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As Michael Pollan so elegantly revealed in The Omnivore’s Dilemma, the organics movement has been profoundly changed by its own success. No longer the provenance of the groovy little farm down the street, lots of organic food comes from large, multinational corporations.
In this week’s BusinessWeek, Diane Brady looks at organic dairy producers and how consumer demand has forced companies like Stonyfield and Horizon to get bigger—and abandon some of their original ideals.
There’s no question that organics are profitable:
For Big Food, consumers’ love affair with everything organic has seemed like a gift from the gods. Food is generally a commoditized, sluggish business, especially in basic supermarket staples. Sales of organic groceries, on the other hand, have been surging by up to 20% in recent years. Organic milk is so profitable, with wholesale prices more than double that of conventional milk, that Lyle ‘Spud’ Edwards of Westfield, Vt., was able to halve his herd, to 25 cows, this summer and still make a living … .
But there are perils in this growth, and one of them is that supplies of organically grown ingredients can be inconsistent.
What to do? If you’re [Stonyfield Farm’s] Hirshberg, you weigh the pros and cons of importing organic milk powder from New Zealand. Stonyfield already gets strawberries from China, apple purée from Turkey, blueberries from Canada, and bananas from Ecuador. It’s the only way to keep the business growing. Besides, Hirshberg argues, supporting a family farmer in Madagascar or reducing chemical use in Costa Rica is just as important as doing the same at home.
As Wal-Mart, Heinz, and General Foods enter the organic food fray, it’s worth remembering that, for sustainablity and health, eating locally always trumps eating (big) organically.
Hi Guys,
well with the progression of time i think morganic theory can be laid to rest. i have been purchasing organic food from these guys
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and they are just great! their prices are cheap and its so much better than going shopping. i also buy my gluten free products from them
This is a real concern for foodies striving for sustainable eating. At the movement's outset, farmers had to struggle to survive against the lower prices of commercial goods, potentially disastrous crop yields, and the challenges of reformulating public understandings of aesthetic produce (e.g., the apple minus its waxy sheen.) It's great that organic goods are becoming more widely available and...+READ
This is a real concern for foodies striving for sustainable eating. At the movement's outset, farmers had to struggle to survive against the lower prices of commercial goods, potentially disastrous crop yields, and the challenges of reformulating public understandings of aesthetic produce (e.g., the apple minus its waxy sheen.) It's great that organic goods are becoming more widely available and accepted, but I couldn't stomach buying organic from a Wal-Mart label, even if the lopsided tomato was sourced from organic farmers in struggling communities. With so much convoluted sourcing behind a label, it's difficult to keep track of the conditions of individual parts. I'm probably biased, but I'd be more likely to trust that companies like Horizon and Stonyfield are assuring the quality and fair treatment of their non-local food sources better than a big-time profitable company looking for a new competitive edge, even if those companies themselves grow based on their success.-COLLAPSE
Because "morganics" means more money, it was only a matter of time before corporations co-opted the movement. Behold the birth of Acme Organics.
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This is a really interesting aspect of the organic movement. Organic is often associated with "good for the earth," and often, justifiably so. As a Chicagoan, there is simply no way that I can get organic strawberries in December; snow and strawberries don't go together. So, if I want to eat organic strawberries, they will undoubtadly be picked in a tropical climate, put on a ship or plane,...+READ
This is a really interesting aspect of the organic movement. Organic is often associated with "good for the earth," and often, justifiably so. As a Chicagoan, there is simply no way that I can get organic strawberries in December; snow and strawberries don't go together. So, if I want to eat organic strawberries, they will undoubtadly be picked in a tropical climate, put on a ship or plane, transported to Chicago across a continent.... Or, I can buy a conventional one, that was grown in a green house with pesticides. Part of the problem of course does come from people eating food that isn't in season. Strawberries in December aren't a good match. Still, it is good to remember that organic doesn't always mean better for the planet.-COLLAPSE