produces food using any given technique. Many at times, food industries in any given context handle food from production to the time when the food lands at the consumers table. The food industry in the United States has its advantages and disadvantages.
One of the most comprehensive advantage of the food industry in the United States is the fact that it enhances the growth of the country’s economy. This can be attributed to the fact that produce from the food industry are sold across various settings, including the global arena (Nestle, 2013). This earns the country money, which can be channelled to support various development initiatives. In fact, income generated from the food industries increases the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which leverages the country’s competitiveness with other nations. Many at times, products from the United States food industries are sold in nations whose food industries are sold to nations whose food supply may be limited. This is essential in that it helps in providing food for such populations who might have ended up being food insecure, which can be devastating as it can result in hunger and malnutrition.
In addition, the United States food industry is beneficial in that it is a source of livelihood for various populations in the United States. Speaking of the United States food industry being a source of livelihood, this is attributed to the fact that a significant proportion of American citizens are employed to execute various jobs within the food industries. From these jobs, the Americans get salary, which they can utilize to support their livelihoods and those of their families. In a nutshell, food industries provide jobs for skilled and non-skilled American citizens; hence, enabling them to purchase their basic needs. Worth noting is the fact that the food industry is diverse (Smith, 2007). As such, it benefits the farmer who plants food crops and the sales person who ends up selling finished food products from the foods industries. This offers a comprehensive analysis of the advantages derived from the United States food industry.
Apart from the above connoted disadvantages, the United States food industry has its disadvantages. More importantly, the United States food industry is clouded by a number of issues aligned with consumer safety. Many at times, products from various food industries have been blamed for the rise in various health issues, especially obesity. This can be attributed to the fact that processed foods from these industries are linked with the occurrence of obesity. Evidently, processed foods obtained from United States food industries are high in sugar levels. As such, they provide excess kilocalories, which the body converts into fat. As such, increased consumption of such foods result in an increased accumulation of fats in the body; hence, resulting in the occurrence of overweight and obesity (Nestle, 2013).
The second disadvantage of the United States food industry aligns with the fact that it elicits the occurrence of environmental degradation. This is associated with the effluents released from the food industries. Precisely, the smoke emanating from the burning of fuels in the food industries causes air pollution. Similarly, waste oil and other waste products released from the United States food industries into the water result in water pollution. In a nutshell, various wastes from the food industries are agents of environmental degradation (Smith, 2007). Of essence is the fact that global warming has and continues to be a topic of concern across various settings. Increased environmental degradation resulting from United States food industries precipitates the occurrence of global warming whose effects are devastating.
References
Nestle, M. (2013). Food politics: How the food industry influences nutrition and health. Berkeley, Calif: University of California Press.
Smith, A. F. (2007). The Oxford companion to American food and drink. New York: Oxford University Press.
