u201cWe Are Essentialu201d is a blog series that explores how the organic community is navigating the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Our farms, ranches, and businesses deliver truly essential services, staying open and in the field to provide nutritious food to our communities. Each week, we will share a new story that highlights how organic is critical to the global response. We welcome hearing how you are impacted and invite you to email us at policy@ccof.org. We also have a list of crisis resilience resources to help you weather the COVID-19 pandemic.
u201cLet food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.u201d
Two thousand years since Hippocratesu2019 words, modern science has demonstrated that eating well is crucial to leading a healthy life. Today, coronavirus (COVID-19) has turned the worldu2019s attention to the food system, from barren grocery store aisles to forced closures of large meat processing plants.
Under these challenging new circumstances, organic farmers and businesses are working harder than ever to bring nourishment from farms to our doorsteps. u201cIs there risk? Probably. But we canu2019t just hole up. Americans need nutritious foods and we are the producer of that,u201d says Vernon Peterson of Peterson Family Farms, who grows organic fruits and raises organic chickens in Kingsburg, California. u201cThe nutritional benefits of organic foods are critical right now. We want foods that support our health and do not compromise it,u201d explains Peterson.
On the other end of the agricultural supply chain, Cathryn Couch, CEO of the Ceres Community Project, leads a non-profit that cooks and delivers organic meals to critically ill people in Marin and Sonoma Counties. u201cThe people we serveu2014those who are medically fragile, poor, and mostly without family or caregiver supportu2014are most at risk for complications and even death from COVID-19. Itu2019s vital that they stay home and stay safe right now,u201d explains Couch. Despite having to shift from a volunteer-based model to fully-paid kitchen staff, Ceres has more than doubled deliveries of prepared organic meals since the Bay Areau2019s shelter -in-place order went into effect. u201cFor our patientsu2014all of whom live with serious health challengesu2014every bite has to count. Thatu2019s one of the many reasons weu2019re committed to 100 percent organic,u201d Couch explains. u201cThe research shows that when patients have enough healthy food, theyu2019re much more likely to stay out of the hospital and emergency department, which is so important right now to protect precious health care resources.u201d
From home delivery down to the soil, the organic sector is key to our health during this pandemic. By building healthy soils rife with diverse soil organisms, organic farmers grow crops that contain higher levels of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, and produce meat and dairy with healthier fat profiles. In addition, by eating certified organic processed products, eaters avoid 3,000 artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives that can cause adverse health outcomes, ranging from cancer to reproductive disorders.
u201cIu2019m really proud to be part of this community: the getting-things-done-community that is keeping America fed. Iu2019m really proud that weu2019re out here working so that the rest can shelter,u201d declares Peterson.
Thank you to Peterson, Couch, and the countless essential workers striving to nourish our families during this health crisis.