There was a time – long, long ago – when all food was organic, local, fair trade and pesticide-free. Of course, that era was also the time of the Black Plague, the Spanish Inquisition and an average life span of 42 years, so don’t get too nostalgic.
Today, we humans are faced with a dizzying array of food choices: mangos in the dead of winter, exotic liquors distilled in isolated rural villages, and fish harvested in distant oceans are available to diners everywhere. Never before in the history of mankind has so much food been so readily available all year-round.
And it’s killing us. Medical researchers have found that, because of the countless health risks associated with the typical Western diet, young people today are a part of the first generation in history that is expected to live shorter lives than their parents. Diabetes, heart disease, cancer, strokes and other health issues are stalking people as mercilessly today as the bubonic plague did centuries ago.
The risks of the modern industrial food industry, however, extend beyond human health. CAFOs (concentrated animal feeding operations) and other factory farming techniques have been described as “a frontal assault on the environment, with massive groundwater and air pollution problems” by renowned animal sciences expert Peter Cheeke, Ph.D. Estimates vary, but somewhere between 18-51% of the greenhouse gases that cause global warming come from livestock production.
In many CAFOs, the reckless use of antibiotics in livestock poses an imminent threat. Up to 70% of all the antibiotics used in the United States go not to sick people, but to healthy animals. Experts fear the overuse of these drugs is creating a vast army of “superbug” bacteria that is completely resistant to the most powerful antibiotics in our medical arsenal.
What can you do? Plenty- and fortunately it doesn’t involve hoeing a row of potatoes in freezing weather like a medieval serf. Along with the numerous food choices available to consumers today are a surprising variety of foods that are as healthy for the environment as they are for you.
First, consider buying fruits, vegetables and other produce that is organically grown. Certification varies from country to country, but most are similar to America’s USDA organic program, which requires that farmland – and the plants and animals on it – be completely free of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers for years.
Not all organic food, however, is grown under sustainable conditions. An organic tomato flown in from Mexico has a huge environmental impact and, according to author and activist Michael Pollan, many food items travel about 1,500 miles from farm to dinner plate. Thus, many people are turning to local foods as an alternative to industrial foods, and in the process, getting to know their local farmers.
Seafood can be a difficult dinner choice, because large-scale industrial harvesting techniques have caused some fisheries to crash, and many species of fish are in danger of extinction. Fortunately, there are many resources for choosing safe, sustainable seafood, including some green apps for smartphone users.
For too many people, however, the thought of eating local or organic foods comes loaded with some grievous mistaken impressions. Cost, first of all, is a deterrent, and it’s true that some organic foods cost more. But smart shoppers have found that there are some foods that are best to buy organically – fruits and vegetables that are not peeled, for example, like tomatoes and apples.
Shoppers can economize by buying other foods that are not grown organically and are safer to eat because they’re peeled – like onions, avocados and bananas. Buying organic milk can also save money because it’s pasteurised at very high temperatures, so it lasts longer in the refrigerator (no more tossing out a container of spoiled milk!).
Another misconception is that eating healthy, sustainable food means eking out a hair-shirted existence of cold gruel and raw vegetables – yet nothing could be further from the truth. Epicureans delight in the complexity and variety of biodynamic wines and organic chocolates, and beer aficionados speak in glowing terms of the rich taste of organic beer. Grass-fed beef and organic eggs are known to have a more succulent flavor than industrial meats.
So dig in – there’s plenty of great food available in large cities and small villages alike that are healthy, sustainable and delicious, and they avoid the worst aspects of industrial foods. Bon appetit!
Marc Lallanilla is an author at www.greenliving.com
