Remember 15 years ago when “granola” was a derogatory term, used to describe people who were flaky and unreliable? Who would have thought that these “granola crunchers” would spawn a mainstream culture promoting organic, local farming and humane treatment of animals? This heightened awareness of organic versus traditional farming has brought dramatic changes into the marketplace. Question is though, is this attention a passing fad? A labeling trend similar to the way “low-fat” diets or “low-carb” labels invaded the market n the past?
Contributing to this growth spurt is the sudden interest of so-called “traditional” food manufacturers in this emerging market. Organic and natural food producers are being scooped up under the wings of the big corporations, allowing more and more organic products on the supermarket shelves. Two examples are Stonyfield Farms and Kashi. Stonyfield Farms, known for making organic yogurt, was acquired by Dannon in 2003. Kashi, who specialize in whole grain cereals and convenience foods, was acquired by Kellog in 2000. Both companies have been around since the early 1980’s (1983 for Stonyfield Farms and 1984 for Kashi.) But both only gained wide scale, national attention once they were distributed nationally by the large conglomerates. Did these small guys sell out? Maybe, but ultimately, selling out to the large chains is what helped increase access to these organic alternatives as well as increased national awareness for all organics in general.
Another example is Whole Foods supermarket. The well-known chain started as a single health food store in Texas 30 years ago and has become one of those big national chains. Growing steadily with good ‘ol fashioned acquisition techniques since its inception in the early 1980’s, it has become one of the leading national supermarkets. The supermarket’s policy is to stock only those items adhering to a self regulated “natural” product rules. The company has also been known to discontinue sale of products that demonstrate cruelty to animals and those containing toxins, as well as minimizing use of plastics. Not to mention they have been continuously named as one of the best companies to work for by Forbes Magazine several years running. Whole Foods demonstrates that big companies are capable of being environmentally and humanely conscious while also being profitable.
So all that being said, let’s get right to it: Should you be buying organic food? I can sit here and talk to you till I’m blue in the face about how organic products are nutritionally superior to “traditionally” farmed foods. That:
- The soil used in the production of organic fruits and vegetables is more nutrient rich than traditional farm soil, resulting in more nutrient packed produce.
- The use of pesticides in traditional farms reduces the plants ability to detoxify and grow as resilient since it doesn’t have to fight to survive. As a result, organic fruits and veggies pack more anti-oxidant power and detoxifying effects.
- And there’s no contest that animals fed a better diet, and allowed to live a healthy, normal life free of cages, hormone injection and daily antibiotics produce better meat products. (We will get into the genetically modified products in a future blog!)
Yes, all those things are important for our health and for disease prevention. But how likely you are to eat a 100% organic diet depends on a couple of factors. You might be lucky enough to live in a neighborhood that has a health food store or a Whole Foods supermarket nearby. Access is one very important step. But what if you can’t afford the organic apples? What if you have kids? Those little guys sure can eat! The general population is aware they need to eat better, and most Americans know enough about organic food to realize it’s the healthier option. But the stumbling blocks are access and affordability. If you don’t have a conveniently located market to buy organic, local foods at an affordable price, will you realistically go out of your way to make that purchase on a regular basis?
What I’m getting to is that as much as I’d love to stand up here on my soap box and preach about supporting the local markets and boycotting the giant corporations, the reality is there’s a benefit to the big guns that the big companies carry. Advertising dollars, prime real estate on grocery store shelves and national availability at traditional supermarkets. These factors all lead to growth of the organic industry, lower production costs and increased consumer awareness. Of course you should support the local, small markets and farmers when it’s available! But keep in mind the impact of purchasing power when you walk into the chain stores as well and choose the brands that are ethically conscience. Economics is a numbers game people, and it’s about time we started using the power of the capitalism for good, instead of evil.
I guess I never answered my own question, is the "organic" label a passing fad? We'll have to get into a few more topics before we answer that question: Genetically Modified Organisms and toxins will be next!
