Americans want fresh fruits and vegetables—year-round, not just at harvest time. U.S. farmers grow a lot of produce, but imports are meeting most of the increased demand, especially during off-season months such as April, thus capturing more of the total consumption. Mexico, Central America and South America send the most produce to U.S. regional distribution centers. Some fruits and vegetables have recently become very popular, whereas others remain stable: avocados are way up, persimmons are on the rise and tomatoes are, well, tomatoes.
This article was originally published with the title "The 5,000-Mile Salad" in Scientific American 309, 3, 96 (September 2013)
doi:10.1038/scientificamerican0913-96
ABOUT THE AUTHOR(S)
Mark Fischetti is a senior editor at Scientific American. He covers all aspects of sustainability. Follow him on Twitter @markfischetti Credit: Nick Higgins
