There is, unfortunately, a fatal ethical and moral flaw in the 'buy organic' movement (and I support it, BTW, before anyone goes :tinhat: on me).
On the one hand, the earth warriors want a shift to organic, free range, happy animals farming. This is highly desirable.
But - those same Earth warriors want us to conserve, conserve, conserve - land, open spaces, fuel, journey times/commutes, cut back on the consuming excesses that are draining the planet. No arguments there.
BUT. Here's the rub.
Organic, free range, local bought farmers market type economies need lots of land, space, lots and lots of little journeys by farmer to field, to market, by customers to this store, that store, this market, that co-op.
The irony is that more intensive farming and centralized distribution and purchasing - square eggs and tomatoes to save on packing space, massive road trains to make one journey rather than dozens of little ones - are, over the arc of that model's life from genetically modified chicken to super-supermarket - actually more efficient in conserving land, space and resources.
STOP.
This is a generalization, a large picture rather than the 'but in my town we ..'. I'm taking globally here, which at the end of the day, is the only picture that matters.
FYI - I abhor intensive factory farming, I think those mega-cattle trucks are beyond evil and I hate the standardization of every damn store and High Street.
But I also have to accept that in their totality, indrustio-agro-store-o - are actually a leaner, meaner model.
Which kinda sucks.
OK - let the yelling start.