As a person new to the whole eating local/organic/green lifestyle, I thought I would propose a question to the blogosphere out there.
Eating locally has become quite en vogue lately, and for good reason. Besides the fact that the transportation of most of the food in the grocery store impacts the Earth negatively, eating locally is oftentimes tastier and even more nutritious.
The organic movement has also gained speed. It’s good for the environment as well, but it’s also focused on not putting all these man-made chemicals in our bodies and in the Earth.
Okay, so say you are lucky enough to have the option of both—which is better to choose in terms of the environment. A non-organic but local farmer, or an organic but not local product? Which one has the least amount of impact?
I’ve thought a lot about this, but I really don’t know enough about either to determine which is more… Earth and body-minded. On the one hand, a local farmer means very little transportation costs. However, the practices used to produce this food might not be all that great for the environment, for the product, or even for the farmer. Would organic, grown or made with the Earth and our health in mind, be better despite the amount and cost of travel?
Like I said, I don’t have an answer and sometimes you really don’t get the choice between the two. And sometimes you’re really really lucky and have something organic and local. But, I was just curious on some others thoughts on the matter.
What do you all think?
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3 comments:
It's a really tough call, isn't it? Here's my usual purchase plan, I try to purchase local always first because I want the money to stay in my local community. I figure I can try and talk to the locals and maybe get them to go organic if they aren't already. I am lucky to live in an area with lots of small organic farms but still it's Montana and the growing season is short. I don't know that it's the best answer but I want my local community to know I support them first, so perhaps they'll return the favor someday...
I'd say that most small farmers are not using chemicals to the extent that the mega-farms are, so choosing local non-organic vs. organic from CA would be a no-brainer for me.
Most of the large organic farms (let's call them "industrial organic" or Big O) in CA don't operate that much differently from the "conventional" big boys (and often conventional farms and "organic" ones under the same brand share equipment.... lots of fossil-fuel powered equipment, and addressing problems *after* they arise, they just use organic sprays in their sprayers. I'm also not sure how much use of compost is going on in Big O, and building of the soil, which is really the most important tenet in organic ag.
The local guy is often more willing (and available) to discuss his methods and you may find that he only sprays once or twice a season, or has chosen not to be certified because of the cost.
Local first. Then organic.
Katie & Liz: Thanks for your thoughts and information. From what little I know I have felt that it seems more ideal to buy local, when given the choice and chance. I appreciate your comments!
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