In today’s society, people’s persperctives on utilizing aircrafts to transport fresh produce to some countries have shown significant divergence. The question of whether this development is justified or not has become a matter of considerable debate. This essay will outline both persperctives before concluding with a personal point of view.
On the one hand, proponents of air transport of fruits and vegetables argue that it has significnat economic benefits. Obviously, air freight is the fastest way to transport fresh produce to far-flown countries, ensuring that this produce is still fresh. This will garantee access for international markets, where agricultural imported products can fetch premium prices. Take, for example, fresh mangos and pineapples offered for sale in one of Canada’s suppermarkets, with more then ten time its price in Kenia and Ethiopia. As a result, by using air transport to ship fresh produce, developing countries can attain significnat economic developments.
On the other hand, critics argue that the adversed effects on the environment are unjustified. Aircrafts are labeled among the highest carbon emmision methods of transportation; therefore, they can exacerbate climate change, yet global warming. In addition, air transport costs are tremendously expensive; consequently, customers will pay high prices for fruits and vegetables, compared to local produce. For example, In Algeria, the price of imported apples can fetch three times the price of local seasonal produce, note that the apples have the same quality.
In conclusion, while air transport can bolster economic growth in developing countries, I firmly believe that the negative effects of this method on the environment, and on the prices customers are paying for this imported produce outweight its benefits. In my opinion, governments should allocate funds to foster local and seasonal producing systems to attain self-suffeciency and help to achieve environmental sustainability.