Membership | Winter Quarterly 2020
Member Survey Responses
In our last newsletter we asked: Have you changed your food shopping habits based on the social or environmental impacts of the food's ingredients? If so, which ingredients? Over 50 members responded with profound and conscious decisions. Here is a snapshot of what your fellow members had to say:
“Not so much ingredients as packaging – working on making yogurt and I have mesh bags for produce. I buy more organic than I used to and coffee that is shade grown.”
— Andrea
“I bring a container to buy tofu from the deli in Arcata. It feels like I am getting more for my money and no plastic! I buy beverages in glass or cans only. Once again, no plastic! Yay!”
— Honoree
“Buy fewer things and make more at home, buy fair trade, look for low/minimal packaging, buy bulk if available, do not buy cleaners/hygiene products unless nontoxic (check EWG website), buy only organic, buy few processed foods. Avoid palm oil, carrageenan, non-organic and GMO foods. Coffee is shade grown and eggs that are organic and free range. Check the Cornucopia score cards!”
— Robert
“Yes, I avoid buying food with palm oil as an ingredient. Although I am aware that some palm oil is sustainably harvested, most is not!”
— Olivia
“I’ve tried to eat more local food because of the costs of importing food, especially produce.”
— Jacquelyn
“My habits have changed to mainly focus on locally sourced ingredients and produce (honey, local jams, local breads, dairy, local beer and wine.) They are also based on what I can get from bulk bins, allowing me to re-use containers including non-food items such as shampoo.”
— Lara
“Yes. I avoid palm oil and sugar.”
— Dominic
“I stopped buying dole, del monte, and Chiquita bananas due to unfair working treatments in Ecuador. I also stopped buying cocoa that is not fair trade due to child labor and palm oil containing products due to deforestation in the Amazon.”
— Alexis
“Yes, one of the ingredients I try to avoid is palm oil. I try to get local options whenever possible as well as shop seasonally.”
— Jenna
“Is packaging an ingredient? I’ve definitely changed my habits to eliminate packaging – yay bulk!”
— Lauraine
“Yes – no plastic, all organic, bulk where available, local where available, plant based (mostly), organic/wild caught poultry and fish.”
— Barbara
“Yes – paying closer attention to growing and manufacturer place of origin.”
— Kelly
“Yes, I only buy bulk when possible. I don’t buy anything over packaged and only buy organic. I also grow my own greens plus some vegetables. I always have my own bag for groceries and take a box rather than a bag.”
— Alyssa
“Yes – avoiding palm oil and corn syrup…”
— Mark
“Yes – No GMO’s! Careful to read all labels :)”
— Bonnie
“I have. I’m vegan due to the irreversible social and environmental impacts that meat and dairy farming cause.”
— Anna
“Always looking for bio—soaps that don’t encroach on Gorilla habitat – Does “cruelty free” mean it’s not from palm oil plantations?!”
— Maisy
“No.”
— Mike
“Yes, I try to buy mostly local
produce.”
— Zoe
“I don’t buy Eden Foods. I always buy local produce/meat. Only organic. I don’t buy Co-op soups with sugar in the ingredients. We reuse all plastic bags.”
— G.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in these published survey responses are those of individual member-owners and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the North Coast Co-op. The publishing of these responses is not meant to malign anyone or anything, but rather to give voice to our diverse membership. ■
