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How eating organically really does save the planet

How eating organically really does save the planet

Photo by Jacopo Maia on Unsplash

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When I was a kid, I loved picking blackberries. I spent hours in the scalding hot sun pulling the fattest ones off the bushes and collecting them in a bucket, careful to avoid the thorns.


My dad trained me to watch for snakes, because they like blackberries too, and my mom taught me how to turn those berries into mouth watering blackberry cobbler.

If I was feeling brave, I’d accompany my dad to the big lake in the woods behind our house, where he’d hang out for hours fishing for freshwater bass. I was fascinated by the way the hook caught in their wide mouths as they twisted on the line. When he’d caught enough, we—and by that I definitely mean he—moved on to the next stage: fileting their scaly bodies with an electric knife, and prepping the meat for frying.

I didn’t realize until many years later that I was raised on a mostly organic diet, which kind of blew my mind since we were a blue-collar family living in one of the poorest parts of the state. Exactly zero members of my household knew how to recycle, and even if we did, our neck of the woods certainly didn’t offer recycling bins. I had never even heard the word “organic” until I was much older; after all, aren’t organic foods mostly for the wealthy upper class? In the words of my daddy, “that ain’t us.”

Or was it? When I really think about it, I remember eating green beans and tomatoes straight from the garden, and pecan pie made from the nuts that fell from grandma’s pecan trees. Even now, I have several friends with egg-laying chickens and a neighbor who makes homemade jam, salsa, and pickles.

Come to think of it, I was eating organic way before it was cool.

Photo courtesy of Albertsons

Organic foods are much more affordable than one might think. Even if you aren’t lucky enough to have friends or family who share their farm-fresh eggs, chances are high that there’s an Albertsons grocery store in your area. As a commitment to offer accessible, high-quality items for every budget, Albertsons seeks to make eating organic affordable for everyone. Its line of O Organics® products, offers an extensive array of high-quality, USDA Certified Organic grocery items - but what does that actually mean?

In 2000, The U.S. Department of Agriculture officially defined the term “organic” to mean that farmers do not use any form of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides to grow their produce. This method of food production is widely considered to be a far more sustainable alternative when it comes to farming. Not only is it substantially better for our bodies, but the environment as well. When it comes to meat and dairy products, the USDA Organic regulations prohibit the use of all hormones and antibiotics and require that animals be fed one hundred percent organic feed, free of animal byproducts and growth hormones, have access to the outdoors, and that producers meet animal health and welfare standards.

According to an article published by Columbia University, the lack of pesticides and a wider variety of plants on an organic farm enhances biodiversity and results in better soil quality and reduced pollution from fertilizer or pesticide run-off. When biodiversity is maintained, it allows species and organisms to work together in ecosystems, like an intricate web, to maintain balance and support life. This is how supporting organic farming helps all of us save the planet.

The gradual shift towards organic farming and consumption over recent years is due in large part to rising consumer concerns about the health impacts of unknowingly consuming pesticides and chemical fertilizers (yum, arsenic!).

Photo by Steven Weeks on Unsplash

While it might sound daunting, Albertsons makes eating organic really easy. O Organics® products are USDA Certified Organic, and certified delicious. They are made responsibly and safely. They are always Non-GMO, grown without synthetic pesticides, and easy to catch on sale through the Albertsons app or in the weekly ad. And although I do sometimes miss picking berries directly from the bush, it’s a whole lot easier to pop in and grab a container of them.

Shop O Organics only at your local Albertsons or one of their sister stores— Safeway, Vons, ACME, Jewel-Osco, Shaw’s, Star Market, Tom Thumb, Randalls or Pavilions!

Planet

Easy (and free!) ways to save the ocean

The ocean is the heart of our planet. It needs our help to be healthy.

Ocean Wise

Volunteers at a local shoreline cleanup

True

The ocean covers over 71% of the Earth’s surface and serves as our planet’s heart. Ocean currents circulate vital heat, moisture, and nutrients around the globe to influence and regulate our climate, similar to the human circulatory system. Cool, right?

Our ocean systems provide us with everything from fresh oxygen to fresh food. We need it to survive and thrive—and when the ocean struggles to function healthfully, the whole world is affected.

Pollution, overfishing, and climate change are the three biggest challenges preventing the ocean from doing its job, and it needs our help now more than ever. Humans created the problem; now humans are responsible for solving it.

#BeOceanWise is a global rallying cry to do what you can for the ocean, because we need the ocean and the ocean needs us. If you’re wondering how—or if—you can make a difference, the answer is a resounding YES. There are a myriad of ways you can help, even if you don’t live near a body of water. For example, you can focus on reducing the amount of plastic you purchase for yourself or your family.

Another easy way to help clean up our oceans is to be aware of what’s known as the “dirty dozen.” Every year, scientists release an updated list of the most-found litter scattered along shorelines. The biggest culprit? Single-use beverage and food items such as foam cups, straws, bottle caps, and cigarette butts. If you can’t cut single-use plastic out of your life completely, we understand. Just make sure to correctly recycle plastic when you are finished using it. A staggering 3 million tons of plastic ends up in our oceans annually. Imagine the difference we could make if everyone recycled!

The 2022 "Dirty Dozen" ListOcean Wise

If you live near a shoreline, help clean it up! Organize or join an effort to take action and make a positive impact in your community alongside your friends, family, or colleagues. You can also tag @oceanwise on social if you spot a beach that needs some love. The location will be added to Ocean Wise’s system so you can submit data on the litter found during future Shoreline Cleanups. This data helps Ocean Wise work with businesses and governments to stop plastic pollution at its source. In Canada, Ocean Wise data helped inform a federal ban on unnecessary single-use plastics. Small but important actions like these greatly help reduce the litter that ends up in our ocean.

Ocean Wise, a conservation organization on a mission to restore and protect our oceans, is focused on empowering and educating everyone from individuals to governments on how to protect our waters. They are making conservation happen through five big initiatives: monitoring and protecting whales, fighting climate change and restoring biodiversity, innovating for a plastic-free ocean, protecting and restoring fish stocks, and finally, educating and empowering youth. The non-profit believes that in order to rebuild a resilient and vibrant ocean within the next ten years, everyone needs to take action.

Become an Ocean Wise ally and share your knowledge with others. The more people who know how badly the ocean needs our help, the better! Now is a great time to commit to being a part of something bigger and get our oceans healthy again.

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