Conscious Shopping: 4 Tips to Save the World and Yourself with Your Purchase
You don't need to have the wealth of Warren Buffett to make this world a better place. Learn how you can use the power of your purchase to make a statement today
Each day, whether you’re aware of it or not, you’re constantly ‘voting’ with your cash. The purchases you make, and don’t make, have a direct influence on your health, the sort of products companies make and sell, and even the fate of our planet.
Since all of us buy and consume an assortment of items almost every day, why not stretch your dollar further by purchasing products that actually help yourself and this world? Want some ideas? Here are some to consider:
1. Switch to Organic Foods
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Here’s a definition of organic food from the US Department of Agriculture’s website:
“Organic food is produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations. Organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic food is produced without using most conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; bioengineering; or ionizing radiation.”
It makes one thinks why organic food production is an exception rather than the norm. Shouldn’t all our foods be produced in this manner? If you’re thinking the same way too, then consider expressing your stand in your next grocery trip — buy organic.
Because when you buy organic foods, you’re essentially saying ‘yes’ to your health and that of your loved ones, ‘yes’ to biodiversity, and ‘yes’ to the livelihood of organic farmers. At the same time, you’re also rejecting foods that have been genetically modified, irradiated, fed with drugs and artificial ingredients, or produced with total disregards for the health of the environment.
Buyer’s Alert: Organic foods are not completely devoid of pesticides, though the levels used are not nearly as much as those grown by conventional methods. Selected naturally derived pesticides and a small number of synthetic ingredients of low toxicity are permitted in organic production to correct imbalances. A list of allowed and prohibited substances used in organic production can be found here. If you’re concerned about pesticides used in the organic foods you buy, ask the grocer or check the website of the producer.
Buying Tips: Inevitably, due to the farming methods used, organic foods generally cost more than conventionally-grown versions. If your grocery budget is small, there are a few ways you can still buy organic.
Re-allocate the monies you regularly spend on highly-processed-and-nutritiously-empty foods and drinks to fresh organic produce instead. In this way, you may find that your grocery budget stays the same or only increase marginally. Yet you gain big time from this one small change as you’re exposed to less harmful chemicals, enjoy better health and also make a positive contribution to the environment.
But what if after taking a hard look at your grocery list, you still don’t have enough to make a complete switch? Go half organic or whatever fraction you can afford then. Some produce that are conventionally-grown contain lesser pesticides than others (either due to their pest-resistance nature or because of their protective skins) so that you don’t have to buy their organic version if your budget is tight.
Non-Organic Foods that Contain Lesser Pesticides:
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Asparagus, avocado, broccoli, cabbage, cantaloupe, eggplant, frozen sweet peas, honeydew melon, kiwi, mango, onion, pineapple, and edible mushrooms like shiitake, enoki and almond mushroom.
On the other hands, there are also foods that you should preferably buy organic, if possible:
Non-Organic Foods High in Pesticides, Genetically Modified, or Contain Antibiotics/Growth Hormones:
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Apples, beef, bell peppers, blueberries, celery, coffee, corn, grapes, leafy greens like kale, lettuce and spinach, milk and its derivatives, nectarines, peaches, potatoes, poultry, soy products (that didn’t explicitly state non-GMO soy as ingredient) and strawberries.
Note: The two lists of foods are not something that are carved in stone, unfortunately. Farming practices change and foods that were once tested to contain low pesticide residue could well make the top-10-produce-to-avoid chart tomorrow, and vice versa. Fortunately, there are organizations like the Environmental Working Group that track this sort of things. So, it’s good idea to stay up-to-date on their Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides.
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2. Buy from Local Farmers’ Market
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In a farmers’ market, you can usually find locally grown fresh produce that are organically cultivated, non-genetically-modified, or contain less chemicals and pesticides. Since they are not products of mass
destructionproduction, and they don’t require long-distance travel to reach your hands, they also have low carbon impact.All these mean that when you buy something from your local farmer’s market, you don’t just ingest less pesticide residue, you also help to keep the farmers alive, ensure that your future generations have access to the same fresh foods, and do less harm to our planet.
Buyer’s Alert: Not every place has a farmers’ market, and not everything you find in farmers’ markets are natural, fresh and organic. Occasionally, there will be sellers that try to pass off their conventionally-produced items or conveniently mislabeled products as natural or organic. These impostors can be easily exposed by probing them on the origin of their stock, or by exchanging tips with regular shoppers in the market.
Buying Tips: Like organic foods, products in farmers’ market do cost more due to small scale operations. If you can’t afford to buy all the stuff you need from your local farmer’s market, try pooling your purchase with neighbors and friends and share among yourselves, or just buy what you can really afford, even if that means only a bag of freshly harvested tomatoes. Every purchase you make is a vote of support for the farmers and producers in your area, and each single vote counts!
3. Opt for Goods with Less Packaging
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Packaging takes up the lion share of municipal solid waste in the US and very possibly in other developed countries as well. Whichever way you look, minimalist packaging makes sense for both manufacturers as well as consumers.
By packing minimally, manufacturing and transportation costs are slashed for the people who produce them and the savings can then be passed on to the people who buy them. Even fragile items that usually need heavy packaging like computers can gain from less packaging or replaced with recyclable ones. For instance, Dell shrunk its packaging for its laptop by reducing the number of items in a box and laying them out differently. Although the saving is only in terms of millimeters for each laptop, this move combined with other similar efforts have helped Dell to cut its packaging by some 8.7 million pounds in 2009 alone.
So if your favorite brands are still using obscene amount of unnecessary packaging, or packaging that is not renewable like plastics, send a friendly email to let them know how you think. You can also include in your letter how their competitors have managed to reduce packaging and that you prefer to bring your business to companies that are socio and eco-friendly.
Buyer’s Alert: Less packaging shouldn’t mean sloppy or unsafe packaging. Don’t let irresponsible companies use it as an excuse to cut costs at the expense of product quality.
4. Support Fair Trade Products
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“Around the world, tens of millions of people are suffering from increased and volatile food and fuel prices. Among them are the world’s 450 million smallholder farming households who cultivate two hectares or less, home to around two billion people, a third of humanity. These farms are also home to half of the world’s hungry people.” — Fairtrade Foundation Report 2009
Apart from volatile prices, for certain crops like bananas and herbs, the market is controlled by large corporations, making it extremely difficult for small farmers and workers on plantations to cover their costs of production and earn a decent living. Organizations, such as the Fairtrade Foundation, try to turn the situation around by guaranteeing a minimum price to cover the costs of sustainable production and some even pay an extra premium for farmers to invest in community projects. The premium is either invested in education and health care, farm improvements, or processing facilities to increase producers’ income.
If fair trade is new to you, it essentially ensures that farmers and workers are compensated fairly, work in hospitable conditions and have their rights represented. Fair trade also encourages farming and production practices that are environmentally sustainable, though the produce isn’t necessarily organic. By buying fair trade products, you’re sending a clear signal that no one should be exploited and everyone should be paid fairly for their work, while at the same time you’re also helping farmers and workers in developing countries to get out of poverty and hunger.
But what if your favorite products like coffee, apparel, chocolate and herbs are not yet using Fairtrade ingredients? Write to the companies you care about and let them know about your concerns. When enough people do so, businesses that value their customers will act. If they don’t, just bring your business elsewhere. There are many other socially as well as environmentally responsible companies that offer high quality products you’re using now. Below are just some of them:
Companies selling fair trade products: Green & Black’s (famous for their Organic Milk Chocolate Bar and Organic Dark Chocolate with Coffee ), Mountain Rose Herbs (organic spices, herbs and a wide range of herbal products), Green Mountain Coffee (coffees, teas, brewers and grinders), The Body Shop (bath and body care products), Equal Exchange (coffees, teas, chocolates, nuts, berries and more) and American Apparel (all sorts of apparel and accessories).
Great article! Did you know that there are also companies which will deliver organic/locally grown fruits and vegetables to your front door? I used to receive a weekly box of in-season items along with recipes for the contents. Then you just leave the box outside the following week, they pick it up for reuse and leave you a new supply.
Yes, you’re right, Alyvia! A number of companies do in fact offer regular home delivery service if your purchase reaches a minimal amount. That’s a great way to buy and eat organic foods, especially considering the fact that many local organic farms are way out of place and their produce are not available in the grocery stores. Thanks for sharing!