Commentary
Local vs Organic Conundrum
By Bryan A. McCarty
Local or organic? What’s more important? Supporting the farmer’s market or ensuring you have the USDA stamp? Both types of food make a great impact on the environment and both are worth buying. Here’s a little more info on each:
Local Food
Buying local food, such as local produce, meat and dairy is an exceptional way to support your local economy. By purchasing food from local farmers, business owners and local coffee shops, more of your money will get reinvested back into the community. Locally grow food is often produced by small farmers, many which follow organic farming methods but may not be able to afford organic certification.
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Another benefit to buying local food is you don’t have to pay as much for the food to be packaged and transported to you. The average piece of produce sold in the United States travels 1500 miles before arriving on the shelves. If you buy local you help decrease the demand for shipping produce from far away.
Ultimately, buying local means buying fresh. Local produce usually tastes great and it hasn’t been sitting on a truck for the past couple of days. Buying local is a great way to support your local economy and keep money in your own community.
Organic Food
According to the National Organic Program, “Organic food is produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations.” So if you want to protect and preserve the environment, organic is the way to go.
When you buy food that has been certified USDA Organic, you can be certain that 95-100% of the ingredients are organic (or 100% if it’s produce). To earn this label, farmers have to pass a strict regiment of USDA guidelines. This means no pesticides and no synthetic fertilizers. The fields must be free of the prohibited substances for at least three years before the farmer can harvest an organic crop. Once the three years has passed, the farmer must pay for the government-approved inspector to examine the land and declare it’s certification as an organic farm.
The result?
A label you can trust. This label (USDA Organic) signifies that the food you are eating comes from farmers that have had their operations and land inspected by the government and have passed the strict guidelines. Keep in mind, organically raised livestock cannot be given hormones or antibiotics, must have access to the outdoors and must be fed 100% organic feed.
Overall, organic farming is better for our land and waterways.
Conclusion
Both are good. Choose which ever one fits your lifestyle. The main idea is to make an effort and make a conscious decision about the food you purchase and eat. It says a lot about who you are when you give reason to why you buy the foods you do. Don’t just go grocery shopping” think about the choices you are making and how they will effect your body, your local farmers, your community and the earth. The idea is to make conscious decisions, and to keep your green efforts going.