[I got so excited writing this blog that it got too long (oops!). So, this is part one. Click the link at end of this section to find part two with my closing thoughts.]
Earlier this month, I attended a training called “The Ethics of Eating: Decoding Sustainable Foods Marketing Claims” at my local Kalamazoo Valley Community College Food Innovation Center. Given that I have always had an interest in sustainability due to desire to live as naturally as possible and due to my own story of healing with food as medicine, I tend to know a lot about this topic already. But, man was there a whole host of other good stuff that I learned! Here are some of the noteworthy concepts that I feel are important to share.
“Sustainability”
While all of us would likely agree that being “sustainable” and living “sustainably” sounds like a great idea, a major challenge is that there is not central definition of this word within the food world. While some sustainability certifications exist, being “sustainable” can apply to three areas:
- People – fair wages and treatment
- Planet – resource and energy use, waste reduction
- Profit – economic longevity and reinvestment
So, when we think about the ethics of eating, it is not always be about labels or what certifications are present. And, since we can’t know everything,
the key concept with the ethics of eating is about being an informed consumer.
We can stay curious and passionate about how to eat as ethically as possible and vote with our forks based on what we know about the impact of the food choices we are making.
“Organic”
While the requirements for being an “organic” producer are very strict and are monitored closely through third party audits, it is important to know that many “organic” farms still use herbicides and pesticides. I was shocked to learn this as the central motivator of eating “organic” is to avoid this additional gook. Technically, however, organic growers can use “certified” allowed herbicides and pesticides (although that doesn’t guarantee that our bodies will like them!) and call their product “organic.” You can find a list of the “Organic Materials” approved to be used on organic products by the Organic Materials Review Institute here.
Even clothes can be certified “organic.” And livestock that are certified “organic” have additional standards, like that they have to be given organic feed and not given any antibiotics. The ethics of eating (and farming) also means that, if a designated “organic” livestock animal does get sick, the farmers are allowed to give them antibiotics to help them heal. However, following antibiotic use, the animal product can no longer be labeled “organic.” Interesting, huh?
Furthermore, any certified organic ruminants (e.g. cows, goats, chickens) also must be allowed to have access to pasture and to be able to complete behaviors typical of that animal (e.g. chickens must be allowed to roll around and scratch the ground, as a chicken does). So, the “organic” label works to address the humanity of the animals, in addition to the purity of the food. And, just to clarify, anything that is “certified organic” also means that no GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms) or hormones can be used at any time, whether in seeds (for plants) or feed (for animals).
“Humanly Raised”
I was pleased to know that there are four possible human certifications out there to ensure that the ethics of eating doesn’t just apply to our crops, but to how we raise our animals, as well. They and their links are as follows. Given that each entity has their own set of specific standards, I encourage you do to your own research and learn what is going into your food and how it is being treated before it arrives on your plate. Here is your opportunity to be a life-long learner, as we all should be when considering the ethics of eating.
Other Tricky Vocabulary
“Natural” – While it sounds lovely, this term is not well-regulated and tends to just mean that no artificial ingredients or added dyes are used.
“Certified Naturally Grown” – A comforting set of words for those of us (um… all of us!) at the mercy of food marketers. This phrase represents a similar standard to “organic” (e.g. no GMOs used) but is a system based on peer-reviewing by other producers. While the livestock habitat standards are more strict than that of the “organic” category, organic feed is not required.
Animal Product/Meat Claims – Like “sustainability,” such claims can apply to three things:
- Living/raising conditions (e.g. “cage-free”)
- Diet (e.g. “grass-fed”)
- Sourcing/trace-ability (e.g. from Kalamazoo, Michigan; a specific farm)
To complicate it further, here are a couple other things to consider:
- While “free range” eggs do have to be cage-free, the chickens can still live indoors.
- Having “vegetarian fed” chickens really means that they can’t roam naturally given that chickens are designed to eat grubs (i.e. insects) from the ground outdoors.
- “Cage-free” is a term that has no standard and doesn’t require for the animal to have access to outdoors.
- Michigan State University recently released research that suggests having hens in cages actually may be safer for the animals as they are less likely to hurt each other.
How’s that for serving you up (pun intended!) some information about the ethics of eating?
