So I will begin by offering a disclaimer: I am not an organic farmer nor a conventional farmer, I don’t claim to be an expert in the processes of organic anything but what I am is a consumer and observer.
I have a bit of experience with marketing having spent a year and a half as Director of Communications for The 1010 Project. I am observant and follow popular marketing trends very closely. One that I have been quite skeptical of for quite some time is the organic movement. While I don’t doubt some organic foods taste and look better (they may even BE more healthy), they are consistently treated as elitist produce over conventionally grown food.
A recent article published by BBC News reported a large independent review that “organic food is no healthier than ordinary food” (BBC NEWS | http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8174482.stm). UK researchers concluded that “there is little difference in nutritional value and no evidence of any extra health benefits from eating organic produce” to some criticism.
I have always thought it to be a better option to buy local and I can see Whole Foods Market‘s latest marketing campaign echoing those sentiments. They are pushing for a local focus. Encouraging customers to BUY LOCAL. This has to be the better option!
It might be a great thing to have organic champagne mangoes in the winter and all but at what expense. How much fuel did it take to ship that produce here? Is it vital that we have access to ALL FRUIT, ALL THE TIME? Why not encourage sustainability and encourage local growers?
While I was in Kenya this summer, I was blown away by the selection of produce at local kiosks and corner markets. They were not labeled organic or fresh or anything of that matter but the flavor and look spoke volumes. The mangoes I ate were the most tasty and juiciest. The pineapples I ate were like candy. This was local produce that was eaten IN SEASON and taken advantage of for that reason strictly.
We need to be eating with the changing of the seasons. There are a few local produce restaurants in Denver, CO that are worth every penny if you have a free evening:
Potager Restaurant – http://www.potagerrestaurant.com/ | 1109 Ogden
Duo Restaurant – http://www.duodenver.com/ | 2413 W. 32nd Ave
Gelman’s Restaurant & Bar – http://www.gelmansrestaurant.com/ | 2911 West 38th Ave
Additions & Revisions:
30 July 2009 10:04 AM | From @JLemberg I was introduced to a rebuttal of the BBC article I included above: http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=1842083.
30 July 2009 12:01 PM | Read this article on The Huffington Post about the UK study: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paula-crossfield/organic-versus-convention_b_247801.html.
