So the last time I wrote it was to promote organic food. I do 100% support buying and eating organic food, but as we get closer to growing and farmers market season, I can’t help, but think about fresh, healthy produce. The problem with organic food is that has become so profitable that corporate farms are trying to get in on the act. Or, once small farms are growing to such a point that the “hand-picked” philosophy is being replaced with farm machinery and chlorine baths. In addition, the labeling of food in this country is pretty ambiguous.
Here is an overview of a few of my concerns regarding large-scale “organic” fruit and vegetable operations:
- Large organic farms might not be using pesticides, but they aren’t always taking care to preserve soil quality. And soil quality is not entirely infinite.
- Large fruit and veggie farms rely on heavy machines to pick and wash produce. These machines are running on fossil fuels.
- Organic food is being shipped all over the world. It’s great to buy organic tomatoes, but if they were grown in California, a lot of fossil fuels were used to get those pesticide-free maters to your plate.
- Also, organic produce from outside of the United States does not necessarily follow U.S. Regulations. Investigative reporting have uncovered some questionable practices in Mexico.
- The organic label does not require the growers to be hippies. By this I mean, we tend to associate the organic label with backyard farmers, but many of these large companies are exactly that, large companies. In the case of tomatoes, human rights issues are a major concern.
- Let’s talk about organic baby carrots: these are mis-shapen carrot nubbins that are whittled down into a cute and uniform shape. Organic? Maybe, but also wasteful.
Here is an overview of a few of my concerns regarding large-scale meat and poultry production:
- Organic cows may be fed organic corn, but corn is not part of a cow’s natural diet.
- Organic chicken and poultry is not necessarily “free range.” So a cow or chicken who is eating corn and not getting antibiotics or hormones may still be raised in deplorable conditions.
- “Free range” is an ambiguous label as well. In regards to beef, there are no legal standards governing what this means so if you buy beef labeled “free range,” the wording could really mean anything. In regards to poultry, a chicken must simply have “access” to the outside and there are no specifications about the size or quality of this outdoor space. It could be soft, lush grass, it could be mud, gravel, or cement. In addition, it could be a small paddock attached to a huge warehouse full of birds. Further, if a producer allows birds access to the outside for only 2 weeks of their lives (say before butcher) they can still count this as “free range.” There are no regulations regarding free range eggs. So, in this case, it’s similar to beef and pork.
- “Cage free” poultry means that birds can be packed into a warehouse-like building so long as they aren’t confined to cages. Example:
Here is an overview of a few of my concerns regarding processed foods:
- An “organic” label doesn’t necessarily mean healthy. There is such a thing as organic high fructose corn syrup.
- Many processed foods feature the claim of “all-natural.” It is possible to begin with a natural product (like a cocoa plant) and then, through processing, yield an unhealthy or harmful product (like cocain). The same is true of MSG and high fructose corn syrup. These are “technically” natural products, but they are not healthy. Salt is another example of a natural ingredient that could be hiding in your food without your knowledge (or in a surprisingly large quantity).
- “100% Organic” (a label you’ll rarely see) means that all ingredients are organic and the product contains NO synthetic ingredients.
- A product can have the “organic” label if 95% of it’s ingredients are organic. The remaining 5% can be synthetic, non-organic, or genetically-modified.
- “Made with Organic Ingredients” means that 70% of the product must contain organic ingredients. The remaining 30% can be synthetic, non-organic, or genetically-modified.
Holy Crap. What’s a consumer to do?
I know, right?
The solution is buying local and seasonal. It means giving up strawberries in winter and seeking out local beef, pork and poultry farmers. It might mean planting a few of your own tomato plants. It means learning how to can, freeze, and dry or raising a few hens for eggs.
This is the ideal.
What’s a REAL person to do?
Here’s what I do (and I am, by no means, the gold standard). I buy beef and pork from local farmers. I ask them about antibiotics, hormones, and pasture time. I buy a quarter at a time and keep it in my freezer. I raise my own chickens for poultry and eggs. In the summer I try and do most of my grocery shopping on Saturday mornings at the farmers market or from road-side produce stands. I ask questions about farm-size and pesticide use. I also grow my own garden. I grow (so far): potatoes, onions, carrots, lettuce/spinach, tomatoes, peppers, cukes, zukes, beans, swiss chard, and pumpkins in roughly an 8x12 chunk of land. I can, dry, and freeze in an attempt to preserve the bounty!
Honestly, if given the choice I’d choose local meat and produce over store-bought organic any day. It’s fresher (and therefore more nutritious) and it supports farmers in my own community.
But in the winter?
I grocery shop. I try and use up what I have first, but I inevitably want a salad in December and an avocado to go with my tacos. I’m not perfect, but I do make the attempt to buy organic when I can because, even though the system isn’t perfect, I want to support it in hopes that it will change.
In addition, I write letters to congressmen, sign petitions, and go to meetings about legislation that affects food labeling, because that’s the only way things are ever going to get any better.
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