Why Organic Produce Isn’t Always Sustainable

Let’s start by recognizing that growing fruits and vegetables organically is a step in the right direction and something to be appreciated. Without a doubt, in terms of a healthy diet, the organic versions are better than the potential ingestion of a plethora of agrochemicals that have proven negative effects.

However, in terms of sustainability, organic alone is not the ideal solution. Like mass agriculture of any kind, industrialized organic products have their pitfalls and scars on the earth. While it may be the best option that many of us currently have, if we are to make the planet and human existence on it more harmonious, we need to explore more fundamental solutions.

With that in mind, it’s time to explore why the organic section of the grocery store may not be as healthy as we’d like to believe. And, furthermore, we should dive into what we, as stewards of the land, could be doing better.

Organic is not necessarily local.

Like other industrialized agricultural products, organic products can be grown in half the world and accumulate thousands of kilometers of food before reaching the supermarket shelves. As painful as it is, we can’t grow avocados or pineapples, organic or not, anywhere near New York, Nashville, or New Orleans.

So buying imported products organically is only addressing a small part of the problem. The fact is that we have to buy what we can produce locally to avoid taxing the climate with our demands for food.

Organic is not automatically resource conscious.

Large-scale organic farms can place as great a demand, if not greater, for local and foreign resources. Huge organic corn and soy monocultures still require large amounts of fertilizers, organic pesticides, oil-powered equipment, and irrigation. The industrial system is based on the exploitation of resources rather than creating them.

In other words, to get closer to sustainable food sources, we have to support small farms that are building healthy and biodiverse soils and ecosystems. Going to farmers markets and our own garden plots is the best way to go.

Organic is not inherently better for the environment.

Industrialized organic producers still use biocides and fertilizers, which only have to come from natural sources. Although they are natural, that does not mean that large concentrations of things like copper sulfate and manure are not a problem for the environment. Abnormally high amounts of these natural substances definitely cause pollution problems.

Basically, we need to use cyclical systems where crops and the environment work in unison. This could potentially mean reinventing our heavy reliance on annual crops to a food system that celebrates perennials.

Organic probably doesn’t have renewable energy.

At this point, it goes without saying that we cannot have massive industries completely dependent on fossil fuels, and large-scale agriculture definitely is. All that huge and heavy machinery used to plow fields and harvest crops runs on fossil fuels, and it takes a lot to move those huge agricultural machines, organic or not.

We have to go back to smaller farming systems and back to more agrarian-based cultures, in which food production becomes a local business rather than an imported and distant convenience. That’s before we consider the food miles required to move everything, which only furthers this need for this reversal.

Organic is not above marketing ploy.

PLANTAIN

Michelle Cesare / Flickr

Organic produce and products have become a real selling point. People look for them these days. Unfortunately, that has resulted in USDA labeling becoming elusive, cutting out small farmers so corporations can run the show. Lobby-backed corporations can pay fees and meet standards that are simply out of the reach of small operations.

We have to think beyond the USDA organic labels. It’s a great thing to have in the supermarket, but when we can shop outside of the big box stores, there is an opportunity to talk to growers as people and learn about their growing methods.

Organic is not vegan at all.

Without a doubt, most organic farms rely heavily on factory farms where animals are treated so poorly. The bulk manure, blood meal, and bone meal commonly used in gardens are a by-product of CAFOs. In other words, until our organic fruits and vegetables stop turning to factory farms for fertility, you’re in a sense supporting these industries.

Vegan farming is a plant-based method of growing fruits and vegetables. Vegan gardens do not add manure or nutrient-rich animal parts to the soil. Without going into the logistics of where that places us as vegans buying crops, for now we can recognize that our organic food system cannot be sustainable if it depends on unsustainable and abusive animal farms.

This type of information can leave a well-meaning person in shock. Most of us are not in a position to grow much of our own food or pay higher prices to small farmers who do it well. Rather than feeling helpless or judged for not having everything perfectly aligned right now, knowing these kinds of things can guide us toward more sustainable options down the road. That doesn’t mean we can never have avocado toast or a cup of coffee. Furthermore, perhaps we can begin to enjoy these things more responsibly and perhaps a little less often, conscious of the real cost, not the dollar cost, of doing so.