Should people eat only locally produced, organic food?

The United States has long been known as the “melting pot.” There are people here from every country in the world, and we speak as many languages. And when you have that many cultures that come together in one place, there’s one thing that you can bet on: dinner is gonna be good.

There is a huge push among environmentalists to eat organic and to eat locally. I utilize my farmer’s market during the summers. There is nothing better than locally grown corn-on-the-cob, sided with a fresh sliced tomato. But because I live in Indianapolis, Indiana, a temperate climate, I can only eat locally for about 3-4 months of the year. People who live in warmer areas, such as southern California, Texas, and Florida have the luxury of being able to buy locally grown food all year round. And it seems that the people who speak the loudest about “food mileage” are from these areas, and somehow expect the rest of the country to follow suit. During the winter months, I just don’t feel that it’s possible. That is, unless you feel that by “local” you mean “the U.S.”

And then there’s buying organic. I would love to buy organic. In fact, I try to buy organic as much as I can. But here’s the kicker: if you DON’T use chemicals, why does it cost me more? For people, like us, who mostly live paycheck to paycheck (and probably the majority of Americans these days), the perpetual question at hand is “cheap vs. organic.” We are torn by guilt to be greener these days, but should it be to the expense of our bank account? It’s especially hard when there are children involved, and every penny must be allocated. Another reason I would love to go organic is because my husband is allergic to MSG. We eliminate a lot of our worrying when we buy organic foods. However, I still think that more people would buy organic if it wasn’t so much more expensive than regular fruit and vegetables.

In a recent TIME Magazine essay (January 21, 2008), Joel Stein talks about his experiment with eating globally. His goal was to gather food for dinner that grown from places that are 3000 miles of where he lives in Los Angeles. He ate Marcona almonds from Spain, Greek olives, French Brie, Scottish smoked salmon, Chilean sea bass from South Georgia Island, asparagus from Peru, Hawaiian pineapple and a young coconut from Thailand. (He does note that the pineapple was stretching it, because it’s only 2500 miles away.) In essence, Stein became the global gourmand that you are able to find in our multicultural, melting pot.

We were all brought to this country for one reason or another. Some were escaping persecution; some were explorers; some wanted a new life; some were snatched up from their home countries and brought here. But what happened when we all got together was a cultural mixing that included sharing recipes. I love the fact that food from all over can be shipped to small grocery stores in tiny towns in the middle of the Midwest. If I were forced to eat only locally grown food, I’d be missing out on a lot of staple food that is not grown or made in central Indiana, like rice, pasta, seafood, many spices, different kinds of cheeses, certain kinds of juice, virtually no soda, many different kinds of vegetables or fruits (especially in the winter time), and certain kinds of meat. To someone who lives in an apartment, canning and buying in bulk really isn’t an option either. So, although I try to do my part, it isn’t always viable. Besides, I love that I can serve my family burritos, sushi, fettuccine alfredo, beef stroganoff, and falafel all in the same week. It’s so cosmopolitan, and I love it.