Comments on: ORGANIC ISN’T ALL IT’S CRACKED UP TO BE: Try Going “Local” http://mediaenvironment.wordpress.com/2008/02/26/organic-isn%e2%80%99t-all-it%e2%80%99s-cracked-up-to-be-try-going-%e2%80%9clocal%e2%80%9d/ Tue, 24 Nov 2009 07:10:31 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Urban farming in KC « J500/ES624 Media & The Environment http://mediaenvironment.wordpress.com/2008/02/26/organic-isn%e2%80%99t-all-it%e2%80%99s-cracked-up-to-be-try-going-%e2%80%9clocal%e2%80%9d/#comment-1119 Urban farming in KC « J500/ES624 Media & The Environment Wed, 12 Mar 2008 14:42:17 +0000 http://mediaenvironment.wordpress.com/?p=391#comment-1119 [...]  Please read Danae’s awesome post called “Organic isn’t all it’s cracked up to be: try going local.” [...] [...]  Please read Danae’s awesome post called “Organic isn’t all it’s cracked up to be: try going local.” [...]

]]> By: Organic isn’t All It’s Cracked Up to Be: Try Going Local : Eat. Drink. Better. http://mediaenvironment.wordpress.com/2008/02/26/organic-isn%e2%80%99t-all-it%e2%80%99s-cracked-up-to-be-try-going-%e2%80%9clocal%e2%80%9d/#comment-1023 Organic isn’t All It’s Cracked Up to Be: Try Going Local : Eat. Drink. Better. Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:27:07 +0000 http://mediaenvironment.wordpress.com/?p=391#comment-1023 [...] Professor Simran Sethi’s Media and the Environment course at the University of Kansas. Danae originally published this post to the course blog on February 26, [...] [...] Professor Simran Sethi’s Media and the Environment course at the University of Kansas. Danae originally published this post to the course blog on February 26, [...]

]]> By: Expat Chef http://mediaenvironment.wordpress.com/2008/02/26/organic-isn%e2%80%99t-all-it%e2%80%99s-cracked-up-to-be-try-going-%e2%80%9clocal%e2%80%9d/#comment-826 Expat Chef Tue, 04 Mar 2008 15:15:34 +0000 http://mediaenvironment.wordpress.com/?p=391#comment-826 There are many reasons besides food miles that make local food a better choice. Supporting sustainable agriculture, for one. Knowing where your food comes from is also a huge benefit, one you understand if you read any headlines. 100-mile diet is pretty restrictive, but if you want to challenge yourself to explore local, I highly recommend <a href="http://www.eatlocalchallenge.com" rel="nofollow">eatlocalchallenge.com</a> as it was started by Jen at Life Begins at 30, you will recognize the authors there. There are many reasons besides food miles that make local food a better choice. Supporting sustainable agriculture, for one. Knowing where your food comes from is also a huge benefit, one you understand if you read any headlines. 100-mile diet is pretty restrictive, but if you want to challenge yourself to explore local, I highly recommend eatlocalchallenge.com as it was started by Jen at Life Begins at 30, you will recognize the authors there.

]]> By: OrganicGal http://mediaenvironment.wordpress.com/2008/02/26/organic-isn%e2%80%99t-all-it%e2%80%99s-cracked-up-to-be-try-going-%e2%80%9clocal%e2%80%9d/#comment-730 OrganicGal Thu, 28 Feb 2008 18:04:26 +0000 http://mediaenvironment.wordpress.com/?p=391#comment-730 Here is that New Yorker article link. I don't know why you can't see the target in my first post, sorry: http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/02/25/080225fa_fact_specter?currentPage=1 Here is that New Yorker article link. I don’t know why you can’t see the target in my first post, sorry:
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/02/25/080225fa_fact_specter?currentPage=1

]]> By: OrganicGal http://mediaenvironment.wordpress.com/2008/02/26/organic-isn%e2%80%99t-all-it%e2%80%99s-cracked-up-to-be-try-going-%e2%80%9clocal%e2%80%9d/#comment-729 OrganicGal Thu, 28 Feb 2008 18:02:42 +0000 http://mediaenvironment.wordpress.com/?p=391#comment-729 YS Organic comes from Brazil. The office is in Illinois but none of their organic honey comes from the US. Zambezi is made by subsistence farmers who live without electricty or cars, their energy footprint in their daily lives is a zero. Plus it prevents deforestation and trees sequester carbon. My neighbor, a beekeeper, uses more energy in his daily life than an african beekeeper. Something to think about. I just read an article in <i>The New Yorker</i> about how measuring the distance food travels is a poor judge of the impact on the environment. <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/02/25/080225fa_fact_specter?currentPage=1" title="BIG FOOT by Michael Specter" rel="nofollow"></a> For exmaple, you buy local organic potatoes but by the time you boil it with the lid off on high heat, you might as well have bought non-organic McDonald's french fries, made from imported potatoes. Or, if it's wintertime, buying New York-grown apples when you live in New York actually uses more energy than buying imported New Zealand apples, because in New Zealand there's more sunshine and farmers use fewer inputs. Crazy, huh? It says organic food from Kenya is grown without electricity, no tractors (no fuel), and good environmental practices, and that if the food travels by seafreight, it uses 1/60th of the energy. Personally, I support local AND non-local organic. I read labels. A good reason to buy local is to support the local economy - in fact that's my reason. But talking about distance traveled and enegry used are not good arguments. It was a very eye-opening article. Long but worth the read! YS Organic comes from Brazil. The office is in Illinois but none of their organic honey comes from the US. Zambezi is made by subsistence farmers who live without electricty or cars, their energy footprint in their daily lives is a zero. Plus it prevents deforestation and trees sequester carbon. My neighbor, a beekeeper, uses more energy in his daily life than an african beekeeper. Something to think about.

I just read an article in The New Yorker about how measuring the distance food travels is a poor judge of the impact on the environment.

For exmaple, you buy local organic potatoes but by the time you boil it with the lid off on high heat, you might as well have bought non-organic McDonald’s french fries, made from imported potatoes. Or, if it’s wintertime, buying New York-grown apples when you live in New York actually uses more energy than buying imported New Zealand apples, because in New Zealand there’s more sunshine and farmers use fewer inputs. Crazy, huh?

It says organic food from Kenya is grown without electricity, no tractors (no fuel), and good environmental practices, and that if the food travels by seafreight, it uses 1/60th of the energy.

Personally, I support local AND non-local organic. I read labels. A good reason to buy local is to support the local economy – in fact that’s my reason. But talking about distance traveled and enegry used are not good arguments.

It was a very eye-opening article. Long but worth the read!

]]> By: Danae DeShazer http://mediaenvironment.wordpress.com/2008/02/26/organic-isn%e2%80%99t-all-it%e2%80%99s-cracked-up-to-be-try-going-%e2%80%9clocal%e2%80%9d/#comment-689 Danae DeShazer Wed, 27 Feb 2008 21:04:26 +0000 http://mediaenvironment.wordpress.com/?p=391#comment-689 Thanks for the comment Stonehead. I think that to be considered a local farmer, and to sell your meat and produce, you are offering a service that should be trusted. Are there instances where sellers and buyers have seen problems with local food and produce? Thanks for the comment Stonehead. I think that to be considered a local farmer, and to sell your meat and produce, you are offering a service that should be trusted. Are there instances where sellers and buyers have seen problems with local food and produce?

]]> By: MooreHaven Gardens http://mediaenvironment.wordpress.com/2008/02/26/organic-isn%e2%80%99t-all-it%e2%80%99s-cracked-up-to-be-try-going-%e2%80%9clocal%e2%80%9d/#comment-662 MooreHaven Gardens Wed, 27 Feb 2008 14:11:20 +0000 http://mediaenvironment.wordpress.com/?p=391#comment-662 I'll burst another bubble for you.......there is NO SUCH THING as organic honey. You can buy honey that has been harvested using organic bee keeping practices, but there isn't a bee keeper out there unless they are living in a biosphere that can control WHERE their bees gathered their pollen. Organics are about a process, not the value of the end product. THe best definition I can use for the reasons to buy Local is that buying anything else is like buying a used car at the new car price; you just aren't getting yur money's worth. I’ll burst another bubble for you…….there is NO SUCH THING as organic honey. You can buy honey that has been harvested using organic bee keeping practices, but there isn’t a bee keeper out there unless they are living in a biosphere that can control WHERE their bees gathered their pollen.
Organics are about a process, not the value of the end product.
THe best definition I can use for the reasons to buy Local is that buying anything else is like buying a used car at the new car price; you just aren’t getting yur money’s worth.

]]> By: Stonehead http://mediaenvironment.wordpress.com/2008/02/26/organic-isn%e2%80%99t-all-it%e2%80%99s-cracked-up-to-be-try-going-%e2%80%9clocal%e2%80%9d/#comment-648 Stonehead Wed, 27 Feb 2008 09:53:39 +0000 http://mediaenvironment.wordpress.com/?p=391#comment-648 The Telegraph here in the UK had a good piece recently on the technological consumer chain, in which Fred Pearce trace his son's mobile phone from raw materials to final resting place. It took him from the Congo to Tanzania, by way of southern China and Europe. <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2008/02/23/sm_mobilephone123.xml" rel="nofollow">Confessions of an Eco Sinner: Long-distance calling</a> The article has added significance as the The Telegraph is a right-wing, upmarket newspaper. It's one of the better newspapers in that it doesn't always allow its politics to get in the way of good journalism, but it's still significant to find a story like this appearing in its pages. I'd like to see a similar piece written on the journey an organic packaged meal makes from raw ingredients in dozen different countries through to disposal of the waste in others. Hopefully, it would open a few eyes. The Telegraph here in the UK had a good piece recently on the technological consumer chain, in which Fred Pearce trace his son’s mobile phone from raw materials to final resting place. It took him from the Congo to Tanzania, by way of southern China and Europe.

Confessions of an Eco Sinner: Long-distance calling

The article has added significance as the The Telegraph is a right-wing, upmarket newspaper. It’s one of the better newspapers in that it doesn’t always allow its politics to get in the way of good journalism, but it’s still significant to find a story like this appearing in its pages.

I’d like to see a similar piece written on the journey an organic packaged meal makes from raw ingredients in dozen different countries through to disposal of the waste in others.

Hopefully, it would open a few eyes.

]]> By: j500 http://mediaenvironment.wordpress.com/2008/02/26/organic-isn%e2%80%99t-all-it%e2%80%99s-cracked-up-to-be-try-going-%e2%80%9clocal%e2%80%9d/#comment-628 j500 Wed, 27 Feb 2008 05:03:45 +0000 http://mediaenvironment.wordpress.com/?p=391#comment-628 Such an interesting point, Stonehead. I would say, some of us feel the exact opposite way. I prefer the grit and beauty of farmer's market fare. Especially in an era when everything is becoming homogenized and we are losing biodiversity. <a href="http://72.14.205.104/search?q=cache:CKJ-JH4Sd8QJ:www.uneptie.org/pc/sustain/reports/SCP_Resource_Kit/PDF_FINAL_uk/food.pdf+reduced+biodiversity+food&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=6&gl=us&client=firefox-a" rel="nofollow">Here</a> is a great assessment/ explanation of the impacts of large-scale ag. Simran Sethi Such an interesting point, Stonehead. I would say, some of us feel the exact opposite way. I prefer the grit and beauty of farmer’s market fare. Especially in an era when everything is becoming homogenized and we are losing biodiversity. Here is a great assessment/ explanation of the impacts of large-scale ag.
Simran Sethi

]]> By: organic food » Blog Archive » ORGANIC ISN’T ALL IT’S CRACKED UP TO BE: Try Going “Local” http://mediaenvironment.wordpress.com/2008/02/26/organic-isn%e2%80%99t-all-it%e2%80%99s-cracked-up-to-be-try-going-%e2%80%9clocal%e2%80%9d/#comment-609 organic food » Blog Archive » ORGANIC ISN’T ALL IT’S CRACKED UP TO BE: Try Going “Local” Wed, 27 Feb 2008 02:18:49 +0000 http://mediaenvironment.wordpress.com/?p=391#comment-609 [...] Read the rest of this great post here [...] [...] Read the rest of this great post here [...]

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