Our Stance on Local vs. "Big Organic"

The Organic Food Council of Manitoba strongly believes that locally-grown organic food is the pinnacle of quality and the most common sense option for agricultural, environmental, and economic sustainability. While we support the growing and consumption of organic food in general, it behooves us to mention that the many benefits of organic agriculture are certainly offset by the excessive amount of fossil fuel required to process, package, and transport organic goods worldwide. The corporate capture of organics also has detrimental effects on rural communities, family farms and local businesses, as well as on the taste and healthfulness of our food. Consider the following:

The organic movement began as a grassroots response to chemical agriculture and the industrialization of the food system. Social justice, the economic viability of the family farm, whole, healthful food, and strong relationships between farmers and consumers were some of the ideals of the organic pioneers. These ideals can still (thankfully) be found on small organic and sustainable farms everywhere. But the demand for organic food continues to skyrocket, and what was once a movement has become an extremely lucrative industry in which many of the strongest corporate players have bought a stake. 

A large organic dairy in the US reportedly took advantage of vague language in the USDA organic regulations regarding temporary confinement and pasturing requirements.  It recently lost its organic certification because it did not offer sufficient pasture to its more than 3000 certified organic milking cows. Fortunately, there are watchdog organizations that monitor indiscretions like these because increasingly, the quality and safety of organic food is compromised as corporate farms push to meet demand.

In the past, people knew their farmer, and farmers knew the local miller, canner, and green grocer. While it may not form part of the national organic standard, this sense of connection with the farmers who produce our food is an idyllic concept that many people associate with organics. These days however, corporate farm owners may walk their land only rarely and farm workers may only know the truckers who deliver the produce to far away processing facilities. Processed and packaged organic foods might be marketed in ways that evoke trusting producer-consumer relationships, but this is often not realistic. 

For some people, the choice to eat locally grown organic food is largely because of the environmental impact of imported organic food. The reality of climate change has become foremost on the minds of many individuals, and the concept of ‘food miles’ has become more widely known. While organic food production has many environmental benefits, the increase in demand for organic versions of all kinds of foods has resulted in added long distance transportation that emits enormous amounts of carbon dioxide. Organic apples shipped from New Zealand and organic asparagus from Mexico have much higher food mile counts than the locally produced varieties, and processed organic foods carry a drastically higher environmental footprint still. A global matrix of manufacturers, suppliers, hangars, ports, warehouses, processing facilities, distribution centres, and corporate towers service Big Organic’s food distribution system, all guzzling oil for transport, refrigeration, and the production of packaging materials.   

Food security and the coming of Peak Oil have a place in this discussion as well. It appears inevitable that oil reserves will eventually dwindle and the cost of producing, processing, and transporting food will soar. Because we rely so much on the global food distribution system, we are vulnerable to food shortages in the event of price spikes or long term border disputes. According to a British Colombia Ministry of Agriculture Report titled “B.C.’s Food Self Reliance,” rising oil prices and climate change mean that the province’s agricultural production will have to increase by 30% by 2025 to maintain B.C.’s current level of self reliance. B.C. is not alone.  Richard Heinberg, author of The Oil Depletion Protocol, believes that millions of new farmers will be needed in North America within the next 20 - 30 years in order to produce sufficient food with limited oil reserves. Strong local food distribution systems everywhere will be vital to weathering any turbulence and ensuring food security for all.     

Locally produced food, organic or not, arguably tastes better than food harvested before ripening and shipped sometimes thousands of kilometers to our supermarkets. Many chefs know it, and actively source ingredients grown as close to their restaurants as possible. Regular folks know it too when they bite into a Manitoba strawberry in early July. Food that is allowed to ripen in the ground or on the vine, that does not undergo long trips in cold storage, and that is eaten soon after harvest is fresher, more flavourful, and more nutritious. These simple pleasures, along with the more serious issues like the strength of our rural communities and the safety and security of our food supply, are all addressed by eating more locally grown organic food. Check out Manitoba’s Organic Menu for a mouth-watering peek into our foodshed.