Local Versus Organic: How to Be a Label-Savvy Consumer

Carly Crabb will graduate from WWU in March with a bachelor’s degree in English.
Photographer Cassi Gallagher is a WWU student working toward a visual journalism degree with a minor in anthropology.

You eat them everyday. The produce sections at countless grocery stores are packed with a spectrum of fruits and veggies, some with signs reading “organic” and “local” and some without. Those apples you had your eye on for that perfect pie may have traveled 1,500 miles to get here, while the other apples come from an orchard just up the road.

But what’s the difference? The question of whether to buy organic, conventional or local produce is a decision shoppers struggle with daily. Information on the differences between these labels can be hard to find, leaving concerned consumers at a crossroads.

The amount of produce advertised as organic or local is on the rise, and it seems as if everything from prunes to potatoes has an organic counterpart.

Under today’s standards, organic certification is a time-consuming and costly process for many small farmers, but only certified farmers can label their products “organic.” This leads some to choose alternative certification programs, or label their produce as “local.” Gone are the days when stickers on apples told consumers all they needed to know.

Now, many shoppers are left standing in aisles, wondering what’s best for themselves and the environment. But there are key differences between local, organic and conventional produce that may make your purchasing decisions easier.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, most produce sold in the United States travels an average of 1,500 miles before reaching your table. Purchasing local produce reduces the distance food travels, cutting down on CO2 emissions and putting dollars back in the pockets of local farmers.

However, the term “local” remains loosely defined. Those involved in the “locavore,” or 100-mile diet movement, believe that local food comes from within a 100-mile radius from one’s home. Whole Foods Market, a national natural and organic grocery store chain, considers products “local” only if they have traveled fewer than seven hours by truck, according to their Web site. This means that in Washington state, produce from Spokane can be considered local in Seattle.

The term organic, on the other hand, has been strictly defined by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA): produce that has been grown without using synthetic pesticides or fertilizers.

Although both local and organic movements are increasing, the USDA has only set standards for organic produce. In October 2002, these standards became the National Organic Program. All farmers making over $5,000 annually and who wish to advertise using the word organic must certify their farms with the program.

“I would prefer if I didn’t have to certify,” said Mike Long, owner of first-year Whatcom County farm Galactic Organics. Long said he chose to certify for marketing purposes.

“In order to sell in some places, you have to be certified,” Long said, “Such as Terra Organica downtown.”

Jason Weston, co-owner of non-certified organic farm Joe’s Garden in south Bellingham, believes larger farms can make a better profit because they have more land. The organic label is a way for small farms to get their foot in the door with markets and grocery stores.

The purpose of certification, however, is to make sure there are standards and that they are being enforced, said Dr. Gigi Berardi, professor and director of Huxley College’s new Institute for Global and Community Resilience.

But the certification process can be expensive, especially for new farms. In Washington state, farmers must pay an application fee of $250, an inspection fee of $20 and an annual fee ranging from $200 to $2,000 based on the farm’s profit, according to the Washington State Department of Agriculture.

As an alternative to paying the certification fees, many farmers have chosen to drop the word “organic” from their advertising schemes. Even though these farmers meet and sometimes exceed organic standards, without USDA certification they are not legally allowed to refer to their produce as organic.

Joe’s Garden has been locally farming in Whatcom County for over 100 years. The garden uses no pesticides, organic or synthetic, on their crops.

Certified or not, Weston believes the key to healthy farming lies in the soil. He has the garden tested once a year to make sure the ground has the nutrients it needs to grow healthy and organic produce.

“It’s about working with the environment,” said Jason’s father and previous owner Carl Weston. “Thirty years ago, farmers were trying to protect their farms from bugs and disease. They didn’t realize they were actually killing the good insects such as ladybugs and wasps.”

For other small farms, third-party certification programs such as the nonprofit Certified Naturally Grown program (CNG) based out of New York gives farmers an alternative to USDA organic farming. Hauck’s Orchard in Ferndale is the only CNG farm in Whatcom County, according to the list of farms on the CNG Web site.

Though unrelated to the USDA, the CNG program uses the same standards as the National Organic Program. According to CNG, the effort runs primarily on donations from farmers and supporters.

By using the same standards, consumers can be sure that their produce meets the same regulations that the USDA has implemented, as well as supporting farmers who may not otherwise be able to afford certification.

Farmers are not the only ones feeling the higher price of organic farming. Consumers also pay more for eco-friendly foods. According to a 2006 article from the Journal of Food Science, organic products typically cost 10 to 40 percent more than their conventional counterparts.

An article published by the Mayo Clinic, a United States nonprofit medical practice and research group, found that the difference in price between organic and conventional produce is due to more expensive farming practices and lower crop yields. For example, because organic farmers don’t use any herbicides, growers may weed their crops by hand.

“It’s a hard decision. I want to support better environmental practices, but as a college student, I can’t really afford paying for organic foods,” said Ryan Gadwa, a junior at Western Washington University.

Gadwa is not alone. For the other shoppers leaving the store frustrated over the choice between higher-priced organic and less-regulated conventional produce, there are alternatives.

The Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit organization located in Washington D.C., published a list of produce containing the highest levels of pesticides, helping shoppers decide which foods to buy organic and which to buy conventional.

According to the list, fruits and vegetables with an outer peel or rind that is not consumed, such as avocado and pineapple, generally have lower amounts of pesticides in the part of the fruit that is eaten. It is better to buy organic for fruits that are consumed entirely, such as peaches and apples, because they have the highest levels.

Purchasing organic produce for children is always a good idea, according to WWU biology instructor Georgianne Connell. Exposure to pesticides during childhood can result in permanent adverse effects, according to the EPA.

“I would prefer not to serve my children food sprayed with pesticides,” Connell said.

The alternatives to conventional produce are out there. Locally grown foods reduce transportation costs both economically and environmentally, as well as supporting local farmers. And organic foods, although they may cost more, use farming practices that support a healthy earth. By looking beyond labels, you can find produce that benefits your body, your wallet and the environment.

This article was first published in The Planet, Fall 2008; it’s reprinted here with permission from the author. The Planet Magazine is the quarterly student publication of Western Washington University’s Huxley College of the Environment. §