Here's the thing - organic used to mean a lot more than it does today. It used to be a whole philosophy of sustainability, kindness to the environment, and a rejection of factory and other large scale farming techniques. It has become a liberal and yuppie buzzword. Maybe it IS a way to soak consumers these days, which is a real shame.
Back in the early 80s the store I used to buy my food from was the precursor of the first Whole Foods Market, then called the Crystal Market. It had this case of quartz crystals and everybody wore them around their necks, for the energy. I thought it was a bit oddball, but what did I know? Maybe 50% of the produce was locally grown and called organic. You could buy many things in bulk, like peanut butter, soaps, etc. I remember I got a dose of education most times I walked in there. "You wouldn't happen to have saved your last bottle, did you? Because you could bring it in and buy in bulk and save money." Or "Have you considered getting some canvas bags instead of using paper bags? It will save on having to cut down more trees."
Now you go into Wild Oats or other fancy natural food stores and will find 5 varieties of organic honey, near the organic cookies and ice cream. So now people can feel good about eating junk food that's supposed to be good for you! The employees there couldn't afford to shop there even if they wanted to, and they have no knowledge of or interest in sustainability. Do you think they are going to advise on recycling? No, they're counting the hours until they can go home and play XBox or catch up with friends on Facebook.
Those folks at the Crystal Market may have seemed a bit weird, but as I think back on how my behaviors changed from over 25 years ago by going to that store, I'm sure there has been a lot fewer paper sacks and plastic bottles in the waste stream and a lot more local farmers supported than otherwise. That's really what organic is about.
