Things We All Can Do To Be More ‘Earth Friendly’

Over the past few years, we have seen more food companies become “socially responsible.” Some tout charitable contributions, others offer hormone-free milk or organics and the like. For those of us who want our entire shopping cart to be “earth friendly,” what can we do?

Wendy Gordon, executive director of Mothers & Others, a non-profit organization dedicated to translating environmental concerns to everyday life, recently published some suggestions in the group’s newsletter:

Eating a variety of food means you’re drawing on the biological diversity of the earth. It also brings wider nutritional balance in your diet. Buying locally produced foods means the produce travels fewer miles from the farm to your mouth. These foods are not only fresher but also less likely to be treated with post-harvest pesticides. It also supports local farmers.

Buying produce in season not only helps you discover new foods but also will reduce the amount of imported produce you consume. Out-of-season produce is energy-intensive because it must be shipped long distances.

Organically produced food relies on a minimum of processing and uses no artificial ingredients or preservatives. It also verifies that the soil and environment are being maintained. However, always look for organic certification on the label. Don’t just rely on the word “organic” on the front.

Choose minimally processed and packaged foods; the more processing a food is subjected to, the more naturally occurring nutrients are removed. Excess packaging also wastes resources.

Preparing meals at home, from scratch, involves a little more work and time but will save you money and deliver more nutritious food to the table. When you buy processed products, you’re paying somebody else to prepare and package the food, then ship it throughout the country.

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