(aka “Reality”) is a Kits devotee and self-
proclaimed frozen foods connoisseur. For him, promoting a sustainable lifestyle is not about taking extreme measures but about making realistic choices that work for everyone.
The organic food hype
Organic, shmorshmanic, give me a break...
For me the word "organic" conjures up images of a 75-year-old farmer in the Italian countryside, holding a succulent red tomato in his calloused hands with utmost care, inspecting it for bumps and bruises, plucking it and placing it in a woven basket. His wife, an Arianna Francesca Maria Olivieri, middle-aged but likely a former soap opera star back in her prime, carries the basket to the truck and kisses each tomato before it is transported to the local grocery store. The sun sets to the west.
That, my friends, is what I perceive the organic label to represent. Quality. Natural. Bling to the Bling Bling Bling.
But what does organic really mean?
Organic foods are grown in such a way that avoids the use of insecticides, pesticides, chemical fertilizers and antibiotics/growth hormones, in the case of animals.
In Canada, in order for a food to be sticky-labelled “organic,” the product must contain or use at least 95 percent organic content. Or it gets a “% Organic” label, which is for foods that are between 70–95 percent organic. For anything below these standards, the next best label is pretty much a Sesame Street Band-Aid.
Is organic better or healthier?
Organic food has not been shown to be nutritionally healthier, tastier or better quality than their regular counterparts despite the perception. However, the process of growing organic food is supposedly better for the environment because of water and soil conservation as well as a reduction in pollution.
The reality…
Just as we can theoretically suppose that a big bowl of Montreal Poutine is good for your skin complexion, let us theoretically suppose it is slightly healthier to eat organic. In order for you to benefit from this healthier diet, you will still need to consistently buy only organic. In order to consistently buy organic, you’ll need a fair bit of extra change.
Organic foods are stupendously more expensive than non-organic foods. Furthermore, to realize the environmental benefits, there needs to be enough demand for the agricultural industry to make the switch to only producing organic veggies and meats. But due to the high cost of organic produce, that demand is currently not sufficient.
There needs to be stronger proof that organic-labelled foods are significantly better before the masses start adopting. For myself, if I were to pay three times the price for free-range organic
The challenge
I am always open to new ideas and this is where I open up the dialogue to you, the readers and, of course, Danielle—who knows much more about the entire organic topic—to explain your point of view on why you choose to eat organic and whether the costs are justified.
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Comments
I guess it could be
Comment by Anonymous, January 19, 2010 at 22:19I guess it could be considered questionable whether or not "organic" is healthier for the person EATING the food, but it's definitely healthier for the farmworkers who have to pick the fruit.
Hey Meg, I totally agree.
Comment by DanielleCarrie, September 20, 2009 at 19:46Hey Meg, I totally agree. Most super markets do not offer local organic options when it comes to produce. One of my favourite grocers is Spud - a Vancouver-based, online grocer that sells organic and as local as possible foods. You place your order online and they deliver - it's that simple. Check them out: www.spud.ca
I'm all about lessening the
Comment by Anonymous, September 17, 2009 at 14:29I'm all about lessening the chemicals so I get organic whenever I can... I don't think you need to do it 100% to gain benefits from decreasing the amout of chemicals in your life. Even if I can't get organic, I'll at least get the 'free' meats that claim no hormone or antibiotic use.
What I don't understand is why so many organic foods come from outside NA (have you tried getting garlic that is NOT from China?). Organic produce and meat should be about keeping it local. Besides, if I don't trust the pesticides that those other countries use (because they use ones that are banned here), why would I trust that what they say is organic, really is? I realize that they must have certification approvals from Canadian companies, but are they in that country and inspecting those fields regularly to ensure that compliance?
-Meg
Davin, you strike the right
Comment by organicsathome, September 16, 2009 at 21:18Davin, you strike the right chord with so many overworked, underpaid shoppers from kits to the cove.
However, I've yet to meet a serious chef who prefers the taste of conventional produce over organic or a caring mother who'd not want to go all-organic for her family.
Organic is much more than a fancy label or a trendy way to shop. It's a commitment to ourselves and our very own planet, the same way driving a more fuel efficient car is or choosing fair trade coffee.
I can't imagine being an impoverished farm hand being assigned to spray highly toxic chemicals on a crop by hand. Sadly, millions of such workers have no choice and often silently suffer from the drastic health effects of powerful pesticides.
As consumers, if we choose produce grown without mono-cropping, chemical use and genetic modification, we'll save trillions of bugs, billions of bees, millions of lives and our own health.
Money? Well, there are lots of ways to save that.
Greg Robins
OrganicsAtHome
thanks for the clarification
Comment by Anonymous, September 16, 2009 at 18:18thanks for the clarification on the NZ apple! very thorough
although i was only using it hypothetically rather than specifically as i do not know enough about NZ's production and economy of scale. it was simply to illustrate a larger point of the imbalance in perceived values and how large companies can make something "look" cheap, when in fact it costs a lot more. but the costs, both environmental and economic get buried within a larger corporate framework.
no free rides! :)
@hipbaby There's no
Comment by Anonymous, September 16, 2009 at 16:59@hipbaby
There's no difference in subsidies between an Okanagan organic apple and a New Zealand "inorganic" apple. That doesn't explain the cost difference.
I've personally started
Comment by Anonymous, September 16, 2009 at 16:25I've personally started shopping organic because it's been theorized that the pesticides used on fruits and vegetables are (one of) the (many) cause(s) of my Rheumatoid Arthritis.
Rather than shopping organic because it's better for the environment (which I try anyway, but not this way), or because the organic food has more nutritional value (I doubt it), I shop organic because it means I'm putting far less chemicals in to my body.
The reason why the apple
Comment by Anonymous, September 16, 2009 at 14:17The reason why the apple that has traveled from New Zealand is the same price or cheaper than an organic apple from the Okanagan is because :
1. New Zealand does not protect their primary industries and thus New Zealand producers have been forced to become very efficient.
2. New Zealand's climate and environment is better suited to apple production than the Okanagan's, and the producers are larger thus producing economy of scale, particularly compared to organic producers who are currently producing relatively small amounts of produce.
3. New Zealand has a limited domestic market and has therefore structured it's industries for efficient export.
4. Ocean transport is a very cost-effective form of transport compared to road transport, so you overestimate the relative cost of transporting apples from New Zealand.
5. Everyone involved in the chain of production of organic goods are taking advantage of the "cool" factor of organic produce and adding a margin.
All this said, I don't disagree with many of your points regarding the unaccounted for externalities of current large-scale farming and transportation processes. The sooner all the costs of production are taken into account (no free rides) the better we'll be able to decide the trade-offs of everything we consume.
the reason conventional
Comment by hipbaby, September 16, 2009 at 10:16the reason conventional foods are so much cheaper is that they are highly subsidized by governments so those products do not reflect their actual value. when product is in the hands of a large corporate structure, they can spread risk and the margins associated with the products because they have so many to offer. they lose a bit here while gaining profits elsewhere and so on.
this is precisely why farmers in india were recently protesting the WTO trying to get cheaper, and highly subsidized, american and EU produce into the country. the local indian farmers, not subsidized, will never be able to compete. and let's be clear, the only people profiting from the emergence of new markets are large agribusiness companies not local farmers. the WTO is promoting agribusiness not farmers. this account is by no means conspiratorial but fact.
have you ever wondered why an apple that has travelled from new zealand is the same price, or cheaper, than an organic apple from the okanagan? it doesn't make sense. the equation to calculate the worth of a similar product is completely skewed and entirely based on how the corporate model can reach into markets on the back of subsidies and the fact that they are so diversified it doesn't really matter whether they lose money on one or two or even hundreds of products anyway.
when and if we ever re-write the economic equations and create prices based on actual costs of a product than we'll see things start to change.
also, i wouldn't minimize the value of not putting chemicals and pesticides into our ground and water tables. there is a huge cost we will have to pay for this down the road. and the very companies that are profiting from the sale of these chemicals will not be footing the bill for it. while the small organic farmer who is actually doing good in this world gets no help from anyone save for the people that are willing to spend a few extra dollars to support them.
thank you for creating the opportunity for dialogue!
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