home

ORGANIC FOOD

Consumers are not aware of what chemicals are hiding in their food. Are you concerned that the food you are eating may be harmful to you and your family? Even after washing an apple 30 pesticides can remain.



Since the early 20th century our quality of food has decreased. The levels of Vitamin C in today's fruit have no resemblance to levels found in the earlier days. The irony of this

rests in the fact that, to consume the same amount of nutritional value one would need to eat more fruit this in turn means they would be eating more chemicals which means it could

potentially have detrimental affects on ones health by eating something that should realistically be good for you., Most crops are grown using various synthetic chemicals which include

fungicides,herbicides, fertilizers and pesticides.

According to the Food Quality Protection Act (1996) recognize that so much of these chemicals used present unacceptably high health risks. According to the Environmental Protection

Agency, 60% of herbicides, 90% of fungicides, and 30% of insecticides are carcinogenic. All of these chemicals going through ones body are not supposed to be going through it.

Going organic is not only healthy for individuals but also for the environment. Organic food are foods produced using methods that do not involve modern synthetic inputs such

as synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers, do not contain genetically modified organisms, and are not processed using irradiation, industrial solvents or chemical food additives.

Early consumers who desired organic food would look for items that were not treated with chemicals. The only way to do this was to buy directly from the growers or farmers that they

knew. They would have to do their own research to determine what constituted "organic food." They would talk to small farmers who grew vegetables and raised livestock using organic

farming practices. Consumers would check out farming conditions and activities to make their own personal decision.

At one time organic foods were only found in specialty health food stores. As the demand became greater for healthier choices, different types and varieties of organic foods began to

be sold in most grocery stores. There are many reasons the popularity of organic foods is growing and why and some consumers are willing to spend their hard earned money for

natural, environmentally friendly foods. Many consumers are for example, seeking assurance that the food is safer, purer, and more natural. Consumers are looking for non-chemical

treated, fresh or minimally processed food. Even though apparently organic foods are found in abundance in supermarkets the food production it is difficult to ascertain if they are

actually organic due to difficulites in tracking their production however recent regulations have been implemented to establish what organic actually means and what producers must do

to be allow to label their foods as organic.

Now, government regulations and third party inspectors are looked to in order to ensure that foods labeled as organic are actually organic. Regulators make the determination by

surmising if the foods meet certain standards established by The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that requires all organic food to meet government standards. The criteria will

regulate how the foods are grown, handled and processed. Animal products certified as organic must come from livestock that has had access to the outdoors, has not been treated

with hormones or antibiotics and has been reared on organic feed. If the food bears a USDA Organic label it means that the food is produced and processed according to the USDA

standards. Even though the seal is voluntary many organic producers choose to use it.



Products that are certified 95% or more can display this USDA seal. Foods that are completely organic such as vegetables, fruits or other single ingredient foods are labeled 100

percent organic can carry the USDA seal. Foods that contain at least 70 percent organic ingredients can say "made with organic ingredients" but may not use the seal. Foods with less

than 70 percent organic can not use the seal or the word organic on their food products.

Besides being healthier for individuals, organic farming practices are designed to encourage soil and water conservation and reduce pollution. Organic agriculture enhances and

benefits soil structures, conserves water and ensures sustained biodiversity. Organic farming relies on techniques such as crop rotation, green manure compost and biological pest

control. Organic farming can use fertilizers and pesticides but excludes or strictly limits the use of manufactured fertilizers, pesticides (include herbicides, insecticides and fungicides)

plant growth regulator such as hormones, livestock antibiotics, food additives, genetically modified organisms, human sewage sludge and nanomaterials.Organic farmers must either

use organic plants or seeds but if no organic alternative exists, they may use conventionally grown seeds and plants,but adhere to all other organic regulations.

Organic farming has been practiced for thousands of years and was the original type of agriculture. But after the industrial revolution, inorganic methods were introduced and not well

developed and unfortunately had serious side effects. As a result, an organic movement began. Increasing environmental awareness has transformed the originally supply driven

movement to a demand-driven one.

There are key differences between conventional farming and organic farming.


 * CONVENTIONAL**
 * Apply chemical fertilizers to promote plant growth


 * Spray insecticides to reduce pests and disease


 * Use herbicides to manage weeds


 * Give animals antibiotics, growth hormones and medications to prevent disease and spur growth


 * Organic farm**
 * ORGANIC**
 * Apply natural fertilizers, such as manure or compost, to feed soil and plants


 * Use beneficial insects and birds, mating disruption or traps to reduce pests and disease.


 * Rotate crops, till, hand weed or mulch to manage weeds.

disease.
 * Give animals organic feed and allow them access to the outdoors. Use preventive measures such as rotational grazing, a balanced diet and clean housing to help minimize

media type="custom" key="15459698"

Is paying extra money for organic food really worth it?

Some argue that the label organic confers real value- marketing healthier food produced without the use of unhealthy synthethetic pesticides and antibiotics.

Many others claim it is just marketing hype and that organic food hasn't been proven healthier. Some argue that it would be worse for the planet if everyone ate organically, we would

need a lot more acreage devoted to agriculture to maintain our current diet As a result, the current food production would need to increase by 70% to meet that demand.

We all want to eat sensibly and virtuously, and the ideal way to go as reminded and reminded, is to go organic, don’t eat processed foods eat fresh. Strangely enough, organi

foods currently represent only about 3% of the total American market, according to the most recent numbers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), but it is definitely a

sector we all should be supporting more.

There is something wholesome and special about shopping at local organic grocery stores or local organic farmer markets. I am convinced that this feeling springs from a more

direct connection with the community. As Mckibben argued in //Eaarth// AND Berry in //Art of the Commonplace,// The need for reemphasizing the importance of local communities is

paramount to achieving the goals of the environmental movement. (reduction of CO2 admissions and other toxic pollutions, curbing global warming etc.) which is absolutely true.

Of course, no matter how good one feels about buying organic produce, one must always consider its drawbacks. Buying organic is usually going to be more expensive. Organic

fruits and vegetables cost 13¢ to 36¢ per lb. more than ordinary produce depending on where you live and shop. Organic milk is almost double the price of regular milk. By being

more selective and by taking advantage of current sales and specials my make eating organic more affordable.

Please view the Organic Food Slideshow: To Buy or Not to Buy Organic

[]

The problem of synthetically altering and manipulating food and /or the environment in which food is produced is not even limited to fruits and vegetables-it is also present in the meat

industry. The mere mention of the documentary //Food Inc,// for those who have watched it, conjures horrific images of abused amimals living in disgusting factory farms that not only

abuse animals, but also the workers and the environment in which these fetid, polluting farms are located.

media type="youtube" key="5eKYyD14d_0" height="315" width="560"

The average person has no choice but to take personal responsibility for what to eat. Ultimately, it is a personal decision of what we feed our body. I believe eating organically is better

for our health, the environment and the world.


 * Sources**

[|www.greenliving.nationalgeographic.com/organic-agriculture-standards-28]

U.S. Department of Agriculture: Organic Production and Organic Food: June 2007 ([])

[|http://Organic.about.com/od/organicindustrybasics/tp/Environmental-benefit]

[]

[]

[]

[]

[]