By Crysta Coburn

The organic farming movement began in the 1940s. People looked around at the rapid evolution of farming equipment and techniques and became concerned by increased soil erosion, a decrease in the quality of food, and a diminishing variety of the crops being grown. All of these and more are issues that followed us into the 21st century and continue to be hot topics today. So many people now follow an organic food diet that it is common to see these products side by side with their “conventional” counterparts on grocery shelves. Most consumers would agree that organically grown food is a boon for the environment.

But how truly environmentally friendly is any product that is shipped across a continent by vehicles powered by fossil fuels? Both the process of obtaining fossil fuels and their emissions are major contributors to water and air pollution. To add to this, many of the organic and all natural (whatever that means) brands are not independent, but owned by major corporations such as Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Post, Kellogg, and Kraft Heinz, none of which are bastions of ecological sustainability.

What does a person who wants to do right by the environment do in a world determined to commercialize every good intention? Which foods are the best to buy for our own health as well as the planet’s? It might feel impossible, but there are some guiding principles that may offer genuine assistance in meeting these multiple standards.

Climate conscious eating means making decisions about the food you buy and consume based on its sustainability and carbon footprint. This includes foods that are processed as little as possible and few animal products. Even in industrial agriculture, plants generally require fewer resources to raise than animals. They are also not grown in overcrowded pens and sheds, and unlike animals, plants don’t mind staying in one place all their lives (though they might need to spread their leaves a little). Nor do they pollute groundwater with their feces and urine, which is as serious a concern to human health as the runoff from chemical fertilizers.

This is not to say that animals cannot be raised humanely using sustainable practices, and it is true that some plants are thirstier than others or are being grown in inappropriate landscapes. (Looking at you, almonds!) Choosing sustainably raised meat, dairy, and eggs over factory farm-raised would be an example of climate conscious eating. The closer to home your food was raised the better as well. Being driven 20 miles uses up a lot less gasoline than 2,000. This is the relative distance from Michigan to the West Coast where a lot of produce is grown. Fruits and vegetables also lose nutrition while they sit and wait to be eaten; therefore, the closer you are to the source, the less time it is sitting aroundand the more nutrients you will consume.

Packaging is another thing to keep an eye out for when making climate conscious decisions. Unpackaged fruits and vegetables, for instance, are preferable to those wrapped in plastic. Making use of reusable bags, especially ones made from biodegradable materials like cloth, is another step. For those concerned about produce rattling around on its own rather than wrapped in its own produce bag, reusable produce bags are also available for purchase.

It might be tempting to buy all of these supplies online, but remember, online purchases are likely to have hefty carbon footprints. The number of items made in China and shipped across the Pacific to the United States is unimaginably huge, and the impact on the environment when buying from foreign countries, is not slight.

A better option would be to get to know your local farmers markets, whether weekly or one with a permanent location such as Argus Farm Stop in Ann Arbor and Agricole Farm Stop in Chelsea. Signing up with a local farm offering a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program is another terrific option. If these are not options near you, pay attention to where the food in grocery stores like Meijer and Kroger come from. Question whether or not a particular food is actually in season. Strawberries in winter probably traveled to Michigan from California. Most avocados come to the U.S. from Mexico. Consider this when planning your menu.

But you needn’t go entirely without the foods you love. Take coffee, which is a tropical plant. Michigan is located far from the tropics. However, there are several Michigan-based roasteries that partner with sustainable growers who fairly compensate their workers.

There is no getting around the fact that we live in a global society and daily enjoy things that came to us from far away. But if we try, we can support a more sustainable chain of production.

Some key points of climate conscious eating are:

Follow a majority plant-based diet.
Consume minimally processed foods and beverages.
Choose products with as little packaging as possible.
Source as locally as you are able.
Eat foods that are in season.
Support sustainable farming practices.

And not everything has to be organic. An apple grown with more conventional techniques in your own county isn’t necessarily worse for the environment than one that was grown organically and rode on a truck for 2,000 miles. There is no perfect answer, but there are choices we can make every day to lessen our individual impact as well as support those who are trying to change an unsustainable system. If we don’t, the planet is going to continue to warm, and the challenges that our food system already faces, such as drought, flooding, and soil erosion, will continue to worsen.