We are bombarded every day with trendy terms and catchy slogans. But, what do they all mean? Ever wondered what, “think globally, act locally” really means? Ever wonder why activists push us to “buy locally?” What about the mantras “buy locally grown,” “fair trade,” and “organic?” Well, let’s start with the impact of buying locally and go from there.
Supermarkets, chain restaurants, and large corporations like Wal-Mart, McDonalds, and Proctor & Gamble are popping up in communities all over the country, driving down wages and forcing local businesses to close because they are unable compete with rock-bottom pricing. So, why is this bad? Aren’t low prices good? Well, not in the long run. Local businesses and enterprises actually produce more income, higher wages, better jobs, and more lucrative tax receipts for local communities than do mega companies. Supporting local businesses is also good for the environment, because it cuts down on fuel consumption by reducing the need to ship goods from thousands of miles away. And, most importantly, local businesses tend to utilize local services such as advertising mediums, banks, and food suppliers, which increase the overall well-being of the local economy.
So, what about “buy locally grown?” Well, locally-grown foods, especially fruits and vegetables, are fresher and usually harvested within 24 hours of being purchased by the consumer. Produce picked at the height of freshness tastes better and is more nutritionally complete. In fact, nutritional value declines, often dramatically, as time passes after harvest. A community that produces its own food also enables people to influence how their food is grown. Foods sold in local markets without the need for extensive storage and transportation will likely contain minimal or no waxes and/or fungicides applied to protect the product after harvest, which protects the health of our citizens. With the decline of tobacco farming in the area, consumption of locally grow food products can serve as the lifeline for local farmers because they create direct marketing opportunities where sellers can receive fair prices for their crops. And the good news for all of us is that farmers selling locally are not limited to the few varieties that are bred for long distance shipping, high yields, and shelf life. Often they raise and sell wonderful heirloom varieties that may be hard to find in supermarkets.
Now that we’ve covered buying local, what about buying fair trade?
The term “Fair Trade” has recently become the hip, granola buzz word associated particularly with the coffee we know and love. But what is Fair Trade and what does it have to do with your coffee, chocolate, and tea? Well, the philosophy of the Fair Trade system is to provide farmers and/or producers a fair price for their product. Let’s use coffee for an example. Interestingly enough, coffee is the second most traded commodity in the world, second only to big money oil (no surprise there!). Unfortunately, coffee producers, unlike oil tycoons, live in extreme poverty; most not even making a livable wage. The average coffee farmer earns an annual income of less than $500 from a seasonal harvest. Many farmers are often forced to pre-sell their coffee to so-called “coyotes” for a fraction of it is worth and/or borrow money at outrageous interest rates just to make ends meet (Bongo Java, 2006). Though poor working conditions, lack of health care, and other factors affect farmers in developing countries, price is usually the central focus when discussing Fair Trade. Recently, coffee crops have yielded record low prices due to the involvement of the corporate coffee market and competitive coffee traders. Fair trade coffee, on the other hand, is purchased by bypassing the coffee trader and corporate coffee market, therefore giving the farmer higher profits.
How to Buy Fair Trade
One thing to keep in mind when purchasing Fair Trade products is that not all “fairly traded” products are necessarily Fair Trade. Some of it is simply labeled “Fair Trade,” while others are labeled as “Certified Fair Trade.” Look at the label carefully. If is it not labeled “Certified Fair Trade” then there is no guarantee that the farmers and producers are being paid fair trade prices for their coffee, chocolate, teas, and other products. TransFair USA (http://www.transfairusa.org/), as well as many other independent buyers, provides 3rd party certification ensuring that farmers are paid a fair price for goods.
Now, I saved the best for last, “organic!” There has a benn as huge push the last fews years for organic products, especially food. So, what does “organic” mean? This gets a little tricky. We have organic, certified organic, natural, free-range, cage-free, and the list goes on! Here is a simple labeling chart to help you with this very complicated concept (or more information, visit www.thefoodalliance.org):
Organic
Organic foods cannot be grown using synthetic fertilizers, chemicals, or sewage sludge, cannot be genetically modified, and cannot be irradiated. Organic meat and poultry must be fed only organically-grown feed (without any animal byproducts) and cannot be treated with hormones or antibiotics.
USDA "Certified Organic"
In order to be labeled "organic," a product, its producer, and the farmer must meet the USDA's organic standards and must be certified by a USDA-approved food-certifying agency. In order to bear the USDA "Certified Organic" seal, a product must contain 95-100% organic ingredients.
Transitional Organic
The product is certified, but it indicates the farmer is in the three-year transition process to certified organic farming. Farmers must use and document practices on their farm for three years before they can be certified organic.
Antibiotic/Hormone Free
No antibiotics/no hormones were administered to the animal during its lifetime. If an animal becomes sick, it is taken out of the herd and treated but not sold.
No Hormones Administered or No Added Hormones
Animals were raised without added growth hormones (by law, hogs and poultry cannot be given any hormones).
Pesticide Free
Farmers who raise crops or animals without chemical control of pests (to control weeds, control crop eating insects or to control flies or other animal pests) but may use chemical fertilizers (as opposed to compost or other natural unrefined sources) in pastures, field crops or their fruit or vegetable production.
Pesticide and Chemical Fertilizer Free
No petroleum based synthetic chemicals are used on this farm - no petroleum based synthetic pesticides nor any industrial chemical fertilizers are used on this farm.
Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
A strategy of weed and insect pest management that uses as much information as possible to most effectively apply the least amount of pesticides to control pests.
Grass Fed/Grain Supplemented
Cattle that are raised on pasture and eat grasses. At a certain point, grains are slowly introduced into the diet in a controlled amount, along with the grasses.
Grain Finished
Cattle that are fed only grain before slaughter. Grain makes the meat fattier and creates the taste most people are currently accustomed to.
Grain-Fed
The animal was raised on a diet of grain. At its best, this is a mixture of corn and soybeans and vitamins that is good quality feed.
Grass-Fed
This means the animals only eat grass and nothing else, and it pertains to cattle, sheep, and goats.
Pastured or Pasture-Raised
This indicates the animal was raised on a pasture and ate grasses and food found in a pasture, rather than being fattened on grain in a feedlot or barn.
Cage Free
Birds are raised without cages. This doesn't specify if the birds were raised outdoors on pasture, if they had access to outside, or if they were raised indoors in overcrowded conditions. (If you're looking to buy eggs, poultry or meat raised outdoors, look for "Pastured" or "Pasture-raised.")
Free Range
"Free Range" or "Free Roaming" means the animal had some access to the outdoors each day.
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Sources:
Bongo Java. (2006). Retrieved from http://www.bongojava.com/beans.php?content=bulletin_boards
TransFair USA. (2006). Retrieved from http://www.coffeeresearch.org/politics/fairtrade.htm
The Food Alliance. (2008). Retrieved from
http://www.thefoodalliance.org
Local Resources:
Can I get Certified Fair Trade coffee here in the Bowling Green area?
You can always purchase Fair Trade coffee on the Internet (some sources listed below), but you have to pay for shipping and handling. There are also several ways to purchase Fair Trade coffee here in the Bowling Green area. If you are in Nashville for the evening or out shopping for the day, Bongo Java and Fido both carry Fair Trade coffee by the cup or buy the pound. Don’t want to drive to Nashville? Spencer’s Coffeehouse (on the square) and Bread & Bagel (Broadway) carry Bongo Java coffee as well – save yourself the trip!
Bongo Java, Nashville TN
http://www.bongojava.com/
Fido, Nashville TN
http://www.bongojava.com/beans.php?content=fido
Spencer’s Coffeehouse, Bowling Green (Downtown)
http://www.myspace.com/915college
Bread & Bagel, Bowling Green (Broadway)
Internet Sources:
Stone Creek Coffee
http://sccv3.stonecreekcoffee.com/
Grounds for Change
http://www.groundsforchange.com/index.php?loc=googleFT&gclid=CMXPwKKU4YICFRAXIgodXFjfkA
Global Exchange
http://www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/fairtrade/coffee/
Equal Exchange
http://www.equalexchange.com/
TransFair USA
http://www.transfairusa.org/
OxFam America
http://www.oxfamamerica.org/whatwedo/campaigns/coffee/news_publications/art1582.html
Women’s Bean Project
http://womensbeanproject.org/index.php?c=1&a=4&w=2&r=Y
Let me first suggest that you go here, and play the song Try on Life while you read this post. My favorite line in this song is building a community. We have come a long way since I wrote this post and while we still have more work to do I'd like to share our current journey with you.
