The Bright
green Future
Despite national economic challenges,
green industries are expanding and
customers are committed…
by brita belli
G
oing green is not just a trend—it’s a full-scale shift promised by fruits, veg-
that’s taken place across the consumer landscape gies, juices, cereals, meats
in every market. In one recent study, the Yale and other food staples that
School of Forestry & Environmental Studies found that half aren’t produced or raised with harmful additives or toxic
of the survey respondents would “definitely” or “probably” pesticides. From Stop & Shop’s Nature’s Promise to Whole
pay more for eco-friendly laundry detergent or an auto- Foods’ 365 Organic Everyday Value and Wegmans’ Food
mobile. Even those who described their financial situation You Feel Good About, supermarket brands now offer organic
as “fair” or “poor” expressed their willingness to spend 15 items ranging from crackers to butter and chicken at prices
percent more on environmentally friendly detergent and comparable to non-organic versions.
wood furniture. This emerging shift means we have a chance at mak-
As the market continuously shifts toward healthier ing progress in restoring our land and water and better
options—both for people and the planet—companies safeguarding life from the hazards of industrial agriculture,
that produce everything from cars to cosmetics to clean in which pesticides and herbicides and in the case of meat,
energy systems are responding with greater options and antibiotics and hormones, harm soil quality and contami-
lower prices. nate our water supplies. Demand for local foods from
farmers’ markets and community-supported agriculture
Organic and Local Food (CSA) programs has seen an upswing, too. More buyers
Research by Packaged Facts reports that organic food
are expressing concern with “food miles”—how far food
sales have continued to grow over the past year, albeit at
travels from farm to plate—resulting in needless carbon
an annual rate closer to 6 percent, compared to the 20
doxide emissions during transport and reduced taste. Says
percent of better years. The researchers found that “pre-
vegetarian cookbook author Deborah Madison, “I like ev-
mium customers,” those earning $75,000 per year or more,
erything about a farmers’ market. It’s vital, it’s alive, it’s the
increased their organic purchases in the past year. Also,
best-tasting food.”
some 33 percent of those earning much less still seek out
organic labels at the grocery store.
Contact: Organic Consumers Association,
Organic foodies are committed to the healthfulness
OrganicConsumers.org.
26 Phoenix
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