Buying organic, local, and fair trade etc

[Feanaro_s_Wife]

**As Catholics, do you think it is our responsibility to buy food/goods from local producers, stuff that is organically grown, and items obtained through fair trade practices?

I have been reflecting more and more on what it means to be a good steward of all that God has gifted us with. I know that many people here choose to boycott certain stores etc for various moral/ethical reasons and I am just wondering about opinions on this topic as well.

Especially with most of our goods coming from China now, would it be better to boycott that stuff in favor of locally made items even though the price would be so much more? Better to have less stuff since that is all we could afford?

What about meat? Is it more responsible to buy from humane producers since we are supposed to be stewards over all God’s creations? Factory farms are so terribly disgusting…I can’t imagine they please God. What are we being called to do?

Please note, this is not about placing the environment or animals above humans…
**

 

[OutinChgoburbs]

I think our first responsibility is to our individual families, our local area, and then to work outward. So where possible, as long as it does not bankrupt my family, I buy locally.

 

[happymommy]

We buy locally as much as we can. We have a large garden with my inlaws and the whole family uses it. We can and freeze and then give away what we don’t use. Waste not want not There are also two farmers markets within 5 miles of us, so what we don’t grow, I buy there. Also a man in town makes his own honey, plus some people we know make their own maple syrup…yummy!
My husband hunts so we get a lot of our meat that way, but there are local farmers that we do buy beef from, the take very good care of their animals and are very picky about what they feed them. I feel safer buying from them because I know the meat isn’t full of hormones and chemicals.
I try to support the local business before I go to a big nation wide store.

 

[TravisandJill]

Hi there,

Yes I do think we have a responsibility to support our local farmers, especially finding out how cruel and inhumane the people in China treat their livestock and the earth itself. China has the most pollution of anywhere and if you read on the internet there has been stories of how cruel they treat their animals. Its very sad.

I would rather buy from a local farmer where I can go and inspect the farm and see how they feed and care for their livestock. I also prefer organic meat and milk. I think that the way a society treats their animals says alot about the society itself.

I am in the process of starting my own organic garden so I can produce most of the fruits and veggies I grow for my family-and give away some to the neighbors and the needy. We have 2 peach trees, 2 apple trees (which gave up 20 apples last year, but its just a baby still) 1 fig tree, and 1 apricot tree. We plan on adding 2 pears and more raspberry and blackberry plants too.

If you have the space I would recommend planting some fruit trees and berry bushes. I would think blueberries would grow well in Canada, because the soil is acidic? I know that in order to grow them here we have to plant them in 100 percent peat moss and add acid fertalizer regularly because our soil is very alkaline. I will grow them if I can find a source for organic fertalizer.

You are lucky because you dont have fireants to deal with. I can hardly go out in my yard without getting swarmed by fireants…and since we are organic its been a challenge trying to get rid of them! In the spring I am going to try diatomacious earth.

 

[Guitar]

I feel Catholics have a level of responsibility to do as you suggest where there is a clear and reasonably available choice between, for example, known horrible factory farming methods and long-haul transport prior to slaughter, and organically-raised locally-produced meat. Or where we know that buying locally reduces the pollution associated with bringing our goods to us.

(I don’t eat meat at all because when I gave it up there was no organic alternative and now there is, there’s no point in killing any animal for meat when I’ve learned to live without it. I won’t buy fur from anywhere, not even fur trim or fur toys for the cats, and I won’t buy leather from certain countries with known horrific animal handling practices.)

I think it is morally praiseworthy, as another example, for Catholics to do their Christmas shopping from a fair trade shop. That’s not to say that it is sinful to not do so, unless you are buying goods you know for sure have been produced by exploitation.

I don’t think there is an obligation to spend endless amounts of time researching the ethics of every single product we buy … if you hit some of the more extreme of the animal rights sites that oppose animal testing, you sometimes find a complicated tangled-up list of which companies have stakes and shares in which other companies that are involved in animal testing, sweat shop labour, sourcing animal products from countries with no animal welfare legislation, etc … it’s a nightmare trying to sort it all out and even these highly-motivated people who put serious time into it don’t have clear-cut answers, so how can ordinary folks be expected to work it out?

I don’t think individuals can be morally expected to take this responsibility beyond a certain level. Once we become aware that choice A is better than choice B, I think we should take choice A. If we become aware that choice B is really bad, we are then obligated to take reasonable steps to find an alternative or do without it. But we don’t have to embark on a six-month research project every time we need to buy something.

 

[Sierrah]

I would do it if I could afford to but being single and working more then one job my money goes to the least expensive store.

 

[kaws]

Our family is currently far from the point of financially being able to afford all organic meat and produce, but I do try to buy locally produced goods from local vendors where possible. We don’t eat out much but our family never goes to chain restaurants anymore either. There are many good family owned restaurants and they are usually better and often less expensive than chains. I also think about environmental sustainability and fair trade implications for the purchases I make. In the past we have gotten all of out meat from my dad who is a farmer and I know it’s good , but now he has retired from the cattle business we won’t have that anymore .

Yes I think it is something that should ideally be considered and followed if possible. However I would never demand this from any family truly struggling to get food on the table.

 

[peregrinus_WA]

In the past year or so, I am becoming more and more what is called a “Distributist”. Must of the basis for Distributism is based on Catholic Moral and Social teaching (especially the brand espoused by Chesterton and Belloc).

One interesting thing I found on one blog is this:

Practical Distributism** **

    From the website* JustPeace*

Electronically published for the greater glory of God, on the memorial of Our Lady of the Snows, AD 2000.

1. 
   *]Join or start a neighborhood association.
   *]Bank with a credit union.
   *]Patronize locally owned stores, microenterprises, co-operatives, and worker owned businesses.
   *]Grow some of your own food.
   *]Eat with the season.
   *]Patronize a farmers’ market, or purchase food directly from farmers/producers.
   *]Form or join a housing cooperative.
   *]Build a meeting hall.
   *]Support local currencies.
   *]Avoid corporation-debt (borrow from credit unions).

1. 
   There is 102 items in the list, I have only printed the first 10.

 

[Guitar]

Thanks for posting that, peregrinus - I’ll be checking out the link you gave. Most of us can do some of these things, even if we don’t go “the whole hog”.

 

[AHapka]

As Catholics, do you think it is our responsibility to buy food/goods from local producers, stuff that is organically grown, and items obtained through fair trade practices?

Responsibility, no on the first two. You can make a very good point on number three being grave matter if you know about an abuse of humans and don’t take advantage of another supplier that doesn’t abuse humans.

Good idea on the first two, yes. I’ve never eaten organic, though…so I’m not really sure what it entails. From what I understand, it’s simply not using fertilizers and pesticides to grow the food (I won’t use the term “chemical” here, because everything is a chemical, some just have the elements arranged in a man-made fashion (sorry, pet peeve of mine from when I was a chemistry major)).

I do agree with using such things as crop rotation to prevent depleting the soil of certain nutrients. The Old Testament supports giving the soil rest to recover, and I think it would be good of us to see the wisdom of that.

I also agree that reducing trucking of everything everywhere is a good idea. Considering most big rigs get about 9 mpg, keeping a few off of the road is a good idea if we can avoid it by how we make purchasing decisions.

 

[kaws]

Thanks for posting that, peregrinus - I’ll be checking out the link you gave. Most of us can do some of these things, even if we don’t go “the whole hog”.

I agree:thumbsup: I’ll have to check it out

 

[peregrinus_WA]

Thanks for posting that, peregrinus - I’ll be checking out the link you gave. Most of us can do some of these things, even if we don’t go “the whole hog”.

There is a lot of good practical advice on that site. It was mentioned by someone on the Distributism Yahoo group.

Saying that, #2 is a done deal with me. I am with the local Catholic Credit union here in the Detroit area. I am starting on #3 a little (anyone know a good butcher in the Southfield area?).

Being in an apartment makes it hard for some of these things. One thing I am thinking of is seeing if I can make things that I normally buy like breads and pastas (BTW, I am male and I know how to do those things ).

 

[kage_ar]

When you live where there is no farmer’s market, no Whole Foods, no option but the supermarket - well, you make do with what 'cha got.

Can’t grow my own garden - POA violation.

 

[AHapka]

Can’t grow my own garden - POA violation.

Perhaps I’m not familiar with the term, but what is that?

 

[peregrinus_WA]

Perhaps I’m not familiar with the term, but what is that?

Probably “Property Owners Association”

 

[Guitar]

I’ve never eaten organic, though…so I’m not really sure what it entails. From what I understand, it’s simply not using fertilizers and pesticides to grow the food (I won’t use the term “chemical” here, because everything is a chemical, some just have the elements arranged in a man-made fashion (sorry, pet peeve of mine from when I was a chemistry major)).

As far as organically-raised animals are concerned, in many places you have to meet certain animal welfare standards as well as all the other criteria before you get your organic accreditation, so people who are concerned about animal welfare often buy organic meat just for that reason, even if they don’t care about all the chemical and GM sort of stuff.

 

[fbl9]

i can’t remember who was involved in this study.however the results of it show that when comparing organic farming to conventional(no-till,continues cropping) farming that organic farming actually uses less energy to to produce the same energy value of food.
organic meat also is limited in the use of anti-biotics,which though are allowed once used on the animal it can not be used for organic consumption.
in my opinion it is unsound to say “factory” farms are inhumane in the treatment of animals…sometimes this view (factory farms are cruel)is taken by those who give the animals almost human traits…
i own an organic farm in which we grow grain,our cattle are not organic,mainly cause i see no real finacial benifit to it and it would be way to much work(paper) to keep track of,for what i get out of it…but when it comes to the land i would stay organic even if it provided so higher returns then conventional farming.

 

[OutinChgoburbs]

The only caveat I have about the list, even if the person in question feels that they are operating within the beliefs of Chesteron and Belloc:

Not every corporation is bad. There are plenty of unscrupulous small business owners, and plenty of unscrupulous local people.

 

[SeekerJen]

There is a lot of good practical advice on that site. It was mentioned by someone on the Distributism Yahoo group.

Saying that, #2 is a done deal with me. I am with the local Catholic Credit union here in the Detroit area. I am starting on #3 a little (anyone know a good butcher in the Southfield area?).

Being in an apartment makes it hard for some of these things. One thing I am thinking of is seeing if I can make things that I normally buy like breads and pastas (BTW, I am male and I know how to do those things ).

Does the Catholic credit union have online banking? I’d like to switch over but appreciate being able to log in to my bank site and transfer funds into savings, pay bills, etc.

I don’t know of a good separate butcher shop, but I can usually get beautiful meats at the Westborn Market stores (and this local store chain prides itself on offering a lot of Michigan products). The nearest one to you is in Berkley on Woodward between 11 and 12 Mile. Also, I haven’t shopped at Holiday Market in Royal Oak (Main Street just north of I-696) but we have friends who swear by it. Alternatively, you could head down to Eastern Market on Saturdays.

Oh- and if you don’t have hours to sit and knead-punch down-wait for bread dough to rise, get a bread machine. My husband makes wonderful bread in ours, to the point that my mother specifically requests that he make the breads for holiday celebrations. And you can support a monastery by purchasing the “Breaking Bread” cookbooks by Fr. Dominic Garramone, OSB. We have all three and they’re great because they feature standard bread recipes as well as bread machine adaptations for most. The books can be found at Monastery Greetings.

 

[SeekerJen]

I took at look at Peregrinus’s link, and I noted this point on the list:

1. Give food to a food bank or St. Vincent de Paul circle, or other program that feeds the poor.

I’d like to add to that “give money to the SVDP poor boxes in your churches”. If you want to support a local charity, here’s a great one. In our parish (and I assume in all parishes as this is how it is supposed to work), money donated to the poor boxes goes directly to the parish SVDP conference. A bit of it goes to archdiocesan SVDP work, but all of the rest goes directly back to the community to help the poor people who call the parish for assistance. In fact, even on the diocesan/archdiocesan level, greater than 90% of money donated to SVDP goes directly for charitable work (low overhead costs).

For Detroiters, here’s the link for our archdiocesan SVDP: MoreForThePoor.org.