Responsible Consumption

Abstract

Written by the director of Corporación Guardabosques, this article presents a set of practical recommendations for responsible consumption aimed at reducing the environmental impact of the consumerist economic model, proposing alternatives such as preferring returnable containers, avoiding plastic bags and styrofoam, and buying from local producers. The text pays special attention to organic agricultural products, denouncing that Colombia permits the use of more than 100 pesticides banned in developed countries, and presents comparative evidence on the higher nutritional quality of organic versus conventional crops, arguing that more visually attractive commercial varieties tend to depend more heavily on agrotoxins than traditional heirloom varieties.