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Author Topic: Eco dilemma  (Read 2428 times)

Eagledance

  • Joined May 2009
  • Fife
Eco dilemma
« on: July 05, 2009, 09:21:09 am »
Was in the most hated of supermarkets yesterday and not only did they have no apples form the NOrthern hemisphere they also had reduced their entire eco friendly cleaning range to Ecover delicate washing liquid, becoase of course the main thing we greenies are interetsed in in washing our delicates!! GRRR!

Anyway - my question:

Is it better to buy organic garlic from Argentina or non organic garlic from Spain?

Ed ;D
Live well: Laugh often: Love much

sellickbhoy

  • Joined Jan 2009
  • Muiravonside, near Linlithgow
Re: Eco dilemma
« Reply #1 on: July 05, 2009, 12:12:36 pm »
eagledance

i firmly believe you are better to buy LOCAL whenever you can. Local and seasonal is the way to go.

Ideally Organic, but in the UK, we really don't have the climate to ensure a regular organic supply to meet our needs.

not only do you help local businesses, you reduce air miles too. Yeah you might "harm" the growing countries in far away lands who rely on tescos huge orders - but if you read up the terms these products are produced under you'll realise they would be better off free of the contracts that make them slaves to their land and instead use it to produce their own food/products for consumption in their own countries

oh, btw, i'm just starting up a local fruit and veg business!!!! so i do have a bit of a vested interest in this one!! LOL


rustyme

  • Guest
Re: Eco dilemma
« Reply #2 on: July 05, 2009, 01:01:11 pm »
hello ED ,
            this is one of those questions that is a very personal one really. Each of us will have our own particular standards , morals , beliefs  etc .
     My first requirement would be GM free . I will not accept any GM at all, full stop . Sadly there are cases where GM stuff is used without the general public knowing ,and then there are the times where GM crops have contaminated non GM crops (something we were told could never happen !!). In the USA 2007 permission was granted to grow GM rice for medicinal purposes. The  GM rice in question has HUMAN genes in it  !!!! I personally find this so outrageous I could easily commit crimes to stop this practice. First they turn herbivores, Cows sheep etc, into cannibals, now they are doing it with us !!! So GM is out for me .
   My next requirement is organic!! I then know there are no poisons in the food . For non organic farmers to grow acres of one crop , they drench the crop in all sorts of poison, so that nothing survives and eats the crop before sale . Try growing cabbages and you will see what I mean . Go for a walk in a non organic veg crop , it is weird . Nothing there apart from the crop , no flies caterpillars slugs nothing . But of course this does us no harm at all , perfectly safe , as safe as GM maybe ? as safe as beef was due to BSE ? There is very strong evidence that this (BSE) came about to due to pour ons along the backs of cattle , being used at 4x above known safe levels , and then these parts (spines etc ) being used in burgers , mince etc. Once again we were all told that this was all perfectly safe to do .
   Next would be local/seasonal supply . Local, so that there is less fuel used to transport millions of tons of food all round the world . Also , so that farmers (organic ones) , and smallholders can earn money and survive . Or for those with the inclination ? , grow your own (organically) . The best all round solution to my mind .
    These are my preferences . Not everyone will agree with them, or the order , but I think more than a few will ?.

cheers

Russ

Hilarysmum

  • Joined Oct 2007
Re: Eco dilemma
« Reply #3 on: July 05, 2009, 02:18:56 pm »
My own preferences first NO GMs.  Absolutely no gms.  Then as local as possible.  Then preferably from a small supplier.  Many of whom grow very organically but cant afford the costs to be specified as organic. 
Except for meat and eggs, which if I were to buy  my first and only criteria would be that the animals had been raised and finished in decent conditions.  Here at least that does not always apply to local or organic.

northfifeduckling

  • Joined Jan 2009
  • Fife
    • North Fife Blog
Re: Eco dilemma
« Reply #4 on: July 05, 2009, 11:01:45 pm »
It's always a personal choice - firstly I agree with Hilarysmum, absolutely no GM. Other than that, we do live on a very tight budget, but I try to put local first. With other purchases things are difficult to keep track of, like they may have undergone changes in their management you possibly would not want to support. E.g. Green and Blacks is owned by Cadbury's, BodyShop by L'Oreal, Seeds of Change by Mars. I heard rumours of a takeover of Ecover, but am not sure. Small and local is the only honest choice for me, so if the question is to buy something organic from Italy, that's ok, but I would not choose the product from China. With non-grocery items I look at the price and ingredients. A supermarket's own brand eco loo cleaner does the job equally well as Ecover. :&>

 

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