Unsustainably Organic

I made a big mistake. It involves garlic.

Buying organic is good, right? I tend to think so, especially when my guilt-free organic garlic is now only $0.25 more expensive than its non-certified shelf-mates over at the local eco-chic shop n' strut. I'm a sucker for getting my values at a bargain, so I took a glance at the price, picked up a couple of fresh heads, and was on my way.

But my stinking rose has a dark side, one I didn't take the time to notice 'til I got home . . .

[Behold the unwitting, guileless garlic. So innocent. So fragrant. So well-travelled.  Photo: localcrew]

So I'm home now, and that's when I notice something peculiar about my garlic. Like Chairman Mao, the Ming Dynasty, microwave- and oven-safe table settings, and most things plastic or electronic, I see here that my organic garlic comes from China. There it is on the label (yes, my garlic is packaged - Strike Two!). Because I'm getting ready to sauté my garlic into a sauce made from fresh, locally grown tomatoes, it throws my mistake into bold relief.

What's the big deal? To start, garlic's pretty easy to grow, even in our country's driest state. And how far is China from where I live here in Nevada? Let's ask Google maps: Hmm . . . First try, entering "Distance between Reno, NV and Nanchang, China" brings up: "ChristianRock.Net - The best Christian rock on the planet"  I need to get more specific.

My garlic, it turns out, traveled along with all of its smelly friends in a no doubt incredibly confined space, approximately 6529 miles. That's 10508 kilometers. That's straight-line distance. Why Nanchang? I hear it's nice there this time of year.

But really, folks. Over 6,000 miles!? My garlic is better-traveled than most Americans. Considering this, it's quite a bargain.

So anybody want to guess the price paid for that garlic? For reference, let's plan a little trip to Nanchang. Why? Well, I hear it's nice there this time of year. And to pick our own darn garlic, dag nabbit. "Pick your own strawberry" patches are just the best first step to sipping summertime from a daiquiri glass, so why not pick our own vampire repellent? I'm ready to try a garlic daquiri, so I check YourFavoriteAnonymousOnlineTravelAgent for a one-way ticket (my garlic, after all, ain't going home).  Again, any price guesses?

First, the flight: Air China's got me covered for $885. At $7.38 per mile, that's not a bad deal. Certainly cheaper than driving . . . an M1 tank. The garlic? Under $2, friends.  $1.98 for two heads, to be exact. Am I alone in my problems with this math? Besides that, where'd my garlic come up with that kind of airfare?

So here's a friendly suggestion: It's summertime. There's a farmer's market somewhere and you probably don't live too far from it. Go buy your vegetables from someone who grew them. Shake the hand that pulled your sweet, beautiful food up from the earth.

And if you're looking for something to read, check these lovely new releases out:

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, by Barbara Kingsolver

The Omnivore's Dilemma, by Michael Pollan

Coming Home to Eat: The Pleasures and Politics of Local Foods, by Gary Paul Nabhan

Got some other reading selections along a similar vein? Feel free to throw 'em out there in the comments section.

Happy eating.  Happy reading.

Comments

[Damien Tougas]

Great post! I couldn't agree with you more! Another great way to buy local food is to invest in a local farmer by joining a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farm. We have a work share at a local farm called Willow Pond Farm (http://willowpf.com/) which means that in addition to paying them to grow our vegetables, we spend a couple hours a week working there too!

Another excellent book is Deep Economy by Bill McKibben (http://www.billmckibben.com/deep-economy.html).

[Karen D]

Another great book is Plenty by Alisa Smith and J.B. Mackinnon. I believe it is called The 100 mile Diet in Canada. Visit www.100milediet.org for more information.

[Geoff Jennings]

"Am I alone in my problems with this math?"

I don't know if you are alone, but I think you might have problems with your math. 6,529 at $7.38 per mile would give you a cost of $48,184. You did it backwards, and it should have been the flight cost ($885) divided by the miles to get cost per mile.

That would give 13.5 cents per mile. Actually cheaper than driving. More expensive than bicycling,maybe. I might burn 13 cents worth of food when I bike a mile, but I'm pretty out of shape.

I like the post though. I try and buy as much as I can from our farmers markets. Luckily here in Sacramento we have one nearly every day of the week.

Some friends of mine wrote a cool paper than drew a direct comparison between the environmental benefits of organic versus the environmental benefits of local. You can read it here. If the link doesn't work, go to davisnetimpact.org and look under academic research.
http://ni.gsm.ucdavis.edu/Research/2007Q3_SeminarReports/Food&ClimateChange_AlvesNelson.pdf

Geoff Jennings (former Patagonia employee)

[bannont]

Good post. I have repeatedly questioned Patagonia management on their extensive use of China as a preferred source of their clothes. Considering China's record on environmental issues, it seems hypocritical for Patagonia to outsource to the most polluted country on the planet.

[Aaron]

The overwhelming concensus in the "organic vs. local" argument is that local food wins hands-down when environmental impact is the primary concern.

My family has started paying way more attention to where food is grown rather whether or not it is organic. "Hmmm, grapes from Chile or California? Let's see..."

[wolfy]

Yep. It pains me when those New Zealand Apples are so tasty. And Reno so close to Washington! That's the good thing about stickers I suppose.

Milk is still the one thing produced almost always locally. I prefer to buy Model Dairy, our local producer, than any of the other organics available. Even the Great Basin Community Food Co-op doesn't sell local dairy!

Now, if you found Vampire repellant from Transylvania, would you buy it?

-M

[Skimohr]

We all need to become "localvores". In fact, maybe "extreme localism" would be a even more appropriate solution to so many of the challenges we are facing. And just think of all the new friends we'd make.

BTY. Excellent post. I haven't check in here for a while, and I am always pleased.

Thanks again!

[localcrew]

Wow! I'm a ding-dong. Geoff, thanks for so gracefully and graciously pointing out my math error. I really appreciate the way you did that. Point taken. And thank you for that link.

I also don't want bannont's comment to go unaddressed. First, I have to tell you that my response is definitey not the authoritative one on matters of sourcing from China. Your comment is worthy of its own post and discussion, but what I can tell you now is:

1) Patagonia's been, since day one, focused first and foremost on quality. We've manufactured goods in China since we started making Stand-Up Shorts--one of our very first, and by far most legendary, pieces of clothing. The reason? Not one manufacturer in the States possessed the machinery or the needles to sew through the burly canvas that we were making our shorts out of. Not one. We had to go to China to find a stitch house that could make our shorts for us with the materials we wanted to use.

2) We take manufacturing locations very seriously and employ a wide array of field auditors who conduct spontaneous checks to ensure our factories comply with the highest standards of fair labor and environmental regard.

3) We have a team dedicated to environmentally sound business practices and social responsibility. These folks work constantly to ensure that our business practices are in line with our philosophy. We won't do something if it violates our environmental standards or social justice.

Obviously, we could do a better job of communicating how and why certain practices are justifiable in light of common public knowledge. Unfortunately, public knowledge isn't always accurate. Yes, China is a big polluter. But there is a growing environmental movement in China, fueled in part by businesses intent on setting a new environmental standard. The U.S. is one of the world's top polluters. Does that mean we shouldn't produce any goods here?

This question is a big one, worthy of something more than being buried down in the comments of a post about garlic. We'll get cracking on a new post that will provide a more focused forum for this discussion.
-localcrew

[Jeff]

Excellent post, I've made the same 'Organic' mistake in the past. No longer, it's the farmer's market and local producers for me. And thank you for re-affirming my faith in all things Patagonia. I've been a loyal customer for almost 20 years...

[Chris]

Great post! I agree that it's definitely good to keep an eye out for where our food is actually coming from.

I would also recommend "The Way We Eat: Why our Food Choices Matter" by Singer and Mason.

[bezzie]

Apparently Chinese garlic is also hurting the California garlic industry because they can produce it and peel it (in some cases) cheaper than CA farmers.

As for eating local--I invite you to check out the "One Local Summer Challenge" at http://onelocalsummer.blogspot.com It's a bunch of fun and a great challenge even if it gets you *thinking* about where your food comes from.

[patagoniacommunity.blogspot.com]

localcrew, very informative comment regarding the Chinese production of Patagonia products. You bring up some excellent points that the average "Made in China" label-reader may not, at first glance, realize. Thanks for filling us in.

[lawless]

Interesting take on the whole outsourcing thing, whether it's garments or garlic. I've often wondering about Patagonia's choice of offshore suppliers given their stance on environmental and social responsibility. Curious to see how much transparency they are willing let come through on here in that regards. Interesting stuff though.

CSA's are a great resource. Found a local one that was already sold out for 2 growing seasons. More and more people seem to realize the importance and benefits of eating locally grown goods.

[Patagonia 1990-1997]

Localcrew's comments are no different than what we were saying as a company in the 1990's when I worked for its environmental wing. I think what needs to be kept in mind is on how much you (consumer or corporation) are willing to sacrifice in the pursuit of quality. Patagonia has, for many years, stated that "Everything We Make Pollutes". At some point, if not constantly, you have to re-engage with those positions and definitions of 'quality', what is considered 'local' when you are a global company.

Patagonia has been a pioneer in breaking barriers and propelling production and business. But falling back on positions that still sound like those from the first Bush era don't display as much tangible innovation as this old goat would expect.

Check out what Finisterre UK (surf company) sent me in a recent email. While their position is a little too boastful for my taste, nevertheless, it shows some of the innovation at work in creating new production sites that cut-across lines of socioeconomic status, religion and historical trade routes:

"It has taken us 1,934 days to get our manufacturing right....This year sees us pull our manufacturing out of China - ethical and environmental standards were just too uncertain and too hard a pill to swallow. So we stand small and proud, leading the way with impeccable manufacturing, exclusive fabrics and an impenetrable environmental program. The facilities we are now using are located in Portugal and Colombia (this is run by nuns as part of a massive local rehabilitation scheme - we'll tell you more soon - it is a crazy story), where ethical and quality standards are the highest."

Please Patagonia, keep leading.

[toddincos]

According to the Economist (sorry I don't have the specific reference in front of me) the vast majority of energy used in getting food from the farm to the plate, as opposed to just the market is expended by consumers driving to and from the market. Economies of scale can make a Chinese grown garlic clove very energy efficient to transport to global markets. If on the other hand the consumer drives past several grocers to acquire "local" produce the carbon toll can be quite severe.
Just some food for thought.

This is in reply to the comment submitted by "Patagonia 1990 - 1997." I have to smile when reading your words, for a couple of different reasons. First and foremost among them is that your challenge hits home. There is never a convenient time for "re-engagement," but the time is almost always right. Thanks for your thoughtfully crafted call to action.

I've got another reason to smile at your post, this one more personal. My first visit to Patagonia's Reno facility was while I was a grad student at the local university. You provided the tour and told us all about Patagonia's latest environmental initiatives. I went home and wrote you an e-mail demanding to know why Patagonia would willingly purchase product materials from one of the world's most infamous polluters. Your response to that e-mail was not unlike the one I provided above. You're right, some things can be slow to change.

As I'm sure you know from your own time here, "business-as-usual" businesses don't change overnight. Our mission is to use business to stimulate environmental solutions. I'm certainly not an authority, but I'd guess we're failing at our mission if we're not engaged with the economy in a way that spurs those solutions. So to that extent, I hope we keep falling back on those same positions you're so familiar with.

Thanks again for your words, and for keeping us honest. And thanks for that patient reply you sent to me so many years ago.

[rk]

First off, I grow a lot of my own food in our garden and have nothing against locally grown food, in fact I love to eat my grown food and find gardening a great hobby.

But, I don't believe this is quite as simple of an issue as you have made it out to be. Yes your garlic traveled 6,000 miles. But to truly find the environmental impact you need to take into consideration other factors. The density of packing and the leanness of the supply chain are very important to determine how much carbon was emitted in getting the garlic to your local store. In most cases (but not all) driving to the local store, or worse, your local garlic farm-as you can only get garlic there, is where most of the impact is surprisingly. Even having your own garden in someways, while a great and economical way to make sure your fruits and veggies are fresh and pure of chemicals, will not scale to a global scale. Just imagine if everyone in NYC tried to grow their own food for example.

This really is a complex issue and a global carbon tax and would bring efficiency into more peoples minds as something "green" to consider in their purchasing of all products, not just food.