Yale's 'Sustainable' Food Market Not-So-Sustainable

New Haven Independent:

According to the label, the tomato at left traveled all the way from Canada to a New Haven "sustainable" farmers market.

It was for sale inside a box that read, "Native Hot House Tomatoes / 3 for $2.00 / Each for $0.75."

Same goes for the cherries on sale at Beinecke Plaza on the Yale campus last Friday. Labeled "Connecticut Grown! $2.00 per lb," they sat in a box marked "Cherries: product of the State of Washington."

Read the whole story: New Haven Independent

Comments

[tedcito]

10:55 PM on 07/29/2010

Since the others commenting on the article appear to be missing the mark, what's important to highlight here is that Yale could have a rather substantial impact on local farms by buying produce from them more regularly. Yale is trying to tout this green image (mostly to attract donors, it would appear), but underneath, things aren't so green.

As a recent Yale grad (TD '10), I would really like to see Yale use its clout to effect change (in the right direction). Come on, Dining Services!

[AbeMartin]

07:49 AM on 07/29/2010

" Most said they would ultimately rather buy cheap than local, organic produce."

This attitude is why so many small, family owned farms are going out of business. The corporate farms are able, by economy of scale, and by the selection of tomatoes and other fruit that are resistant to bruising undercut the prices that must be charge by smaller farmers, seeking to earn a living.

But as pointed out by Pollan and Kingsolver and many others, the production of good food is not cheap. And when you factor in the enormous subsidies provided to the mega-farms and the cost of the energy required to store and ship these products hundreds or thousands of miles to make certain people in Connecticut can enjoy asparagus in November, or black cherries in March, this stuff isn't a bargain at all.

It would reduce some of the pressure on the Federal budget if the subsidization of multi-billion dollar processors such as Con-Agra was ended and this, at least, would provide a more level growing field on which the truly "local" farms could compete.

[sdiaz]

04:21 PM on 07/28/2010

organic=marketing scheme

in today's profit-driven globalism, nothing is really "organic" ... unless you do it yourself.