Buying food is a necessity, unless you're fortunate enough to grow everything you need. We all do it at one point or another, and likely have our own system for deciding what to purchase. But how to prioritize ("Do I buy local, organic, or just whatever is there?") is another matter all together. Let's see what, arguably, the most well-known person in the food revolution has to say about it.
When Michael Pollan writes about food, people read it. This much we know is true. And have you seen Botany of Desire on your local PBS affiliate (or Netflix)? It's incredible. The man knows how to make food talk positively scintillating, in our opinion.
A couple of weeks ago, he was interviewed on PRI's The World about the validity of the organic label.
Thankfully, he points out that the organic label is, for the most part, something we as consumers can trust. But when it comes to buying an organic product produced thousands of miles away (like organic strawberries from China), Pollan encourages the consumer to think about the impact of that product. Though it's organic, the fuel to ship it so far overseas negates any positive impact that buying organic could do.
This is exactly the kind of thing we think about while shopping. Sure, organic Gala apples are on sale for $1.39 a pound—but they were shipped from New Zealand. Instead, we'll opt for the locally-grown, conventional fruit available on the next aisle. We like to stick with our SOLE Food mnemonic, choosing only sustainable, organic, local, or ethical foods.
How do you weigh your options?
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(Image: Flickr member Tim Psych, licensed under Creative Commons)
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I love the concept...but it hard to do in practise as you're wandering through the grocery store trying to compare this to that every week. But I try! Local farmer's markets are SO much easier, but I recognize not everyone has that option.
After learning how pesticides can affect your body, I feel more comfortable buying organic.
I'm lucky enough to be a part of a local CSA. Everything is grown organically, though it may not be certified organic. We also have a home garden to grow herbs and berries. The next best thing is a farmer's market, where we get some of the fruits that our CSA doesn't have. Then we have Costco for our bananas.
I find that most often, local is your best option, as it can indicate (though not always I realize) sustainable and organic as well. It has the potential to be more economically sustainable and enhances the local community.
I like the "SOLE" (sustainable, Organic, Local, Ethical) idea but the amount of pesticides present in some conventionally grown foods keeps me from buying them even if they're local. Instead, if I know it's produced without the use of pesticides I'll buy it. Otherwise, I rely on the Environmental Working Group's list of the dirtiest and cleanest foods (they even have a pocket guide available on their website- foodnews.org) and avoid purchasing the most contaminated unless I can get them locally (safe) and/or organic.
Just something to consider.
The apples are from new zealand because they are out of season!
Buy an organic peach or cherries or melon instead.
We're part of a local organic CSA for both vegetables and meat. We also get some regional fruits & vegetables from AbsoluteOrganics - another type of CSA, though more of a distributor.
I can't bring myself to buy conventionally grown crops anymore knowing the amount of pesticides that go into one growing season. And I won't buy organic crops from outside the USA. It has certainly changed our eating habits - no more bananas! But I feel like the benefits outweigh what we've given up.
Here in Ohio, there are a good number of local producers that simply can't afford the "organic" certifications, even though their practices are more sustainable then the "Big Organic" farms. I try my hardest to stick with these folks.
i don't really think the organic label is something consumers cant trust. i work for a certified organic farm that achieved organic certification with minimal soil testing. three years later we discovered there were pcbs at shallow depths on the property. how many other organic farms are operating with industrial chemicals on site?
Growing up on a farm, I know that if you breathe in pesticides, sure, it's very harmful on your body. However, the pesticides we use on our apple farm dissipate within 3 days, therefore we keep spraying our apples throughout the growing season. The spray keeps the apples healthy, similar to how we take vitamins/take medicine to feel better. Before apples go to market, they are thoroughly washed and clear of pesticides (So you don't ingest them of course). As a small farm, the ability obtain the certification of being "organic", is very expensive to boot, and we would also lose more than half of the crop each season if we were a fully organic farm (also another reason why organic foods are more expensive than non-organic). I try to support the small farmers in any community, organic or non organic, as much as I can.