Ideal Bite

Hi All; I have worked for both Whole Foods and Wild Oats. I have worked in this business for many years. Both companies try (tried) very hard to do the right thing and the best thing for customers and vendors. It is different region to region. And we are not perfect. Ultimately, it is up to each of us. We can make good choices in the markets. We can get to know and trust local growers and manufacturers. We can also grow and make our own, which is a wonderful experience for everyone. Peace to all. Sally

Check out this article from today's Newsweek: "The Carbon Cost From Farm to Fork" for another viewpoint on the issue. http://www.newsweek.com/id/120092

I think Ed said it best when he said, "There are many reasons to buy local, but there are many variables to take into account when assessing product impacts." And, "The Bite loves simple solutions, but just like buying your way into sustainability, it’s never that simple." It's easy to "buy locally" pretty much year 'round when you live within 100 miles of the San Fernando Valley (the Nation's produce section), but most Americans don't. So, as another poster said, we just need to do the best we can with whatever is available to us. Besides, the "organic" label is all the rage these days. Just as something locally produced can be organic without being labeled as such because of the cost involved, how can we be sure that something in our local supermarket that is labeled "organic" really is, or that it just has that label slapped on it by some big company because it's so lucrative. (I wonder if at least part of the reason why "certified organic" foods cost so much more than non-organic foods is because of the cost involved in getting that certification.) However, I do appreciate the links made available in this e-mail. I've bookmarked Local Harvest and Sustainable Table. I find sites like these to be very helpful in deciding what's what. Thanks!

Although I love to buy locally and interact with the producer/grower at the market, it is sometimes not the best option, both for people and the planet. I would much rather import organically-grown, fairly-traded food from family farms in third world countries than buy that of the conventional variety from a "local" source. By patronizing those with environmentally-friendly and fair farming practices in developing communities, one not only helps to end global poverty (which by itself leads to some of the worst types of environmental degradation--such as deforestation), but also promotes food traditions that otherwise may die out as the world becomes more culturally homogenized. Yes, I will take organic + local any day, but if it's not fair and organic, I don't care where it's from!

I have been impressed with the thoughtfulness that has obviously gone into the composition of the above responses. Thank you all for helping me to think more clearly about this issue, and providing resources to explore it further. As a vegan, I get especially excited when I score the "trifecta" at my local food co-op (Madison Market in Seattle): a product that is local, organic, and vegan.

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