Company Shops Market Isn’t An Organic Food Store: A discussion of local vs organic

When I mention to friends that I am working with Company Shops Market now, it usually results in some sort of comment including “oh, I love organic food!”  It’s usually at this point that I begin a small conversational venture into the true meaning of that statement.  This usually starts with an observation that Organic is just a certification from the US Department of Agriculture, declaring that their limited set of rules have been followed. Organic means that steps have been taken to limit unnatural or potentially dangerous chemicals and procedures from being applied to the food you are considering buying. In other words: it’s a marketing term.

Marketing has its place and is a critical tool for businesses trying to be competitive; however, many consumers are looking for more.  Consumers want to be assured that they being responsible, and this is where I think that USDA Organic is not the final destination. The certification process is expensive and very restrictive.  Organic is a great and necessary step to healing our food system.  It doesn’t address other things that have been forgotten in the pursuit of a feel good experience at dinner time.  Things like: How did this food help my local economy? How far did it travel to get to this supermarket?  How will the price and availability of this product change the next time there is a spike in diesel fuel, since it came from southern California and we live on the opposite coast?

At this point the unsuspecting victim’s eyes are starting to glaze a bit.  It’s a good time to change the subject and ask if they grew up around a farm.  Have they been to one here in the Piedmont area recently? That’s less likely to be the case than it used to be. North Carolina leads the nation in farm loss.  Do they know anyone who has recently lost their job?  What is there general impression of the health of the economy?  That’s where the conversation starts to recapture their attention.

This discussion is relevant regardless of where the other person stands in their views.  The local option, in most cases, should trump organic.  Buying locally and regionally saves fuel, reduces pollution, and helps to insulate the food supply from energy issues and centralized contamination like E. Coli. Fluctuating fuel prices and widespread contamination due to centralization of food processing happens even in organic production environments.  Most of all, buying local contributes to the local economy.  Buying locally reinvests money in the local economy that would otherwise be reinvested into the broader economy, doing little or nothing for the local farms and residents.

It’s getting easier and easier for consumers to confuse the myriad of terms applied to good, wholesome food.  Keeping our food natural and less synthesized, and less contaminated is a great step in the right direction.  Whether they are doing it under the USDA Organic seal in California, or sparingly fertilizing and applying just enough pesticides to make sure their produce makes it to market down the street, it’s all inspiring to see.  We just need to remember that great food doesn’t have to be organic to be great for you, and great for North Carolina. Buy local, responsibly raised produce and meat when you can, buy organic or all natural when you can’t get local.  Mind what you put in your plate, your well being and in many cases the well being of your farming neighbors depends upon it.

Nate Perry