Is Whole Foods Ethical?

Trying to eat a strictly organic diet while working in Tenleytown has caused me to rely heavily on Whole Foods for almost all of my meals. I find myself leaving work each afternoon to get lunch at the grocery store instead of having to research organic-friendly restaurants or wake up early to pack my own lunch. Yet I am starting to question if relying on this corporation to make all my tough food decisions is simply falling back into old habits.

An article published in Slate in March 2006, "Is Whole Foods Wholesome?" poses similar questions. In this piece, Field Maloney attempts to find out if Whole Foods really is as virtuous as it presents itself to be. First, the good news:

1. Whole Foods pays its workers a solid living wage. Its lowest earners average $13.15 an hour with excellent benefits and health care. Furthermore, no executive makes more than 14 times the employee average.
2. Whole Foods was one of the first grocery stores to "bag the bag" doing away with plastic bags at their checkout counters - an initiative that has particular meaning to D.C. residents, who are now taxed for each plastic bag they use.
3. Whole Foods supports local non-profits, and many of the stores offer their own composting or utilize wind or solar energy.

Now for the not-so-good news:
1. Whole Foods may promote saving energy and being eco-friendly, but sometimes organic isn't the greenest option. Organic apples from Washington state have a much greater carbon footprint than apples conventionally-farmed in nearby West Virginia.
2. Supporting organic farming does not necessarily mean supporting small farmers. Almost all of the organic food produced in America comes out of California, and only a handful of corporations dominate the industry.
3. Whole Foods, oft referred to as Whole Paycheck because of its prices, is not a viable option for every consumer. In the closing paragraph of Maloney's article, he offers an nuanced (and somewhat depressing) argument:"It's likely that neither Wal-Mart nor Whole Foods will do much to encourage local agriculture or small farming, but in an odd twist, Wal-Mart, with its simple 'More for Less' credo, might do far more to democratize the nation's food supply than Whole Foods. The organic-food movement is in danger of exacerbating the growing gap between rich and poor in this country by contributing to a two-tiered national food supply, with healthy food for the rich. Could Wal-Mart's populist strategy prove to be more 'sustainable' than Whole Foods?" Just some food for thought.

What I ate yesterday: bowl of organic cereal with organic soy milk, Nantucket Nectar juice and organic salad from Whole Foods, Amy's organic Burrito Bowl

What I ate today: another bowl of cereal and soy milk, organic granola and fruit salad, oven-roasted vegetables (red potatoes, carrots, onions, shallots) and cheese