I have been sitting on this thought for a while and now I am up at 1:00am waiting for a reply to an e-mail so I thought I would dive in!
What is it with people who only eat organic food? Now, I don't look down on this and in fact, I the junk food junkie queen, am trying to get my family to eat better these days. On Shabbat just about everything I make is from scratch, right down to our challah! (pause for applause, thank you yes, I know it is amazing considering there was a time I thought making a cake from scratch meant making it from a better crocker box instead of buying it at the store!) So anyway, now I am trying to do this more during the week. This week I am going to attempt to make our bread from scratch instead of store bought. We will see how it goes. But what I have discovered is that my attempts at healthy eating are quite feeble in fact. It seems that white sugar and plain white flour are just not good enough. We must eat whole wheat flour, whole wheat pasta :p, only fresh organic veggies will do, not just your average run of the mill fresh veggies, organic light brown sugar, etc. In fact it seems to go so far that if I buy fresh squeezed Orange Juice from a grocery store this is only second rate to doing it at home myself. Now that is true, but lets face it with three little kids cruising the joint, I am not sure I am up for it on a daily basis. I feel like everyone has to prove that they are more organic than the next person. It is like the great "arms race" of the '80's where each country had to prove that they were more armed than the next guy. I understand people with allergies to additives, or gluten, or soy, and so on, some people really do have to be really careful, but don't look at me like a Neanderthal just because I am still buying my orange juice in a container instead of doing it myself!
The other things that gets me is the cost. Here is something that has no pesticides, no additives, no preservatives, but costs 3 times more than the "junk!" Can someone please explain this to me! To buy 1 kilo (2.2lbs) of organic flour costs 16 shekel about $3.80 U.S. To buy 1 kilo of white regular old flour costs 3 shekel or about .70 cents. Does it really make that big of a difference, am I really going to feel better, look better, because I spent $4.00 on flour instead of .70 cents. Perhaps someone in the organic world can explain this to me. And save the pesticide speech, yes, I know they can be nasty but that is what soap and water are for!
3 comments:
Alina,
It’s Jill Perry, Dena’s friend since 1st grade. I read her latest blog entry and was very compelled to check out yours (as she refers to one of your recent posts). I completely understand your frustration with the organic food movement and thought I’d add my “two cents.”
I’m one of those people who are committed to buying either certified organic foods or (more importantly, I believe) foods raised locally without harmful pesticides and sprays and that raise animals more humanely. But my reasons go far beyond how these things affect my health. Because, in fact, there hasn’t been much research, as far as I know, that clearly and definitively links pesticide residue, hormones, etc. to disease in humans. Rather, I support the use of fewer sprays for the effect this has on farm worker health (to which there are clear links between exposures the certain chemicals and disease) and the benefits that sustainable agricultural practices have on the health of our land, soils, and the animals that nourish our bodies.
I wish more people would connect supporting sustainable agricultural practices with the health of workers, farm animals, and the environment and not just our own health. One of the reasons for the higher prices is that often organic/sustainable farmers don’t get the yield that conventional growing practices do. But I also think that “organics” has become “big business,” can demand a higher price, and people will pay it because they think they’re getting a better product. Given the size of some organic operations (California has some huge ones), I question this. I much prefer to support the local farmers who sell at our farmers markets, because I know that the money I give them, while it may be a little more than conventionally growing foods at the grocery store, is going directly to their families and is helping smaller, family-run farms survive.
You shouldn’t feel like you’re putting your family in harms way for not buying organic or always eating “whole foods.” Because for some foods, there’s NO substitute for while flour! Donuts made from whole wheat flour???? Chocolate chip cookies with whole wheat flour?? NOT the same! We all do the best we can. My suggestion is to do your research (because there’s a lot of assumptions being made without anything to back them up), and if you can, support sustainable and ethical farming practices when and however you can. Every little bit helps.
Jill, I hope you read this. I really like your comments and you make some excellent points that I had forgotten about. I too agree with sustainable farming and supporting local farming. One of the nice things here is that all fresh produce unless other wise stated is grown in Israel, a country the size of the Willamette Valley. So in essence everything is local. But when given the opportunity I also try to buy from the smaller businesses to help sustain their families etc. Thanks for a great reminder that our purchases don't just affect us, but the people we buy from and the families they support.
Alina,
Yes, I just read your response, and in fact, I've been reading your blog daily (trying to catch up on your past entries). I'm just facinated with your life in Israel, not only living in another country but another culture. I'm particularly taken by the simplicity of your life, in that your need to conserve money requires you to find joy and adventure in basic things--a bus ride, grocery shopping, the zoo, the local park, and hour or two with friends, etc. I feel like our lives have become so complicated. Reading your blog is very inspiring! Thank you!
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