Local vs. Organic III

Whoa, this topic is (as Andy would say) hot. Here is another article, My Saudi Arabian Breakfast by Chad Heeter, posted late last week discussing the same idea. It describes the "caloric input" that goes into making the "caloric output" you get from your food with our current basic food system - and the subsequent idea that you are in a lot of ways consuming oil (or fossile fuels). So, how much oil do you want to eat? Includes some good shopping tips:

So how do you gauge how much oil went into your food?

First check out how far it traveled. The further it traveled, the more oil it required. Next, gauge how much processing went into the food. A fresh apple is not processed, but Kellogg's Apple Jacks cereal requires enormous amounts of energy to process. The more processed the food, the more oil it required. Then consider how much packaging is wrapped around your food. Buy fresh vegetables instead of canned, and buy bulk beans, grains, and flour if you want to reduce that packaging.

Which gave me a good marketing idea... "Try Brines Farm produce - it's fossil fuel lite.".