I'd wager that the reason for the difference in taste is in the freshness. It is difficult to farm at scale and sell produce year round across a continent; tim

I'd wager that the reason for the difference in taste is in the freshness. It is difficult to farm at scale and sell produce year round across a continent; time to consumption is a luxury beaten out of it at that scale and food often suffers under it. Only the varieties of tomatoes, etc. that can withstand changing temperatures and conditions, make it to market weeks later, and still look good enough to sell will be used, and these are often not as flavorful both initially and after several weeks.