lisanne,
they import them because it's cheaper than paying farmers and farm workers here the minimum wage to produce it. as to the bullets, again, cheaper to import because when you figure in manufacturer's taxes, toxic waste laws, worker's benefits, and wages it's less expensive to import than to produce. countries with more predictable weather conditions can be counted on to supply produce all year round. actually, americans should just eat what's in season, like our parents did. in other parts of the world the luxuries that we take for granted, like grapes in the winter, are unheard of. unless you live in california.
that doesn't mean i advocate buying imports. i try very hard not to. for instance, wegman's is dedicated to buying local produce during the growing season. and because they buy locally, they are polluting less and keeping their costs down on those items.
but our growing season is relatively short, compared to costa rica or mexico.
also, when you think of the gas used to truck produce to the east coast from california, it really jacks up the price as well as creating enormous pollution.
so, what's the answer? we've dug ourselves into a hole and can't climb out.