Thinking About Purchasing
To me, sustainable purchasing is not about making the “right decision,” rather it is about making an aware and informed decision that weighs the all aspects of the item being purchased. These factors are, in no particular order: price, how it was made/grown, amount and type of packaging, quality of the item, how far it traveled, and who my money is supporting. I understand that for folks who operate on a tight budget, low prices will always make a very convincing argument.
Sustainable shopping asks folks to consider additional factors that may not affect the buyer directly (such as price or taste), but still have an impact. For example, I will occasionally purchase Trader Joe’s organic avocados, which are trucked up from Mexico. In doing so I need to be aware that I am sanctioning (with my wallet) the fossil fuel use and resulting gas emissions that are linked to getting the product to my plate. On the flip side, I am also considering the fact that my purchase supports organic farming practices, albeit in another country.
Yes, one could say that the “most sustainable” option for a Chicoan would be to cut avocados out of one’s diet altogether. But I like my guacamole dose every now and then, just as I enjoy bananas in my smoothie, or maple syrup on my pancakes.
Again, the key for me is being aware of the choices that I am making, and their ramifications. I do not advocate that Northern Californians eliminate avocados, bananas, and maple syrup from their diets. But recognizing them as a special treat rather than a regular part of one’s everyday existence is a positive step towards sustainability.
Comments
Hey Jeremy! I'm so glad you posted this! Mexican avocadoes do beautifully in this area. Hodges has a great stock of them, and they survived last winter (including the 19 degree stretch) unscathed. You can have avocadoes right in your own back yard- yippee!
Posted by: Heather Alexander | October 9, 2007 12:25 PM
Thanks, Heather! I will keep my eyes out for local avocados (or perhaps plant one myself).
Jeremy
Posted by: Jeremy MIller | October 9, 2007 03:25 PM
I love supporting organic farming, but I have a problem buying it from Trader Joe's. I love the store, however the exorbitant amount of packaging around those perfect little organic tomatoes and other goodies really defeats the purpose of purchasing organic for me. I bring my own bags whenever I can remember but adding to the amount of disposable items I put in them is discouraging. What can we do about this?
Posted by: Elena | October 9, 2007 08:56 PM
Elena,
I feel your pain. Trader Joe's has lots of organic for fair prices, but they do have a lot of packaging and it is hard to buy in bulk. My TJ's purchases have pretty much been reduced to organic condiments, cheese, laundry and bath items, and frozen oj. I get bulk items as much as possible from Chico Natural and S&S, and try my best to get my produce from the Farmer's Market (where I bring my own plastic bags). On the occasion that I do end up with TJ's packaging I try to recycle as much as I can.
Some of my other TJ "impulse" purchases, like hummus (and many of its neighbors in that section), I am learning how to make for myself. It is really not that hard.
Again, the question to ask is, is organic produce shipped in from Canada (TJ's tomatos), or Peru (TJ's bananas) still worthy enough to be considered "organic" in the spirit of the term?
A tomato solution that I hope to employ starting next year is to can or dry as much as possible over the summer and then simply go without the fresh products during the winter. I know I should be doing this with things like oj too, but you have to start somewhere.
Check out Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma. It is a real eye-opener on the topic of "industrial organic."
Jeremy
Posted by: Jeremy MIller | October 9, 2007 09:21 PM