| "We all want to make the right choices but it is not clear what they are and the evidence is quite contradictory, and there's quite a lot of woolly thinking here." |
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Tom Standage |
Which is best to buy: an organic bean from Spain, a fair-trade bean from Kenya or a pesticide sprayed home-grown Dutch bean?
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Sales of organic, fair-trade and local food have shot up in recent years. The products allow consumers to express their concerns about their health, the environment, social justice and sustainable living.
If you're worried about the environment or your health, you can shop for organic; if you're concerned about food miles or globalisation you can buy locally grown food; or if your priority is to support poor farmers in the developing world, you can do your bit by buying fair-trade produce.
But some critics say 'ethical food' is not always as good as it appears to be on the packet - and may actually harm the world more than helping it.
Are they right? And what is the best choice for food shoppers with good intentions? Can you change the world just by buying certain foods?
The panellists:
Tom Standage, business editor for the Economist Magazine. He's describes the growth of 'ethical foods' as a 'fad among the rich.'
Jos Harmen, product specialist of the Dutch fair-trade foundation, Max Havelaar. The Max Havelaar label, launched in 1988, was the world's first Fairtrade Certification Mark.
Lasca ten Kate, representative of the Dutch organic and local food campaign, Noordhollandsegrond (North Holland Soil)
Key standpoints:
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| Click to listen to the programme | |
Jos Harmsen on the reason to buy fair-trade products:
"Our objective is to strengthen farmers and producers in Third World countries. Because they are marginalized in world trade. So in that sense they need some access to the market to develop themselves, to help themselves, to improve their living standards. So by buying fair-trade, Max Havelaar products, you are supporting these small farmers to get a living and to strengthen their organisation."
Lasca ten Kate on the reasons to buy organic and local produce:
"I think it's very much about the combination of the two, that's what our whole campaign is about. And to choose for that there are many reasons, both for the way organic products are produced, the very respectful way for nature, animal welfare etc. And to say 'organic and local' you are also working towards cutting down unnecessary transport, which I think is a really important aspect. And again when choosing organic in combination with local, you also help to sustain the biodiversity."
Tom Standage on why he has reasons to doubt 'ethical food' claims:
"Because I don't think the evidence for the benefits is very strong. The evidence for the organic food's environmental superiority is really very mixed. It's better in some ways, for example, you don't use fertilisers, so you don't have to use the fossil fuels that are used in the production of fertilisers, on the other hand organic food requires a lot more land.…. Similarly fair trade has some good things about it but… ultimately I think it's just prolonging the inevitable, it perpetuates uneconomic production."
"Again local, everybody assumes that because the food is produced locally it must be better for the environment because it's travelled less far, and people talk about food miles, but if you look at the numbers this just doesn't add up… so the point is, we all want to make the right choices but it is not clear what they are and the evidence is quite contradictory, and there's quite a lot of woolly thinking here."
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Is it possible to live only on fair-trade food? 'Fair-trade Man' set himself the challenge of eating nothing but food and drink with the fair-trade label for two whole weeks. Ben Clowney promotes fair trade as part of his job as a campaign officer for the aid agency Tearfund in the UK. But was it that simple?Listen to find out |
A selection of your emails to the question: Does it matter what food we buy?
Brian Merritt, Canada:
"People are starting to detest genetically modified foods and show their preference for cleaner biologically grown ones. In my neck of the woods I've seen a small store purveying organic and etically grown foods, moving into a larger premises to better serve their growing clientele. It may represent a small percentage of the overall market but does have its loyal customers."
Jude Kirkham, Vancouver, Canada:
"It just so happens we have a concise and effective means of measuring the collective inputs associated with a particular nutritional choice. It is called "the price.' For example, the costs of transportation are already included. Unlike the various opaque and contradictory standards of fair, ethical, or for that matter Trotskyite food "the price" is not subject to the vaguaries of populist whim."
Jasmin, India:
"I really go by season, when buying vegetables and fruits. I prefer the local ones with less food miles attached because they belong to that season. I would never go for summer veggies in winters or vice-versa as they are harmful for our digestion and health. As for the products not home-grown, I won't mind the food miles so long as they are in-season. I think, to refuse products purely on the basis of food miles, is unfair to the farmers, though the kg of carbon produced is more but then this carbon is not produced specifically by product cargo, even passengers and other freight too was on board. So I find it funny. If you are really worried about kg of carbon produced then all air traffic should stop."
Anil Kumar Upadhyaya, India:
"I am fond of organic vegetables which is not with chemicals and should be grown with village base green fertiliser which is found in Indian villages and I like mixed vergetables and not in favour of processed foods which increases fat and cholesterol in the body and in India, a lot of people are affected by fat and diabetes, by consuming junk foods in life style."
Jan Velema, Ontario CANADA:
"I think it is very important for people to start growing their own food in their backyards because once oil and gas are not as plentiful we are going to need this food for survival. I do it because it is a reminder of LIFE."
Evert Weidner, Lansdale PA:
"The first objective is to feed the family with as nutritional food as possible, either organic or not. The issue is that it be properly inspected, wherever it comes from. Aside from this, if you want to make a political statement or helping some deprived farmer, it is of course commendable, but not at the expense of ones own family. It follows the basic law of nature."
Tags: amsterdam forum, development, fair trade, health, local, organic food, poverty, sustainable