2 April 2008
Buying Organic: A Primer, Part 3
Posted by todd under: Gardening; Healthy Eating; Locally Grown; Organic .
Author’s Note: If you just now joining us, you may want to read Part 1 and Part 2 first. Thanks!
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Now we know what organic food is, and we know how to tell if something is organic or not, so now it’s time to talk about some of the challenges in finding organic food. Most large supermarkets, such as Kroger, Meijer, Marsh, etc. have fairly large organic sections. Stores such as Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods Market, and others, if available in your area, are probably better options, as they are usually more socially and environmentally responsible and have a much greater selection. An excellent choice, if there’s one in your area, is a cooperative (or “co-op”). An good one close to me is Three Rivers Co-op, in Fort Wayne, IN. Most of these involve an investment of time and/or money, for which a member receives a discount on the food ordered or produced by the co-op. Smaller co-ops also exist, some with as few as two or three individuals that save money by buying in bulk and splitting the cost (this is how I bought my seeds for the garden this year, splitting them with my friend Nathan and his wife). You can also buy organic products online from several companies, such as Gold Mine Natural Foods, Sun Organic Farm, Diamond Organics, and others.
But, buying organic products is not without its pitfalls. For example, organic food is often produced at a large distance from the consumer, leading to increased energy consumption in transport, storage, etc. Also, organic food is often significantly (sometimes prohibitively so) more expensive than conventionally produced foods. Another potential (please note the emphasis on the word “potential”; I don’t need a bunch of nasty emails) problem is that many large corporations are now moving into the organic market by purchasing smaller organic brands. Here is an interesting chart from Good magazine that explains which organic brands are owned by major corporations such as Kellog’s, ConAgra, Coca-Cola, and others.
This is not necessarily a bad thing, as it may mean that these companies are starting to realize that consumers want food that they can trust, but it could also lead to political pressure to water-down the organic standards. It could also lead to a major backlash against these companies, if it is found that the other brands they own are produced using methods that are unsustainable, environmentally-harmful, and cruel to animals.
Organic brands are a great thing, but they do have their difficulties. It’s important to carefully research them to make sure they are owned by responsible companies before you buy, and weigh the benefits versus the costs to produce them, and the cost to your budget. In Buying Organic: A Primer, Part 4, we will take a look at alternative methods to obtaining organic products.
One Comment so far...
The Greener Christian » Blog Archive » Buying Organic: A Primer, Part 2 Says:
2 April 2008 at 9:20 am.
[...] Buying Organic: A Primer, Part 3, we’ll talk about the many places you can purchase organic products. Posted in [...]
