Ignorance is Bliss

The Omnivore's Dillemma Chapter 13

In Chapter 13, Michael Pollan shifts gears away from the process of conventional agriculture and begins to focus on the market for and consumption of these goods. Just as Joel's Polyface
Farm is self-sustaining with energy initially from the sun, conventional agriculture is as big of an industry as it is because of the the gigantic market demanding cheap food.

Pollan points out that people don't buy cheaper food just because they can't afford the more expensive, yet higher quality, foods. Today, people of the U.S. choose to indulge in luxuries such as TV, iPods, and designer clothing. The shift in spending on food is due to choice, not financial instability.

Over simplification of agriculture has led to the diminishing health of food sources. Cramped monoculture farms leave crops and livestock susceptible to disease, while diminishing the land. This is why so much chemical fertilizer and pesticides are used by the agriculture industry. However, most Americans are not concerned with this, usually because they are unaware. With nothing more than a price communicating some of the food's history, customers are able to remain in the dark, as many of them prefer. Customers today are less concerned with how their food was grown and where it came from, and more concerned with being the availability of out of season dishes. Ignorance is Bliss.

Even though all of Joel's colorful euphemisms for describing an increasingly globalized economy may suggest otherwise, he is not aiming for the downfall of conventional agriculture. All he wants is consumers to have the option of alternative foods sources like local markets.

?? Question ??
1) Is reverse industrialization of food sources noticeable with the growth in localized farming and markets?

2) What are the drawbacks of local suppliers and markets for food?