So the answer for our global food quandaries is to eat 100% organic, fair trade, and non-genetically modified foods, right? If you had asked me about a year ago, that's what I would have said. I still believe that these three actions are essential, but more and more, I'm also starting to understand the importance of distance in the food equation.
Yes, organic foods are healthier, tastier, and better for the environment then pesticide-sprayed ones, no question.
However, consider the following:
Being a conscientious and quality oriented consumer, you might pick up a tray of organic strawberries at the grocer, and pass up the Ontario-grown apples. Where have those strawberries been flown-in from? California? The fuel energy that went into flying those little guys into your precious palms far outweigh any caloric value you'll get from eating them!! Another example: buying cheeses that have been flown in from all corners of the world when local cheesemakers are struggling to find a market. Buying local cheeses,
- supports your local economy
- saves the planet a bunch of carbon emissions
This is from their website:
When the average North American sits down to eat, each ingredient has typically travelled at least 1,500 miles—call it "the SUV diet." On the first day of spring, 2005, chose to confront this unsettling statistic with a simple experiment. For one year, they would buy or gather their food and drink from within 100 miles of their apartment in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Since then, James and Alisa have gotten up-close-and-personal with issues ranging from the family-farm crisis to the environmental value of organic pears shipped across the globe. They've reconsidered vegetarianism and sunk their hands into community gardening. They've eaten a lot of potatoes.
Their 100-Mile Diet struck a deeper chord than anyone could have predicted. Within weeks, reprints of their blog at had appeared on sites across the internet. Then came the media, from BBC Worldwide to Utne magazine. Dozens of individuals and grassroots groups have since launched their own 100-Mile Diet adventures. The need now is clear: a locus where 100-milers can get the information they need to try their own lifestyle experiments, and to exchange ideas and develop campaigns. That locus will be here at 100MileDiet.org—turning an idea into a movement.
I recommend checking out this book, and especially their website: . Alisa and James offer a lot of thought provoking ideas, in addition to tips and tools for the inspired. In this instance, it's definitely worth going the distance.
