Transportation has a large impact on the varieties and quality of food available.<p>Excessive handling creates waste and even drives your shopping habits; damaged fruits and vegetables don&#x27;t last as long on the shelf so you have to pursue &#x27;fresh&#x27; food regularly. Growers choose varieties based on transportation before taste or health.<p>It&#x27;s not uncommon for someone harvesting their own root vegetables or apples to store one season&#x27;s harvest for most of the year (my grandfather advocates a wooden barrel filled with sand). Almonds, and other nuts, are only harvested once a year and stored for distribution to meet demand.<p>In the US, modern perceived limits of &#x27;fresh&#x27; food and expiration are greatly exaggerated, driven by the abundance of inferior product.