We often think our vote matters only on Election Day, but in reality, even our most ordinary purchases also cast a vote for the kind of world we want to live in.
By voting with our dollars, we make a conscious effort to buy the things that align with our beliefs. We buy organic because we feel it’s the safest and healthiest choice for our family. That purchase is also a vote for a cleaner planet, climate change mitigation, higher wages for farmers and farm workers, fewer chemicals in the environment, and many other issues.
The more consumers support the organic industry, the bigger the impact of their combined spending, so that it benefits many other areas within the food industry and the agricultural system as a whole. In turn, those purchases help strengthen the organic industry, which in turn helps builds a healthier agricultural system and allows for the production of healthier foods. Purchasing organic takes money out of the conventional system of large farming and chemical production.
The conventional agriculture system accounts for 99% of acreage used for U.S. crop production. That’s far too high since much of the conventional agricultural system relies on GMOs and a heavy chemical cycle of pesticides and herbicides. For example, many of the pollinators needed to grow our food supply rely on organic farms as safe havens from conventional insecticide use. The more organic “votes” consumers cast at the grocery store, the more pollinators they save. If you want a healthier planet, then voting with your dollars and buying organic is one important way to help decrease chemical use.
An especially important reason to vote with your dollars by supporting organic is the premium that organic farmers and farm workers receive compared to their conventional counterparts. Organic farmers make anywhere from 22 to 35 percent more than conventional farmers.
Farming is not known to be very lucrative, so any gains farmers make that help them continue to do the work they love while also providing for their families are important. Conventional farmers in the U.S. have had a difficult time keeping up with changes within the industry as well as turning a profit. Many smaller farms are finding it difficult to stay afloat when their competition is large-scale farms that have become standard in the Midwest.
Most organic farms are much smaller, and they are better for the environment and surrounding area. Organic farms boost the local economy so they benefit their communities as well as the farmer.
Organic Voices is a non-profit organization that is not involved or politically affiliated with any group or party. We do think it is important for all people to vote as it is our right as citizens of the United States. With that we hope that you exercise that right and vote in all elections. To register please visit: https://www.vote.org
