I've written before about the fact that I do use some industrial ingredients in my products, especially when the price is right and they haven't traveled that far. But yesterday the label on the big bags of onions at the wholesale foodservice grocery where I shop said, "Green Giant," and I figured it was time to draw the line.
In the next bin I found somwhat smaller bags of onions, Walla Walla Sweets for about twice the price as the industrial onions, but still quite reasonable. I picked up a couple of bags. They were a pleasure to peel and I used one when I cooked my lunch and it was very tasty.
I wondered how this quality product happened to end up at the industrial warehouse. The label had the logo for an organization called The Food Alliance, so I checked out their website. It's an independent group based in Oregon that certifies farms and producers on their use of sustainable practices, looking at everything from land and pesticide use to labor practices.
One criteria they use that I especially liked was "continual improvement." These folks seem to not be looking for 100% perfection, but rather a sincere commitment to doing things right in the context of a system where so much is wrong.I also appreciate the fact that they take a nuanced approach to the issue of organics, recognizing that some pesticides are worse than others.
I'm assuming that their role as a trade organization helped to place these onions at the industrial foodservice grocery, and seeing them there gave me hope.
1 comment:
What a heartwarmer! Maybe this organization will get into animal products, which tend to be the most devastating when factory farmed. We're happy that Tillamook has begun selling cheddar cheese from cows not treated with Growth hormones.
Yeah for small steps!
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