How do I shop Sustainably? (Organic)

You’ve read about sustainable food; you’re ready to make a change, but what do you do? Below are different guides and resources to help you shop sustainably. 1

If you shop in a large, chain supermarket and prefer not to change where you buy food, look to see if any of the fruits and vegetables sold in your store are organic or from local farms. Ask the butcher or manager of the meat department if any of the meats sold are organic, sustainably raised and if they are from local farms.

If you feel your supermarket is not selling the type of food you want, and is unwilling to stock it, you can always search out other stores. Many areas have natural or health food stores that sell a variety of organic and sustainably-raised food. If you decide to switch to another store, let the manager of your former supermarket know. Stores work on very slim profit margins and will generally listen to what customers want.
Sustainable food is not just found in supermarkets – find out where else it is being sold. For instance TGI Friday's; though not advertised, Friday's serves hamburgers from antibiotic-free, hormone-free source verified Angus cattle.

An important part of being sustainable is buying vegetables and fruits, and even meats, when they’re in season. Visit our Eat Seasonal page to find out what foods are in season in your area.

1 Paraphrased from articles listed at http://www.sustainabletable.org/shop/