A Closer Look at Organic Foods - Part 2
In last week’s blog, we covered arguments for why consumers think organic food is better:
it doesn’t contain pesticides
it has more vitamins and minerals
it promotes the development of a community
Unfortunately, consumers are misinformed because organic foods:
CAN contain pesticides
does NOT necessarily contain more vitamins and minerals
and in some circumstances are actually worse for the environment - all the wrong ingredients for developing a community
…So, if organic is not the answer then what is? Sustainability!
Introducing Some Terminology:
Sustainable agriculture: Conserves or enhances Canada’s natural resources and the quality of the environment for future generations. This is what we want – our ultimate goal, and most conventional AND organic farmers try to use this method.
Conventional farmers: As mentioned above, these farmers use many of the sustainable agricultural practices, but also use chemical pesticides and genetically modified (GM) crops.
Organic farmers: Use the same practices as conventional farmers, but do not use synthetic pesticides or fertilizers, animal by-products or GM organisms, chemical preservatives, coloring agents, waxes or irradiation.
In a nutshell: consumers should be focusing on farmers who use sustainable agriculture, which is usually easier said than done because conventional farmers and organic farmers alike can choose to use or abstain from using sustainable agriculture. We need to be conscious, active consumers!
For now, I’ll leave you with a quote from a local farmer in Delta, BC:
“Although we are not certified organic…we are always open to talk about how we grow our food, the values we want to uphold in doing so and why we have chosen not to certify our farm as organic. We believe: that working with nature and [its] natural processes [is] key to a truly sustainable agriculture system and that transparency between the consumer and farmer is necessary. We encourage our customers to come out to our farm and ask questions.”
Now I don’t know about you, but this is the type of farm I thought I was supporting when I used to buy organic produce. How wrong I turned out to be! Here we have a local farmer upholding what I believe to be sustainable values for growing food, and yet they’re not organic!
…On the other hand you have Dole trying to be organic by selling bananas individually wrapped in plastic—how does that make sense?
Take a moment and ask yourself what you’re trying to support when you buy organic.
Next week, I’ll use fish as an example of how you can eat sustainably.
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Image courtesy of FuzzyRescue
