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| Popular fast food outlet found in urban Trinidad. |
There is
nothing better than a juicy burger. Or maybe some fried chicken and fries. Or a
pizza with extra cheese. No matter the choice, you will find it in a city near
you.
Fast food restaurants like the one shown here
is one of the many located all around Trinidad's urban zones. These along with
other food places are increasingly popular to the urban population especially. The
urban process has influenced what people eat and how much they eat. Since these
areas are much more populated, increasing quantities of food are needed to satisfy
urban hunger. This has lead to alternative means of producing this food, which,
in turn has lead to degradation of the environment.
It was
found that the urban population consumes more meats, fruits and vegetables than
the rural population whose primary diet comprises of cereals, tubers and roots.
However, since the urban population vastly outnumbers that of the rural, food
production is suited mainly to their needs (Regmi
and Dyck 2001). Hence, there have been changes in what food is produced
in order to meet the demand of the urban population.
For more information on the effect of urbanization on food demand,
see:
Effects of Urbanization on Global Food Demand by Anita Regmi and John Dyck.
As a result,
intensive rearing of livestock and commercial agriculture is the chosen method
of food production in contemporary society. This however has lead to severe
environmental impacts. Large spaces of land are need to rear and cultivate the
food needed by these cities; thereby deforestation is prevalent in order to
create farmland. In addition, livestock production is one of the major emitters
of green house gases. While at the same time, intensive use of fertilizers and
build up of animal waste is contaminating the water table through infiltration
into the soils (Fao.org
2006).
For more information on the effect of commercial farming on
the environment, see: http://www.fao.org/ag/magazine/0612sp1.htm
Given these
points, it has been noted that the urban diet is greatly influencing what is
produced as food. Places such as the one depicted have become major food
outlets in the cities of Trinidad. This in turn has lead to intensive methods
of farming required to satisfy the urban diet which have had severe
implications on our environment.
References
Fao.org. 2006. "Spotlight:
Livestock impacts on the environment." http://www.fao.org/ag/magazine/0612sp1.htm
(accessed 09 Apr 2014).
So, what are the interlocking scales you're analysing in this post?
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