'organics'?
I have several people in my life that have been persuaded by the organic approach to food. As a thinking individual that refuses to be spoon-fed and sold based solely on a concept of better dining, I have a desire to propose objective thinking into the system, and to actually think about the flaws in it rather than the benefits of its concept. When making ANY decision, especially one as important as what you’re eating and what you’re willing to pay for it, I think you have to look at both the good AND the bad that can come from such a decision.
Though these articles primarily deals with the salmonella outbreak in peanuts a few years back, I think the economics behind growing markets, including that of “food organics” is one that is bound to break people’s moral upstanding in such a system. When a market grows, so does the demand. Farmer and overseer demands to include an “organic” stamp on it’s foods means less quality in the actual inspection and regulation of such a product. The incentive in any market, even in farming, is the bottom dollar. Organic farms require far more work and labor, and therefore, costs are higher to pay for those products. as the demand grows, the ability to maintain that amount of output is likely to be stretched, leading to unknown results.
If nothing else, I wish that people that buy into the “organic” principle would thing about the logistics of such a system. I have no problems, by any means with the concept of organic farming and what it can produce. however, I’m a skeptic. When you never really know where your food is coming from, how can you ever really be sure of it’s quality or what is promised on a label? The only real way to do so, is to do it yourself, through smaller self grown gardens and eating ONLY the things that you have produced or followed through its entire growth process. You’ll never be able to really be quite sure. All I want to come out of this, or any other market fad, is that its consumers actually THINK about what they are quite literally buying into.
Personally, I love going to the local farmer’s market, buying things to support local land owners and my community, however, when it comes to most things, I will continue to follow habit and logic. I refuse to give up meat in my diet, and if that means continuing to eat the things I have for 23 years, I’m more than willing to do so.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/04/dining/04cert.html?pagewanted=2
