The title question may not be one that you ask yourself very often, especially if your produce purchases are whatever is on sale at the nearby Super Wal-Mart. Even then, you might think you are doing something for the environment by buying from the small stack of those organic bananas that cost a little more and don't look quite as bright and yellow as the larger stack. I suppose, given the choice between these two stacks of bananas, the organic ones probably are a little better choice for many reasons. And since bananas are likely not a local crop for most of us, organic ones are a good way to go. But what about tomatoes, onions, carrots and the like? For this sort of produce, the buying conundrum should be a little different. If we were seriously thoughtful about our purchases, the bright, red tomatoes that come from god-knows-where would not even be in the equation. Which leads to the title question. Which is a better, more environmentally conscious purchase, organic or local?
I got started on a very good article in the most recent issue of Adbusters entitled Grandma vs. Carbon? by Clayton Dach. In the article Clayton refers to a study by the David Suzuki Foundation. The foundation "has concluded that if you must choose between organic and local produce, it makes more environmental sense to choose local."
So go to Wal-Mart and buy your toothpaste if you must. But, get thee to a farmers market for the produce. If your local farmers grow with organic methods, all the better. The point is that you are supporting someone in your own back yard. And, if you are like some, you could literally get veggies from your very own backyard.
