Tis the season to make resolutions. No doubt many of you are resolving to get healthier, to exercise more and eat better and take better care of yourself. There are likely even some of you who are going to make it a quest to eat more organic, stay out of the middle of the supermarket, and hit up Whole Foods more.
Before you do though, read this article from the New York Times and learn a bit more about the effects of what you might be buying. Not all organic produce is created equally, and unfortunately the mass market acceptance of organic being better has resulted in globalized organic production systems that are likely much less "better" for the earth than the evil industrial agriculture complex that it is replacing.
“People are now buying from a global commodity market, and they have to be skeptical even when the label says ‘organic’ — that doesn’t tell people all they need to know,” said Frederick L. Kirschenmann, a distinguished fellow at the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University. He said some large farms that have qualified as organic employed environmentally damaging practices, like planting only one crop, which is bad for soil health, or overtaxing local freshwater supplies.
Yet, far from discouraging people from resolving to make their food footprints smaller by buying organic, I'm going to press in the other direction. Organic production, even global organic production on an industrial scale is bound to be better than traditional industrial agriculture with its high dependence on petrochemical fertilizers and pesticides. Yet it doesn't make organic foods the end all be all. While some people may be purchasing organic products just for the perceived health benefits, the truth is we must examine not only how produce affects us, but how the produce we choose affects others.
Organic is fine, but I agree with my good friend Anthony that the real solution is to reconnect ourselves to our food systems. We need to take a more local, seasonal approach to our food. If you live somewhere that doesn't produce tomatoes in December, then start acquainting yourself with the wonders of kale or winter squashes. Far from being something limiting, eating locally and seasonally can actually expand your horizons and provide you with incredible opportunities to try new things. Check out Anthony's blog for more resources and discussion on the benefits of eating local. And this year, when you resolve to eat better, resolve to eat more local and seasonal too. Just try it.
Finally, on a separate note... to everyone who has been reading my posts this year, thanks so much for the support! Have a happy new year, and hoping to hear more from everyone in 2012!
Before you do though, read this article from the New York Times and learn a bit more about the effects of what you might be buying. Not all organic produce is created equally, and unfortunately the mass market acceptance of organic being better has resulted in globalized organic production systems that are likely much less "better" for the earth than the evil industrial agriculture complex that it is replacing.
“People are now buying from a global commodity market, and they have to be skeptical even when the label says ‘organic’ — that doesn’t tell people all they need to know,” said Frederick L. Kirschenmann, a distinguished fellow at the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University. He said some large farms that have qualified as organic employed environmentally damaging practices, like planting only one crop, which is bad for soil health, or overtaxing local freshwater supplies.
Yet, far from discouraging people from resolving to make their food footprints smaller by buying organic, I'm going to press in the other direction. Organic production, even global organic production on an industrial scale is bound to be better than traditional industrial agriculture with its high dependence on petrochemical fertilizers and pesticides. Yet it doesn't make organic foods the end all be all. While some people may be purchasing organic products just for the perceived health benefits, the truth is we must examine not only how produce affects us, but how the produce we choose affects others.
Organic is fine, but I agree with my good friend Anthony that the real solution is to reconnect ourselves to our food systems. We need to take a more local, seasonal approach to our food. If you live somewhere that doesn't produce tomatoes in December, then start acquainting yourself with the wonders of kale or winter squashes. Far from being something limiting, eating locally and seasonally can actually expand your horizons and provide you with incredible opportunities to try new things. Check out Anthony's blog for more resources and discussion on the benefits of eating local. And this year, when you resolve to eat better, resolve to eat more local and seasonal too. Just try it.
Finally, on a separate note... to everyone who has been reading my posts this year, thanks so much for the support! Have a happy new year, and hoping to hear more from everyone in 2012!
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