Do Your Part!

As a consumer it can be difficult to make those tough decisions about what coffee brand to buy or what labels to believe.  Organic?  Locally grown?  Fair trade?  What do all these labels mean, and how can I use them to make informed consumer choices? Fear no more for all your questions are about to be answered. 

Organic Foods: 
These products are special because you know you are eating the natural food.  The organic label means the grower has not used synthesized pesticides, bioengineered genes, or petroleum based fertilizers.  Organic products are not only better for you, but they are also better for the environment.  They reduce pollution, conserve water, and help prevent soil erosion.  Although the organic price can be daunting, there are certain foods where the organic label matters most.  The USDA recognized the following 12 vegetables as the most genetically modified or pesticide bearing products.  When making your organic choices be sure to grab these important items! 
- Apples                       - Celery                  - Kale                        - Peaches
- Bell Peppers            - Grapes                 - Lettuce                   - Pears
- Carrots                      - Cherries              - Nectarines             - Strawberries


Local Foods: 
This term is difficult to define.  Locally grown: does that mean in South Carolina? In the Southeast?  In the United States?  Although it is tough to know the source of all your foods, buying locally should be the goal for at least some of your purchases.  Buying locally grown food helps support community farmers and stimulate the economy in your area.  In addition, you can guarantee your food is always fresh.  Plus, most locally grown foods use fewer pesticides and growth hormones than imported foods.  Keep this in mind the next time you take a trip to your local farmer's market! 


Fair Trade:
Fair trade is a social movement that helps producers in developing countries to make better trading conditions and promote sustainability.  It advocates paying higher prices to producers and creating higher social and environmental standards.  The movement focuses on handicrafts, coffee, cocoa, sugar, tea, bananas, honey, cotton, wine, fresh fruit, chocolate, flowers, and gold.  When you purchase a fair trade product you know a portion of the cost is helping fuel development projects in third world countries.  For a list of companies that advocate fair trade practices follow this link! 
http://www.greenamerica.org/programs/fairtrade/products/wheretobuy.cfm


Hopefully these topics have given you a few things to consider the next time you shop.  In the end, the most important thing is to encourage economic and environmental sustainability.  Do your part!