Issue date: 2/4/10 Section: Opinions

Recently, I came across an article in the Globe and Mail that reported substantial growth in Ontario's organic food market. The Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada approximated a 20% increase in the national market for organic produce over the past year. The environmentally sensitive reader may be overjoyed that the rest of the country is finally coming to their senses and buying organic. Unfortunately, I'm here to burst your bubble. The organic food question, like any environmental question, isn't easily answered and I have a number of reservations.

One thing that irks me is the bevy of inconsistent, misleading "studies" there are on organic food. Just last year, the UK Food Standards Agency funded an inquiry into the benefits of organic food. The results? Organic food is no better for you than conventionally grown food. Are you surprised? Well, don't be. This study looked at decades of past studies and concluded that nutritionally, there is no meaningful difference between organic and conventional foods - nutritionally.

Investigating for about two seconds will confirm your worst fears. Yes, the inquiry was entirely misleading. Yes, it ignores all other factors that weigh in on what exactly might make organic food "better" for you. Use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers, not to mention the environmental impact, are all ignored. On top of this, the inquiry doesn't contribute any new information. It's a review of actual studies in recent history. This is the sort of tautological idiocy that makes any sort of actual environmental paradigm shift impossible. Conventional agriculture is bad for the environment. I honestly thought we were past that.

Another con is the direction organic endeavours are taking. As the market grows, we need to remind ourselves that organic food provides an alternative to conventional, unsustainable methods of food production. Just how capable is the current organic market of mitigating these same problems? Organic grocery chains mean increased expansion and mechanization of organic farms. It's good that you want to eat well and take care of yourself and the environment, but importing those organic greens in February defeats the purpose. Organically grown and locally produced food real ought to go together.

Speaking of locally produced food, I'm sure you've noticed the recent corporate attempts to cash in on the locavore demographic. A smug Galen Weston, chairman of Loblaw Companies Ltd., reminds us that there's pride in locally grown peaches and that we, like him, really ought to support our farmers. Besides, it's good for the environment! Am I the only one with an inexplicable distaste for that man? Anyway, my point is that agribusiness is apparently now showing some interest in shifting over to locally grown food. I confess that like many, I remain cynical. Could it be that corporate Canada is showing interest in sustainable food practices? Some genuinely seem interested and have taken steps. With most, however, it remains unclear whether this is genuine or just a ploy.

I'm not really sure what to think. It's really good that people are increasingly interested in organic alternatives. I just ask that everyone consider why they want to do so. Do your best to buy locally and organically. I'm sure I don't need to do so, but I also urge you to read with a discerning eye. Be able to sift through studies that may be misleading; remember, there are lobbies and independent interests in play. People can also be wrong, scientists and officials included. In the same vein, it's just as likely that I might be wrong. Keep an eye on corporate developments and local agricultural subcontracting.

Who knows? Maybe Galen Weston is the future of sustainable agriculture.

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