|
| Is organic a rip off? (Read 527 times) |
| view log Funky Monkey |
posted: 2/12/2008 at 1:45 AM |
| Quote from Bugs34 on 2/12/2008 at 1:17 AM: I really don't think the goverment cares if I eat vegetables without pesticides. I'm guessing keeping an eye on companies organic stuff is the least of their concerns.
No. Indeed. The Guvernment don't give a hoot what you eat. But they nonetheless make laws regulating the standards. So while it don't care what choices YOU make when you buy food, it does care that the agricultural industry tell the truth. This is why we have laws.
Quote from Bugs34 on 2/12/2008 at 1:31 AM:You don't seriously think that's why they subsidized corn?
Nope. He was being ironic. Mostly. |
| It's all fun and games until the flying monkeys attack. |
|
|
T1dawk view logRunning Addict |
posted: 2/12/2008 at 2:26 AM |
I loved the explanations of how the laws regarding meatpacking in the book Fast Food Nation were skirted around by the companies. I can't help but believe that many "organic" products are doing the same in order to get that label to gain consumer trust. If you ask a room full of people if organic food is better for them the majority think yes because of perception. That's a valuable tool for the companies, and greed being what it is makes it profitable to do what it takes to get that "organic" label.
I wonder how many people there are that go around and make sure all the large organic farms are really following all the protocol set forth by the certification process. |
Upcoming Races:
StumpJump 50K trail race: October 2008
Mercedes Marathon: Feb 2009
Boston: April 20, 2009 |
|
|
| view log Funky Monkey |
posted: 2/12/2008 at 2:29 AM |
Buy local. Visit the farm. Meet your growers. Talk to them. "Organic" is a label with an industry and gubment behind it, but it does not mean the food is better or its production more sustainable.
Eat food. |
| It's all fun and games until the flying monkeys attack. |
|
|
| view log Jessica Alba's Love Toy |
posted: 2/12/2008 at 2:52 AM |
| Quote from Trent on 2/12/2008 at 2:29 AM: Buy local. Visit the farm. Meet your growers. Talk to them. "Organic" is a label with an industry and gubment behind it, but it does not mean the food is better or its production more sustainable.
Eat food.
I'm eating Girl Scout cookies right now. Thin mints. They're excellent.
Plus, I bought them from a girl right up the street. So she's like, local.
So I'm feeling pretty smug about it. They're so darn healthy, I may just eat the whole box.
Just doing my part. Carry on.
|
E-mail: JakeKnight2002@aol.com
-----------------------------
Motivational Marathon Thoughts by TanyaS:
“Your body has now transitioned to eating its own muscle.”
------------------------
Official Co-Chair and Chief Henchman for the SCOUT FOR OVERLORD in 2008 Campaign. Donations Welcome.
|
|
|
| view log Abs of Flabs |
posted: 2/12/2008 at 3:04 AM |
| Quote from JakeKnight on 2/12/2008 at 2:52 AM: I'm eating Girl Scout cookies right now.
Are they made of real girl scouts? Or is that what we call Scout when he's in touch with his feminine side by making cookies? |
| Beantown Runners | On the Bench |
|
|
| view log Funky Monkey |
posted: 2/12/2008 at 3:07 AM |
| Quote from JakeKnight on 2/12/2008 at 2:52 AM: I'm eating Girl Scouts right now ... a girl right up the street. So she's like, local.
So I'm feeling pretty smug about it. They're so darn healthy, I may just eat the whole box.
Just doing my part. Carry on.
I just love living in Tennessee 
Wait.
Is she organic? |
| It's all fun and games until the flying monkeys attack. |
|
|
| view log Jasmine ?-2008 |
posted: 2/12/2008 at 3:38 AM |
Jake and Trent...get a room  |
| Just 'cause you can, doesn't mean you should
|
|
|
Big Chicken! |
posted: 2/12/2008 at 8:06 AM |
I think I have decided local is better. Here's why:
First, I live in Spain. When I go to the commissary at the Navy base I look at the fruit and veggie selection. It's awful. DECA flies in some produce and the apples are soft, the bananas green but turn brown in days (no real yellow period), the lettuces have no flavor and the romaine in particular is barely green. More yellowish really. I go to the local Mercadona. The selection is small but seasonal. Everything looks fresh. Tastes pretty good too. Sure there are some items flown in from other places but much of the selection is fairly local. The fish is flavorful (not a grouper to be seen; lots of shrimp).
Second, Disney World showed me the benefit of local. And organic (possibly). Mixed together. We ate at a seafood restaurant at Epcot in January. I ordered a Caesar salad before my dinner. OMG, I am still thinking (dreaming) about the wonderful taste released with every bit of crispy green roamine lettuce. So fresh. Clean! Delicious. I have already made plans to go back for more when we are back for the 15K. Anyway, the restaurant only had to go to the Epcot agriculture area to get the lettuce. They grow their own veggies, some fruits. It is local. Nutrients are sprayed onto the plants so I am not sure if it counts as organic or not. But the freshenss could only have happened because it was LOCAL. Same with my food at the local store in Spain.
I think I will stick with local first whenever possible, organic a secondary consideration. But mostly I will try to avoid things in a box (except my favorite Multi Grain Cheerios  ) |
Kris C
Running away from the couch one mile at a time! |
|
|
| view log Funky Monkey |
posted: 2/12/2008 at 12:58 PM |
| Yes. But I suspect that most of the local seasonal Macedonian food you see in the markets is organic. Not because it is following some gov'ment guideline or standard, but because the farmers simply don't (need to?) use nonorganic materials. Or perhaps they fertilize once per year so it would not get an organic certification, but it nonetheless biodynamic and overall sustainable. |
| It's all fun and games until the flying monkeys attack. |
|
|
Big Chicken! |
posted: 2/12/2008 at 3:10 PM |
| Quote from Trent on 2/12/2008 at 12:58 PM: Yes. But I suspect that most of the local seasonal Macedonian food you see in the markets is organic. Not because it is following some gov'ment guideline or standard, but because the farmers simply don't (need to?) use nonorganic materials. Or perhaps they fertilize once per year so it would not get an organic certification, but it nonetheless biodynamic and overall sustainable.
Were you refering to the food at the Mercadona? Not Macedonian? I suppose I could check for Macedonian food but the Mercadona, like a local Publix or Safeway, is just a grocery store. Grocery stores here aren't the huge SuperWalmart thngs like at home. Do the Macedonians have special types of food?? 
I live in an agricultural area of southern Spain (near Seville). We have lots of wheat, olives (for whole use and oil), sunflowers (for oil) and grapes (grapes closer to the coast). I am sure there's more but those are the immediate local area specialties. I have seen some farms spraying crops. Don't know if it's just fertilizers or pesticides as well. Crops are rotated seasonally and everything is burned at the end of the harvest. Hard to run those days. I think it is harder to tell organic here because there is no gov't requirement for labeling. It could be organic because that's how things are done here, or it could be not organic because that's how things are done here. No way for me to tell and no one seems to know. Apparently the Americans are the only ones who care. So I think I will stick to local just because I know it's most likely fresher. And fresh tastes good.
|
Kris C
Running away from the couch one mile at a time! |
|
|
| view log Funky Monkey |
posted: 2/12/2008 at 3:53 PM |
Quote from run_like_a_girl on 2/12/2008 at 3:10 PM:Were you refering to the food at the Mercadona? Not Macedonian? I suppose I could check for Macedonian food but the Mercadona, like a local Publix or Safeway, is just a grocery store. Grocery stores here aren't the huge SuperWalmart thngs like at home. Do the Macedonians have special types of food?? I live in an agricultural area of southern Spain (near Seville). We have lots of wheat, olives (for whole use and oil), sunflowers (for oil) and grapes (grapes closer to the coast). I am sure there's more but those are the immediate local area specialties. I have seen some farms spraying crops. Don't know if it's just fertilizers or pesticides as well. Crops are rotated seasonally and everything is burned at the end of the harvest. Hard to run those days. I think it is harder to tell organic here because there is no gov't requirement for labeling. It could be organic because that's how things are done here, or it could be not organic because that's how things are done here. No way for me to tell and no one seems to know. Apparently the Americans are the only ones who care. So I think I will stick to local just because I know it's most likely fresher. And fresh tastes good.
Doh. Yep, Sevillian. That is what I meant. Sevillian.
Crop rotation means they are not using monoculture. Burning means they are using a form of compost (although burning releases pollution). Agreed, hard to know what they are spraying.
Does the food taste better? |
| It's all fun and games until the flying monkeys attack. |
|
|
|
