Make the best choice...or at least the better choice

Environmentalists and sustainability advocates tend to advise consumers to "buy organic" when doing their food shopping. The idea is that organically produced food is more environmentally sustainable, since it eschews the use of pesticides, herbicides and genetically modified plants. The problem with telling people that the only right choice is the organic choice is many-fold.

First, if you've compared prices at your local supermarket, organic fruits, produce, meat and dairy tend to be more expensive than their commercially produced counterparts. The reasons for this could fill a dozen blog postings, but suffice it say that not everyone can afford to pay for organic milk or humanely raised free-range chicken. Furthermore, organic food isn't necessarily the most sustainable choice if it's trucked from the other side of the country. It may discourage pesticide use, but will do nothing to reduce your carbon footprint.

So what's a cash-strapped and environmentally conscious consumer to do? The better choice - compared to buying commercially produced, pesticide-laden food trucked from three thousand miles away - is to buy local. Many supermarket chains have started stocking fruit and produce from local farms, so keep an eye out at your local store. If you have the time, stop by one of the increasingly numerous farm stands featuring fruit and produce local to your town. You'll be supporting the local economy, in most cases paying less than supermarket prices, and you'll get a fresher, more nutritious product.

The idea of living a more environmentally sustainable lifestyle is to make better choices. Locally produced organic food is the best choice, but if that's not accessible to you, start making the better choice of locally grown food. You - and the planet - will be thrilled with the change!