Illustration © Marc Rosenthal, used with permission from Storey Publishing LLC, 2010
I talk and teach about local food at all kinds of venues — from libraries to conferences, large and small — and one of the most common questions is about organic vs. local food. People want to know how to make smart choices when they shop. And, for a long time in this country, organic has been the first choice for those interested in buying healty eco-conscious food. This excerpt from my new book, The Locavore Way: Enjoy and Discover the Pleasures of Locally Grown Food,should help readers understand the difference between organic and local how to make smarter decisions when they choose what to buy.
Local is not necessarily organic. But which is better? From the perspective of this book: Local organic and local sustainably produced food are best.
Understanding the meaning behind this answer will help you make good decisions when you shop. Let’s start with organic. Food labeled organic is required to be grown, raised, or produced using federally mandated rules. These standards outline allowable and forbidden materials and practices, which makes good sense. But they don’t stress the integrated nature of farming, including the biological cycles necessary to healthy farming over the long haul. The organic label is also supported by strong agribusiness lobbies, which push for regulations to make their life easy (and our food not quite as safe).
Simultaneously, many of our local farmers are using safe, sustainable methods, which are the equivalent of or even better than established organic methods. They may or may not decide to become certified organic. If they opt out, it may be because their clients know and trust them, making certification unnecessary. Or perhaps they don’t approve of its bias toward big agribusiness; they can’t afford to follow the rules, which don’t encourage small farms; they use another accredited system, such as Certified Naturally Grown; or they prefer to use their own, ecofriendly methods.
Buying certified organic food without thinking leaves out these farmers who grow delicious, safe food and also enrich their communities in numerous ways. Farmers are left behind, too, as stores and restaurants respond to our demand by stressing organic above local. It may support farming systems that are substantially better than conventional methods, but it also boosts the ballooning organic agribusiness and food often shipped from afar, using lots of fossil food as it ages.
Yes, ages— organic does not mean fresh.
Knowing a farmer and his or her values, or at least finding a trustworthy farm source, is the best way to procure foods raised in a manner that is healthier for you and for the earth, too.
For more information on being a Locavore, check out my book, "The Locavore Way"!
