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November 12, 2008
The Cronicles of Local & Organic Living
Food fuels our bodies; these foods significantly influence our daily productivity and overall well-being. Therefore, shouldn’t we put just as much effort into our grocery purchases as we do into our morning yoga poses? When it comes to grocery shopping, the battle between locally-grown and organically-grown goods rages in the mind of every health-savvy consumer. The recent wave stressing the importance of organically-grown food has heightened consumers’ awareness of the types of foods they purchase, along with what happens to those foods during growth, packaging, and distribution. But is an organically-grown pear shipped from across the country any better than a branded pear grown in your current state of residence? I’m not convinced.
Sticking with the category of produce, organically-grown fruits are already free from pesticides and DDT. Therefore, they will naturally (no pun intended) rot at a faster rate than produce which has been fortified against exponential deterioration. Thus, en route to its destination, this organic fruit will be more vulnerable to deterioration, bruising, and aging – ultimately making the fruit less fresh upon delivery – not to mention its short shelf-life. Unless the grocery store re-stocks the organic produce almost daily, it isn’t safe to say that the fruit will be the freshest, or healthiest, in the bunch. On the other hand, locally-grown produce will most likely be re-stocked often (since shipping won’t be much of an issue). Although these fruits might have been exposed to some chemicals to keep them fresh, the amount of chemicals used will be significantly less (since the transport route will be short) compared to big-brand producers who ship mass amounts of produce from different states).
In the end, it really comes down to which matters more to you – 100% chemical-free produce that is on the verge of rotting, or 90% crisp, chemical-free produce hand-picked by your local friendly farmer. While I agree that organic living is important in the long run for human and planet sustainability, I would choose locally-grown over organically-grown because I believe that “local is the new organic”
For our convenience, stores like Whole Foods have been unfolding across the United States to satisfy our organic cravings. Not only does Whole Foods have an outrageous selection of prime products and healthy versions of nearly every “junk food,” but they also accommodate for a myriad of common allergies. When I set foot into Whole Foods for the first time and asked an employee to direct me towards the gluten-free bread, he instead directed me towards the information desk and gave me a complete directory of gluten-free products that Whole Foods had in stock.
Essentially, organic and locally-grown goods are now widely available enough to leave your backyard gardens unkempt. Just take care not to overanalyze your produce purchases. It might interfere with your balanced mind.
शांति
Karen Rockwood
Posted by rockwood at November 12, 2008 02:59 PM