Is Responsible Food Really More Expensive?

Is Responsible Food Really More Expensive? Yesterday, I did my weekly grocery shopping at our local farmer’s market.  I shared the results of my shopping trip with my online social community, and while the result was generally positive, there was also a clear indication that the assumption out there is that this choice, to purchase my groceries from local, sustainable and humane sources, must have been expensive.  Well, if there is one thing I am truly devoted to in 2014, its questioning assumptions. Confronted with this meme, I looked back to the source of my decision to go local and sustainable in the first place.  That move certainly came from the culmination of a lifetime of learning and exploration, but one of the most powerful moments along that journey was the viewing of the documentary Food Inc.  I cannot fully express in a simple article the depth and insight of this film, but I can give you a sampling of the ideas that emerge from it.  I hope that this sampler will whet your appetite for more, and that you will watch the film and continue forward to do your own investigation into the true costs of our current food culture.First of all, in most consumer’s minds, is the dollar value or cost of the groceries.  It should not be assumed that humanely and sustainably raised food will have a big hit on the pocketbook.  Many local producers, especially at farmer’s markets or through CSAs offer pretty reasonable prices.  According to many studies, local seasonal vegetables can frequently be less expensive than the regular conventional options from the chain stores.  Additionally, local and sustainable meat is usually offered at a very fair rate per pound and the price per pound can go down significantly by purchasing a whole animal.  This might require more storage space and creativity in meal planning, but, to my mind, the results are well worth that added cost.  These added benefits include knowing that your choices support the health of your family, your community, and the environment.  I truly believe that these values should be weighed as true benefits in this equation. On the other side of the equation, I don’t believe that the average consumer is recognizing the true cost of choosing conventional food.  certainly, the system has created this possibility by not factoring the true cost of industrial food production into the bottom line price paid by the consumer.  It is these added hidden costs of our industrial agricultural system which are so well defined in Food Inc. and which drive my personal choices today. First on the list for me is the cost to the environment.  Our mega farms and meat production are...

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