Is a picture is worth a 1000 words ?

Certified Fair Trade Typical products: coffee, tea, chocolate Pro: Safe working conditions provided Fair wages paid; No child labor allowed Environmental safeguards required Con: Typically goods are higher priced, imported, ‘luxury’ items Note: Fair Traded items are not necessarily organic, healthy, fresh or local

What does this symbol mean ?

Labeling Organic Foods 100% organic = all ingredients are organically produced ‘Organic’ = 95% ingredients organic ‘Made w/ organic ingredients’ >70% USDA seal NOT allowed

USDA Organic Better for people and the environment! More expensive Note: Not necessarily healthy fresh, local or required in the diet

Organic: (A few) USDA Qualifying rules Plants  no synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides x 3yrs.  no sewer sludge used; cannot be irradiated  no use of genetically modified (GMO) seeds/ingredsgenetically modified (GMO) Animals  no factory farming conditions  no antibiotics/hormones to prevent disease or promote growth  no irradiation  fed 100% organically grown feed

Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) Living organisms whose DNA has been modified in a lab ~60%+ of US processed food has GMO content GMO label NOT required on US foods Pros v. cons GMO unclear Want to avoid it? Buy 100% organic Buy 100% organic or look for this non-profit certification

What if you can’t afford CFT, Organic, NonGMO? Prioritize food dollar expenditures wisely! Better to increase intake of conventionally produced veggies/fruits than to reduce intake because you can’t afford organic. Do what you CAN!