Local Nutella and Imported Peaches

 I've been trying to find information about the pesticide use on Ontario produce. My counter and fridge are full of the sweetest and juiciest peaches, nectarines and grapes from the Niagara Region right now, and unfortunately none of it is organic. It really makes me wonder. We were able to order organic apples last summer, but that's all we've been able to source so far. On one of the websites I went to, I found this article. Although it makes a valid point that, for the most part, it's the most minute of amounts of pesticides found on our fruit, it still bothers me that we don't know what the impact on human health is, even of the smallest of traces. However, I still want to believe that the benefits of eating these fruits far out-weigh any risks they may pose. I'm not convinced that shipping organic fruit up from the Southern States is any better for us, so until I can find a local organic peach, plum or grape, Ontario's freshest fruit will be in my shopping cart.


On the site I was reading, I also found this interesting little video. My initial reaction was "does that make Ferrero Rocher chocolates and Nutella local foods?"! Too bad they are both highly-refined junk, full of fat and sugar, and the chocolate itself certainly isn't grown around here, or we might have "peanutella sandwiches" for supper with Ferro Rochers for dessert one night! All kidding aside, the notion of trying to grow the hazel nuts close to the Ferrero factory seems a noble idea, but then I got to thinking at what cost does forcing a plant to grow in a climate it wasn't meant to become? Are they going to have to spray the plants heavily with fungicides and pesticides so they don't get sick? Is using "12 to 15 thousand acres" of land to grow a nut that will be processed in to junk food really something to celebrate? Turns out the Government has helped fund the research as well. 


Makes me wonder if the money is really being spend wisely. ConAgra closed their DelMonte canning facility in the Niagara region, drastically reducing the market for fresh peaches and pears two years ago. ConAgra decided it was more cost effective to be growing and canning their fruit over seas. We were supporting local agriculture every time we picked up a can of DelMonte fruit before then...now we are supporting an international company. Farmers in the area had to pull up many of their trees now that they only had the fresh market to sell to. Could that money be better used to help them out some way? Teaching more people to preserve comes to mind. Teaching kids to that peaches are healthier than Nutella is another.


 Shannon A.