Eating local and eating organic are two ways to promote a healthy environment and support our communities. Local food isn’t transported hundreds or even thousands of miles, which causes pollution and loss of nutrients.
Buying local is a way of investing in our farmers and merchants while keeping closely connected to the food we eat.
Good Ecolabels Not sure what a label means, or if it’s regulated? See
eco-labels.org.
Levels of Organic. Processed food products can have different percentages of organic ingredients, with specific claims having the following legally defined organic ingredient contents: 100% Organic — 100%
Organic — At least 95%
Made With Organic Ingredients — At least 70% organic ingredients, will not carry USDA Organic seal.
Food Alliance Certified. Certifies farms for sustainable practices and fair working conditions. No genetically engineered crops are used.
Fair Trade Certified.
Democratically-organized farmer organizations receive a guaranteed
minimum floor price, do not use harmful agrochemicals, and have safe
labor conditions.
Be wary of these claims:
Free-Range/Free-Roaming. Beef and eggs are unregulated, leaving the claim open to abuse. Only poultry is regulated and can mean cages are opened for as little as five minutes per day. Cage-free implies no cages but not necessarily an outdoor space.
Natural. The USDA definition for beef and chicken states that nothing artificial or synthetic is added (including flavorings, color, or chemical preservatives). The word Natural on other foods, or in the name of a product, is unregulated and often meaningless.
Cruelty-Free. There is no official definition of this general claim and no organization to verify it.
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