Re: ABC investigates Whole Foods 365 Brand from China
I agree with Stacy that foods grown locally, seasonally, & organically are to be preferred over distant foods.
I also think it's important to recall that, historically, the U.S. has been involved in soil-tilth destroying and toxic chemical agriculture for quite a bit longer than has China (post-WWII v. cultural revolution). Moreover, ecologically, toxic persistent chemicals used in one part of the world do not stay put, but travel the world clandestinely. Sandra Steingraber' book "Living Downstream" outlines the global ecological problem very well, as does her book, "Having Faith," in terms of our health, and specifically in terms of children's health risks due to chemical exposures.
Re: ABC investigates Whole Foods 365 Brand from China
I was interested in the concept of organic foods from China. We visited extensively 2 years ago and recently viewed a documentary about the relocation efforts along the Yangtze. The country is interesting, a mix of "showy" new buildings and traditional people trying to eek out a living on very little arable land. Although the countryside that you see is beautiful, the air is unbreathable, and the waterways we were on (even those "minor" waterways) were filthy with everyday items and pollution. We saw sewage, people washing boats with soap and swishing it all into the water, plastic containers of all shapes and sizes, and no where was the water other than a dirty brown. That being said, we watched greens being grown right to the edge and watered with water from the waterways. That was the only place that was arable.
Lest I overreact and just say that I'm not sure I'd trust an organic label from China, I searched on line to find a definition of organic used in the china context. You all know that there are various organic certifications. I encourage you, if you are interested, to read the standards on the levels, then, browse the site I found. It begins by talking about the evolution of Chinese agriculture, then discusses herbs, and finally, in part 2, discussed organic crops. See what you think. I agree with Stacy that I prefer to know my farmer. Here it is:
http://www.itmonline.org/arts/organics.htm
