Organic vs. Local Food: Which Is Better?

Over the last few years, grocery chains have seen a shift. Organic foods are becoming the new fad. Health nuts are thrilled at the alternative to pesticide sprayed fruits. As a cashier at our local supermarket Hannaford, I have seen an increase in this organic fad. Over the last year, we have dedicated an entire section of the store to organic food; we gave away reusable fabric bags to customers who purchased organic foods. My school recently had an organic vending machine placed in our cafeteria. So what's all the organic food excitement about? It seems that the rise in concern over harmful pesticides has directly affected the marketability of organic foods. Health-concerned consumers who fear cancer are pacified by the new emerging market of organic foods. Although organic is generally more expensive, consumers are willing to spend more. Organic is said to be better for our environment because the farms do not use synthetic pesticides. They also pay more attention to their energy expenditures, choosing efficient ways to run the farms. Organic food is a nutritious way to buy food, but there’s an alternative.

Local food has its own enthusiasts who encourage consumers to buy food locally. Organic food has been sweeping the nation, but local food advocates aren’t businessmen. They cannot secure their own section of a grocery store or market their products in a vending machine. (Would you buy an apple from a vending machine?) Despite the organic movement, local food advocates are certainly having their say. People are slowly becoming “locavores,” a term given to those who eat local food. So what’s all the local food excitement about? First of all, if you've ever bitten into a locally grown fruit or vegetable, you can taste the difference. If you don't have access to freshly grown produce, just use common sense. A tomato grown in California then shipped to New York will be stored in cold crates, many days old, and covered with pesticides. A tomato grown in a small upstate New York farm hasn't been stored or sprayed. Perhaps the success of locally grown food is simply psychological. The idea of buying processed food is pretty unappealing; however, eating food grown by a community member is a quaint idea. I personally witness the enthusiasm for local food in my home town. There are a few fruit and vegetable stands near where I live, and they are constantly occupied. Our local apple orchard sells bags of apples to our Hannaford, who in turn watch as the locally grown apples fly off the shelves. Simply said, whether it's the concept or the taste, people like locally grown food.

I remember going to a rally where the phrase “Think globally, eat locally” was used. So how does eating locally help globally? As our world becomes greener and greener, many have shifted their focuses to “what can I do?” The uneducated shrug and hide behind all-too-common rationalizations. They convince themselves that these global problems aren’t happening, it won't affect them, or they can't do anything to help. WRONG. Our global dilemma is as closely intertwined with human choices as it is with scientific research. Sure, engineers are looking for the solution in renewable energy sources, but the general public has as much control over the problem as the engineers. In relation to the organic vs. local debate, the public should take a closer look at the energy expended to get the food from the farm to the plate. Sure, organic food is healthier and more environmentally friendly to grow, but it is not necessarily more environmentally friendly to ship across the nation. If we were to ship that Californian tomato to New York, more than 3000 miles of gas would be used, whether on the road or in the air. That means more than 3000 miles of CO2 emissions.

So do the ends justify the means? Is it worth emitting CO2 into the atmosphere for that organic apple? Of course not! We have locally grown food without the pesticides, yet they don’t require the money or energy to transport to your plate. True, organic farms are energy efficient in their processes, but the energy cost of transportation overshadows their green practices. Who can deny the charming image of a home-grown apple? In a world where nearly everything is processed and shipped, local food has a certain appeal. So think globally, eat locally.

http://eatlocalchallenge.com
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1595245,00.html