HELP NATURE - Greentips: The Green Foods.

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GreenTips July 2005

 

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Green Foods (We're Not Just Talking Vegetables)

July 2005

Read this issue of Greentips online

 

Summer is the season of picnics and outdoor parties. The emphasis is on

fun in the sun, but your little outing or big event can also do its part for the

environment if your menu planning takes into account the fact that commercial

agriculture significantly contributes to air and water pollution and habitat

degradation. In addition, the overuse of pesticides in large-scale farming and

antibiotics in animal agriculture produces pests and diseases that are difficult

to control.

 

 

Here are some smart food choices that will add more " green " to your menu:

 

 

a.. Buy local. Locally grown produce, meats, eggs, and dairy products

don't have to travel far to reach your supermarket or farmer's market, resulting

in less fuel used for transport and less pollution generated in the process.

Local food also tends to come from smaller farms that follow sustainable (or

organic) practices.

b.. Go organic. Look for the U.S. Department of Agriculture organic seal

when you're grocery shopping. Organic foods are produced without the use of

synthetic pesticides (including herbicides), growth hormones, or antibiotics.

c.. Choose the right fish. Aquatic ecosystems and fish populations are

harmed by overfishing, bycatch (the term used for organisms accidentally caught

and killed in fishing gear), and concentrated wastes from some fish farms.

Farm-raised Atlantic salmon and imported shrimp are especially harmful. The

Monterey Bay Aquarium provides a printable, pocket-sized list of environmentally

friendly fish choices on its website (see link below).

d.. Serve less meat. In terms of pollution and land use, beef, pork, and

poultry production causes more environmental damage than other types of

agriculture, so it's best to reduce the amount of meat you purchase and serve.

Offer veggie hot dogs and burgers, and provide your guests a choice of filling

side dishes to reduce the amount of meat you need to buy. When you do buy meat,

eggs, and dairy products, it's best to buy directly from local farmers or look

for products labeled pasture-raised, organically grown, or raised without

antibiotics.

For more information:

 

 

Local Harvest--Why Buy Local?

www.localharvest.org/buylocal.jsp

 

 

U.S. Department of Agriculture--The National Organic Program

www.ams.usda.gov/nop

 

 

Monterey Bay Aquarium--Seafood Watch

www.mbayaq.org/cr/seafoodwatch.asp

 

 

Eat Well Guide

www.eatwellguide.org/

 

 

UCS--What's in the Meat You Eat?

www.ucsusa.org/publications/green_tips.cfm?publicationID=689

 

 

 

 

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