Slate‘s Field Maloney has examined the dark secrets of organic produce at Whole Foods. First, despite what is advertised, the bulk of the produce at any given store is not locally grown. Thus the thoughtful consumer is faced with a quandry–buy organic (which is arguably better for you and the enviromnent) or buy local (which probably isn’t organic, but doesn’t have to be shipped from who knows where to reach the cooler).

Let’s say you live in New York City and want to buy a pound of tomatoes in season. Say you can choose between conventionally grown New Jersey tomatoes or organic ones grown in Chile. Of course, the New Jersey tomatoes will be cheaper. They will also almost certainly be fresher, having traveled a fraction of the distance. But which is the more eco-conscious choice? In terms of energy savings, there’s no contest: Just think of the fossil fuels expended getting those organic tomatoes from Chile. Which brings us to the question: Setting aside freshness, price, and energy conservation, should a New Yorker just instinctively choose organic, even if the produce comes from Chile? A tough decision, but you can make a self-interested case for the social and economic benefit of going Jersey, especially if you prefer passing fields of tomatoes to fields of condominiums when you tour the Garden State.

I’ll also add something that Maloney failed to mention–not all organic produce is pesticide-free (this is truly one of the dark secrets of the trade). There is a list of chemicals (some more natural than others) that are permitted to be used on produce labeled “organic” by the USDA. You may think you’re getting pure, fresh. good-for-you apples when you buy organic, but you’ll likely have to do some legwork to determine if that’s really true.

Maloney’s point about the size of the average organic farm where Whole Foods might purchase produce is well-taken–much of the domestic organic crops come from large farms in California, where the methods more closely resemble the factory methods used on non-organic farms than the methods used by small organic growers. The average small organic farmer relies not Whole Foods and their ilk to make a living–most of their income comes from a combination of selling at local farmer’s markets, cooperatives, and community supported agriculture (CSA) programs where consumers actually purchase shares of a season’s crops. It’s not an easy living, but for many, especially in the east, it works. It works for the consumers as well, as they get fresher crops.

Of course, there are disadvantages. The consumer can be faced with limited choices, as not every crop can be grown everywhere. This is especially true when participating in CSA programs–you only get what the farm grows (it’s worth noting that many CSA farms, knowing their market, grow a wide variety of crops). Additionally, the consumer suddenly has to keep an eye on the weather patterns of the growing season as well–not enough rain or not enough sun could mean a more limited variety of crops. And a small farm can’t feed the world. In fact, most small farms would have trouble feeding a city. But enough of them could.

The surface that Maloney’s article scratches is that we as consumers must become more thoughtful about our purchases. Factory farming (organic and non) is slowly destroying a valuable way of life–that of the small farmer–in the name of progress and efficiency. And big box markets like Whole Foods are hastening this, somewhat unwittingly, by cutting into one of the remaining viable farming markets–organics. At the same time, however, CSA programs and co-ops are growing.

Posted on 20 March 2006