The Pragmatist

Farmer’s markets and natural foods stores are springing up in towns and cities across the country; in Vermont alone the number of farmer’s markets has shot up from 55 to 84 in the past five years. The increasing availability of organic and conventional produce, whether local or not, has brought an ongoing debate to prominence. Should we buy a local tomato, a local organic tomato or their counterparts from California?

The Vermont chapter of NOFA, the Northeast Organic Farming Association, conducted a study this summer comparing the prices of local produce, meat and cheese (both organic and conventional) with their grocery store counterparts. Although they have yet to release results, the NOFA surveyor who came by our stand at the Burlington farmer’s market was finding that the majority of vegetables were less expensive there than they were in the grocery stores. Without considering the environmental and social costs of the grocery store items, it was less expensive to buy local potatoes or squash. For those local items that do cost more, the extra fifty cents a pound still saves environmental and social costs that the industrial option does not: considering the pollution of trucking, the consumption of finite fossil fuels and the social cost of paying workers a livable wage.

Buy local because you know exactly what you are getting. Take advantage of the access you have as a Vermont consumer — you don’t need a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) inspector to tell you that your food is safe. It all starts with buying local. With the low standards of USDA organic labeling and the environmental cost of trucking organic produce across the country, local becomes more important than organic. Industrial organic can use unnatural amounts of organic pesticides, but the USDA actually allows farmers to spray with non-organic pesticides if they are going to lose their crop — and they don’t have to tell the consumer that they did so.

The American agriculture and food delivery model is not sustainable. For energy, social responsibility and food quality reasons, American society needs to change its habits. In many areas of the country, there are fewer opportunities to buy local food. This lack of equal access shows up in obesity trends. Not all states have a dense network of small farms like Vermont, but on economic, environmental and ethical grounds, it is where we should look to modify our food system.

For some buying local means raising their own Thanksgiving turkey while still importing coffee and chocolate. For others, it means only eating food that originated within 50 miles of their house. I don’t think there is a numeric boundary for eating locally; individuals should figure out what works for them.

The College dining services already does an admirable job sourcing local milk, yogurt and produce in season. As they look to further adapt their model, it is mportant for students to voice their opinions.
My food choices are mine to make, just as the principles behind them are mine to believe in. It isn’t about author Michael Pollan preaching why his recommendations are the only way to be a morally upstanding, socially responsible and health-conscious individual. But if you worry about global warming, the political implications of importing foreign oil, your health, livable wages for workers, a sustainable agricultural model and how your food tastes, then make some food choices of your own.