You might have heard the claim that transporting organic food negates the environmental benefits of growing it. This argument is misleading because transportation emissions must be separated from agriculture emissions. So go ahead, eat for health and the environment by going organic when you can!
Reducing Distance Is Great, But Not The Whole Story
Transportation as a sector contributes 26% of total greenhouse gas emissions in the United States.1 Therefore, it is an excellent idea to try to reduce transport as much as possible by going local. However, keep in mind that agriculture has its own, separate emissions footprint, which amounts to 9% of the U.S. total.2 That figure does not include transport, meaning tackling agricultural emissions is an entirely different question.
How Organic Helps Reduce Agricultural Emissions
According to the Environmental Protection Agency the top three ways to reduce emissions in agriculture are:
1) Land and Crop Management
2) Livestock Management
3) Manure Management3
In other words, it is the methods of farming that must be changed to reduce the impact on the environment. Organic represents that change because to be certified by the USDA operations must “demonstrate that they are protecting natural resources, conserving biodiversity, and using only approved substances.” When you buy organic you are saying with your money that you care about those things and you want the agriculture sector to care too!
Related
Local Is Better, Just Not How You Think