Fairtrade, Organic or Locally Produced Food?

Should I buy food and products that supportmore expensive then food produced in other
workers in Third World by buying Fairtrade labelledcountries......... Decisions, decisions, it's probably best to
products even though these goods normally travelabstain from eating and give your choice making brain
thousands of miles from Africa, South America ora rest!
South East Asia? What if these foods wereBut I can safely say that I make attempts to avoid
produced with the use of pesticides and additives? Itfood or products that have travelled from far away
makes sense then to look for and to buy Fairtrade,destinations such as Australia even if they are
organic food to both help the producers in the Thirdorganic! Next time you are in the supermarket or
World and fulfil my lifestyle choice to eat healthy andwherever you buy your food from check the labels
additive/pesticide free food. Thankfully, manyand you will be surprised by how far your food has
producers are now wising up to this dilemma bytravelled. Also look at the amount of unnecessary
increasingly producing organic and Fairtrade labelledwrapping such as individually wrapped peppers,
products. I am currently using Fairtrade, organicmushrooms and kiwi fruit in wrapped boxes. When I
t-bags at home! Now comes another importantbuy from the local market I tell them to throw it all
question, should I buy Fairly Traded organic sugarinto one bag, the customer next to me often has 10
from Kenya that has travelled thousands of miles, orindividually wrapped portions of fruit and veg. That's
should I buy apples grown in the UK (ideally from a11 (10 plus one big plastic bag) bags into the landfill
farmers market) that have only travelled only a fewsite that day. For maximum eco efficiency we need
hundred miles which means less carbon dioxide andto be using jute or other bags made from recycled
other nasty emissions from the lorries that you seematerials and putting all the loose food into that. For
constantly on the motorways in the UK? Buying UKrecycled bags, Fairtrade and Organic companies,
products not only ensures less food miles but alsoproducts and food see GuideMeGreen's green
supports local farmers, communities and economies.directory.
Unfortunately, choice is often limited and can be