htose of you who aren't organic - why not?

[MamaGlamourPuss]

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Hmm qoq sending all of their food to us is not the answer though, it is simply not a sustainable way of farming or surviving. Most of it is not traded fairly and does not benefit the local economy.

I know it's not fairly traded. But while it may not benefit the entire economy it DOES at least benefit the farmers who grew it as they then have at least some money to educate their own children. You'll find that virtually all commercial farmers also have a substiance farming 'bit' on the side too as it is - it's a way of life for them

I do buy some organic... when I don't, it's because it's too expensive, too much hassle to go to supermarket and look through their small & inconsistent selection (easier + quicker to buy from local green grocer). If you get a veg box delivered they end up giving you some stuff that none of you eat...

I suppose its ok for the workers on some of the "fair trade" plantations to live in company owned shanty housing. The fair trade certainly by Tesco refers to the Company they trade with, not the same deal the workers get at all.

Not forgetting the airmile problem depending on imported food cause.

I buy some imported food, only things that are unobtainable over her like bananas and then inrelatively small amounts.

I would much rather eat a locally grown in season apple at the moment.

I buy some organic, but i think it is more important to buy fairtrade or locally grown produce, preferably from small local retailers. That said, I also shop in Tesco...

yes it is ok for them to be living in 'shanty' housing - it's usually a lot better than what the unemployed are living in. Usually these 'shanty' houses have electricity, access to clean water, and a little 'plot' on which to grown their own staple foods (often maize in Africa). These days many of the bigger commercail farmers have schools built for the farm workers children and really those houses are no worse than what a large % of the rest of the population would be living in.

In fact of the company owned houses on farms that I've seen most are BETTER than the high density suburbs - and it certainly beats the traditional village huts that most younger people are depeserate to get out of these days.

I think we forget that while proper Fair Trade is FANTASTIC. Even 'normal' working conditions for people in a countries where unemployment levels are higher than we in the West could ever imagine are better than no work at all.........

and a lot don't have to pay rent either - home ownership tends to be very rare unless you're very rich.

Did you see the channel 4 documentary earlier this year A world without water? It takes 50 litres of water to produce a supermarket bag of salad grown in Kenya, never mind the fuel costs to the world to export .

Surely it is not a sutainable form of economic development to totally destroy a countries ecosystem? There is big profit going on here, there may be some new homes now but long term? Sorry if I disagree with your view on this.

No I didn't - be I've seen 1st hand the conditions that workers on commerical farms live in, and also 1st hand how people with no income at all live......

Its a tricky one true, but there has to be a less damaging answer.
The drowt there is horrendous, water wastage and excessive consumption for the wealthy west will surely lead eventually to everyone being back in impoverished conditions.

I still will continue to shop locally wherever possible, then fair trade and lastly organically.

Why not? - Price abit (not fruit, but juice etc. is abit pricey) and complete lack of choice or just lack of anything in the first place. I cant always find organic "versions" of alot of things.