organics

We're all becoming more conscious not only of the nutrients in our food, but of the wider environmental factors involved in what we eat. Concepts like "food miles", "organic", "sustainable" and "locally produced" are often on our minds. But just how far would you go?

In Britain, we've come up with a novel way to deal with the long-standing problem of grey squirrels - we're eating them.

Good Magazine have published a fantastic chart showing exactly which food conglomerates own which organic food brands.

"Organic" is a dreadfully overused word - but it often gives the impression of shiny healthy goodness.

The 100-Mile diet – now an international phenomenon written by Alisa Smith and James MacKinnon has helped spark a movement of eating foods that are locally produced (within 100 miles of the home).

Based on the staggering fact that the average distance our food travels from farm to plate in North America is 1500 miles, the authors set out to eat only locally for an entire year. This movement has spawned the term “Locavore”.

Why Become a Locavore?

When is organic not organic? When the USDA decide to water down the rules.

The Organic Consumers Association has been petitioning against a proposal to allow non-organic ingredients to be labeled as organic.

As this recent discussion shows, there are a myriad reasons why we don't eat healthy foods. One of these is the issue of convenience. Driving a long way to a farmer's market to get fresh organic produce is not workable for some.

However, if sustainable eating does interest you, here are some resources that may help.

A recent article looked at the 12 fruits and vegetables with the most pesticide residue.

Here is a list of the 12 least tainted foods.

Some fruit and vegetables have more pesticide residues than others.

Buying organic is a great way to go - but availability and price factors put many people off.

The following 12 produce items have the highest pesticide residue.

Fair trade, organic, and sustainability are the new buzzwords - and so they should be. We are finally beginning to realize that there is more to food than price, taste, or even personal health. Somewhere down the food supply line there is an environmental impact.

Is that impact sustainable and do we care?