Interesting juxtaposition of stories:
First, an essay on what has become of organics, as it turns into what Fromartz calls “Organic, Inc.”
Then, Energy Bulletin links to a story suggesting that some Brits might deny the organic label to food flown in from abroad.
And, of course, there’s the post right here on Gristmill about labeling as an attempt to help consumers understand the effect of their purchases.
The issue boils down to the fact that our prices don’t help consumers understand anything about food; in our perverse system, the food that has traveled the furthest at the greatest energy expense may often be the cheapest. As a smart man put it:
“Socialism collapsed because it did not allow prices to tell the economic truth. Capitalism may collapse because it does not allow prices to tell the ecological truth.”
— Oystein Dahle, former vice president of Esso for Norway and the North Sea
