In fifth grade, my teacher told our class about the effects of orange juice on the Everglades and I felt my first spark of environmental concern. She explained that the pesticides sprayed on the oranges in the area would get rinsed off the oranges and seep into the soil, which would end up in the national park because Florida was at sea level. These chemicals destroyed the vegetation native to the area and put the inhabiting animals’ health at risk.
Later that day, I marched home and informed my mom that we were not allowed to purchase any more orange juice made from Florida oranges if the company didn’t explicitly state that they did not use pesticides in their growing process. My mother agreed to my passionate demands - probably just excited that I cared about something so strongly aside from whether my little sister was getting more computer time than I was - and sought out to find a new brand of orange juice to purchase.
Today, Earth Day holds a different significance to every individual. Whether that means that an excuse to Instagram that picture from your hike a year ago, a personal promise to start doing something different in your day (like turning off the water while you brush your teeth!), or just a moment to appreciate our beautiful world, Earth Day is an important reminder that our planet has taken care of us and we need to reciprocate the notion.
While I am no longer receiving a tiny pine tree from my school to plant anymore - was that just me?? - Earth Day remains one of my favorite days of the year. I LOVE the environment, and I’m thrilled to be a part of a company that cares as deeply about taking care of our planet as I do.
In our office here at Eat Your Coffee, we have a constant dialogue about recycling and different measures of environmental conservation. One of the first questions we always ask new members of our team is "What does sustainability mean to you?" because it provides fresh insights to how we can better our company!
Eat Your Coffee Bars are organic and non-GMO for a reason.
There is a lot of research debating the difference that organic and non-GMO foods have on our health versus their alternatives, but with that controversy aside, there is clear evidence of the positive impact of organic foods on the environment!
How? Here are three quick examples:
- Organic farming pays attention to the medium and long-term effects of agriculture on the agro-ecosystem, as opposed to traditional industrial farming.
- The use of organic fertilizers as opposed to chemical fertilizers enhances soil structure and water infiltration (AKA because we’re treating the ground we’re planting in better, it will be healthier and we can use it longer!)
- Organic agriculture reduces the amount of greenhouse gases we release because the carbon stays in the soil.
So, what's one easy change you can make this year to live a more sustainable life? Buy organic foods when you can! You’re a broke college student? No problem - me too. Check out the Clean 15 list (and stay away from the Dirty Dozen!)
Eat organic, celebrate our beautiful world, and happy Earth Day!
Interested in reading more about organic farming on the environment?