Food Systems NYC: Why Chinese garlic is “cheaper” than upstate garlic

Have you ever wondered why it’s cheaper in NYC to purchase garlic grown in China than garlic grown in upstate New York?

Of course, it’s not cheaper. The cost of keeping up global logistics infrastructure is one borne by federal taxpayers. Ironically, our federal tax dollars go to dismantling of our local logistics infrastructure in favor of installation and maintenance of global logistics infrastructure.

Many food system “experts” write of some of the components of a food system while claiming the’ve considered ALL of the components. Take this example: https://www.examiner.com/article/what-is-the-food-system-and-why-does-it-matter

Nutrient management, farm inputs, production, processing, sale and storage, reselling, and consumer demand are all noted here; however, one may begin to wonder about the backbone of the entire process and how it’s held together. Where’s transport and logistics?

The failure to account for the backbone of food systems today continues to be the downfall of the “local food movement”. Ironically, local foods are *moved* with globally sourced and scaled logistics modes and infrastructure. Hmm. Food for thought?