Organic? Yes. Sustainable? No.
A pet peeve of mine is when organic correctness overwhelms rational thought.
Today's case in point: Organic roses.
You can now order a bouquet of organic roses online for delivery the next day anywhere in the United States. The merchant, OrganicBouquet.com, proudly proclaims itself
"your premier online source for socially and environmentally responsible gifts. Our goal is to provide you and your loved ones with high quality products that contribute to the betterment of humankind and the Earth."
Sounds good, but dig a little deeper. The roses are shipped by air from Riobamba, Ecuador.
No matter how pure the farming techniques, the massive energy requirements for air freight from another continent rule out the possibility of these blooms being "environmentally responsible gifts."
Transportation energy use is about as important as on-farm practices. In my judgment, buying locally matters as much as buying organic.
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