The staff at Wicked Cool World of Organics wishes you a happy World Environment Day.

And that is...what?

World Environment Day (WED) was established by the UN General Assembly in 1972 to mark the opening of the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment.

Commemorated yearly on 5 June, WED is one of the principal vehicles through which the United Nations stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and enhances political attention and action. The day's agenda is to:

1. Give a human face to environmental issues;
2. Empower people to become active agents of sustainable and equitable development;
3. Promote an understanding that communities are pivotal to changing attitudes towards environmental issues;
4. Advocate partnership which will ensure all nations and peoples enjoy a safer and more prosperous future.

The theme for WED 2009 is 'Your Planet Needs You-UNite to Combat Climate Change'. It reflects the urgency for nations to agree on a new deal at the crucial climate convention meeting in Copenhagen some 180 days later in the year, and the links with overcoming poverty and improved management of forests.

This year’s host is Mexico which reflects the growing role of the Latin American country in the fight against climate change, including its growing participation in the carbon markets.

And organic foods are good for the environment because...why?

...By buying organic products, you’re not only feeding your family safer food and preventing hazardous chemicals from entering the environment; you’re also protecting the land for future generations.

One goal of sustainable agriculture is to conserve natural resources such as water. Water is conserved by growing plants that are suited to the local environment. Instead of irrigating dry areas, farmers who use sustainable practices simply grow crops more suited to a dry environment. Many traditional farmers choose to irrigate because crops that require more water tend to command higher prices. Sustainable producers also conserve water by taking measures to prevent runoff. This keeps the water where it falls and where it gets the most use.

Along with water, organic producers also take measures to conserve soil. This may seem silly because dirt is everywhere, but the when soil is taken care of properly, plants thrive. The soil contains beneficial organisms and nutrients needed for healthy crops. When the ground is overworked or overgrazed by cattle, some of the soil washes away, and chemicals must be used to make the remaining soil right again. The soil that washes away also ends up in lakes, rivers, water supplies, and other areas where it can be more of a problem than a benefit. Organic farming techniques preserve the soil so that chemicals are not needed to fix damaged soil.

Organic farmers also conserve energy by using less fossil fuel. This also cuts down on environmental pollution, and of course producers work the land less. Since traditional farm equipment requires gasoline, using this equipment less means cutting back on fossil fuel usage. Most organic producers also choose to sell their products locally. This means that the products don’t have to be shipped as far and even less fuel is consumed. If more farmers took these steps, it could drastically cut down on the amount of carbon pollution entering the atmosphere.

So since we're making an argument for buying from your local organic farmer, it's only reasonable that we help you find one. The Eat Well Guide has an online locator for Canada and the U.S. which did quite well. So well, that they even returned results for the tiny town in the middle of Kansas where I was raised, which is saying something.

LocalHarvest also has a locator, U.S. only though. They also make a good case for the locals.

Most produce in the US is picked 4 to 7 days before being placed on supermarket shelves, and is shipped for an average of 1500 miles before being sold. And this is when taking into account only US grown products! Those distances are substantially longer when we take into consideration produce imported from Mexico, Asia, Canada, South America, and other places.

We can only afford to do this now because of the artificially low energy prices that we currently enjoy, and by externalizing the environmental costs of such a wasteful food system. We do this also to the detriment of small farmers by subsidizing large scale, agribusiness-oriented agriculture with government handouts and artificially cheap energy.

Cheap oil will not last forever though. World oil production has already peaked, according to some estimates, and while demand for energy continues to grow, supply will soon start dwindling, sending the price of energy through the roof. We'll be forced then to reevaluate our food systems and place more emphasis on energy efficient agricultural methods, like smaller-scale organic agriculture, and on local production wherever possible.

Enjoy this day, treat each other well and support your local organic farmer. We'll return next week with the headlines.