| Marjorie Geiser, RD
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| | utilities in Germany now pay farmers to
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| We come from a society where growing
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| | switch to organic operations because this
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| organic and just growing produce and
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| | costs less than removing farm chemicals
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| livestock for food was once one and the
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| | from water supplies.
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| same. Small, family farms still grow
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| | What About our Health?
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| their own food using traditional methods
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| | Eating organic food is not a fad. As
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| passed down through the generations. As
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| | people become more informed and aware,
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| commercial farming became big-business,
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| | they are taking steps to ensure their
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| however, growers and farmers started to
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| | health. US sales of organic food totaled
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| investigate methods of increasing crops
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| | 5.4 billion dollars in 1998, but was up
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| and building bigger livestock in order to
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| | to 7.8 billion dollars in the year 2000.
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| increase their profits. This led to
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| | The 2004 Whole Foods Market Organic Foods
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| increased use of pesticides and drugs to
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| | Trend Tracker survey found that 27% of
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| enhance yield.
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| | Americans are eating more organic foods
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| In this article, we will look at what is
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| | than they did a year ago.
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| required in order to call a product
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| | A study conducted by the California
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| organic, how choosing organic eating and
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| | Department of Pesticide Regulation
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| farming impact the environment and our
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| | reports that the number of people
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| health, discuss the benefits of eating
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| | poisoned by drifting pesticides increased
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| organic foods, and what research says
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| | by 20% during 2000.
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| about the nutritional benefits of
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| | A rise in interest and concern for the
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| organically-grown produce.
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| | use of pesticides in food resulted in the
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| Calling it "Organic"
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| | passage of the 1996 Food Quality
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| In 1995, the US National Organic
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| | Protection Act, directing the US EPA to
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| Standards Board passed the definition of
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| | reassess the usage and impact of
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| 'organic', which is a labeling term
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| | pesticides for food use.
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| denoting products produced under the
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| | Particular attention was paid to the
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| authority of the Organic Foods Production
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| | impact on children and infants, whose
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| Act. It states, "Organic agriculture is
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| | lower body weights and higher consumption
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| an ecological production management
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| | of food per body weight present higher
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| system that promotes and enhances
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| | exposure to any risks associated with
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| biodiversity, biological cycles and soil
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| | pesticide residues.
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| biological activity. It is based on
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| | Publishing an update to its 1999 report
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| minimal use of off-farm inputs and on
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| | on food safety, the Consumers Union in
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| management practices that restore,
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| | May 2000 reiterated that pesticide
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| maintain, and enhance ecological
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| | residues in foods children eat every day
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| harmony."
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| | often exceed safe levels. The update
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| The primary goal of organic agriculture
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| | found high levels of pesticide residues
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| is to optimize the health and
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| | on winter squash, peaches, apples,
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| productivity of interdependent
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| | grapes, pears, green beans, spinach,
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| communities of soil life, plants,
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| | strawberries, and cantaloupe. The
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| animals, and people.
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| | Consumers Union urged consumers to
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| The philosophy of organic production of
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| | consider buying organically grown
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| livestock is to provide conditions that
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| | varieties, particularly of these fruits
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| meet the health needs and natural
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| | and vegetables.
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| behavior of the animal. Organic livestock
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| | The most common class of pesticide in the
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| must be given access to the outdoors,
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| | US is organophosphates (OP's). These are
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| fresh air, water, sunshine, grass and
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| | known as neurotoxins.
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| pasture, and are fed 100% organic feed.
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| | An article published in 2002 examined the
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| They must not be given or fed hormones,
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| | urine concentration of OP residues in 2-5
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| antibiotics or other animal drugs in
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| | year olds. Researchers found, on
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| their feed. If an animal gets sick and
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| | average, that children eating
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| needs antibiotics, they cannot be
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| | conventionally grown food showed an 8.5
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| considered organic. Feeding of animal
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| | times higher amount of OP residue in
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| parts of any kind to ruminants that, by
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| | their urine than those eating organic
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| nature, eat a vegetarian diet, is also
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| | food. Studies have also shown harmful
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| prohibited. Thus, no animal byproducts of
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| | effects on fetal growth, as well.
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| any sort are incorporated in organic feed
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| | Pesticides are not the only threat,
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| at any time.
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| | however. 70% of all antibiotics in the US
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| Because farmers must keep extensive
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| | are used to fatten up livestock, today.
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| records as part of their farming and
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| | Farm animals receive 24.6 million pounds
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| handling plans in order to be certified
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| | of antibiotics per year!
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| organic, one is always able to trace the
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| | Public health authorities now link
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| animal from birth to market of the meat.
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| | low-level antibiotic use in livestock to
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| When meat is labeled as organic, this
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| | greater numbers of people contracting
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| means that 100% of that product is
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| | infections that resist treatment with the
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| organic.
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| | same drugs. The American Medical
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| Although organic crops must be produced
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| | Association adopted a resolution in June
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| without the use of pesticides, it is
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| | of 2001, opposing the use of
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| estimated that between 10-25% of organic
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| | sub-therapeutic levels of antibiotics in
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| fruits and vegetables contain some
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| | agriculture and the World Health
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| residues of synthetic pesticides. This is
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| | Organization, in its 2001 report, urged
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| because of the influence of rain, air and
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| | farmers to stop using antibiotics for
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| polluted water sources. In order to
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| | growth promotion. Studies are finding the
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| qualify as 'organic', crops must be
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| | same antibiotic resistant bacteria in the
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| grown on soil free of prohibited
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| | intestines of consumers that develop in
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| substances for three years before
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| | commercial meats and poultry.
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| harvest. Until then, they cannot be
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| | Is it More Nutritious?
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| called organic.
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| | Until recently, there had been little
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| When pests get out of balance and
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| | evidence that organically grown produce
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| traditional organic methods don't work
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| | was higher in nutrients. It's long been
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| for pest control, farmers can request
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| | held that healthier soils would produce a
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| permission to use other products that are
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| | product higher in nutritional quality,
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| considered low risk by the National
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| | but there was never the science to
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| Organic Standards Board.
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| | support this belief. Everyone agrees that
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| The Environment
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| | organic foods taste better.
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| According to the 15-year study, "Farming
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| | In 2001, nutrition specialist Virginia
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| Systems Trial", organic soils have higher
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| | Worthington published her review of 41
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| microbial content, making for healthier
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| | published studies comparing the
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| soils and plants. This study concluded
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| | nutritional values of organic and
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| that organically grown foods are raised
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| | conventionally grown fruits, vegetables
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| in soils that have better physical
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| | and grains. What she found was that
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| structure, provide better drainage, may
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| | organically grown crops provided 17% more
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| support higher microbial activity, and in
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| | vitamin C, 21% more iron, 29% more
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| years of drought, organic systems may
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| | magnesium, and 13.6% more phosphorus than
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| possibly outperform conventional systems.
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| | conventionally grown products. She noted
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| So, organic growing may help feed more
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| | that five servings of organic vegetables
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| people in our future!
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| | provided the recommended daily intake of
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| What is the cost of conventional farming,
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| | vitamin C for men and women, while their
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| today? The above-mentioned 15 -year study
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| | conventional counterparts did not. Today
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| showed that conventional farming uses 50%
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| | there are more studies that show the same
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| more energy than organic farming. In one
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| | results that Ms. Worthington concluded.
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| report, it was estimated that only 0.1%
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| | Considering the health benefits of eating
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| of applied pesticides actually reach the
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| | organic foods, along with the knowledge
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| targets, leaving most of the pesticide,
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| | of how conventionally grown and raised
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| 99.9%, to impact the environment.
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| | food is impacting the planet should be
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| Multiple investigations have shown that
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| | enough to consider paying greater
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| our water supplies, both in rivers and
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| | attention to eating organic, today. Since
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| area tap waters, are showing high levels
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| | most people buy their food in local
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| of pesticides and antibiotics used in
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| | supermarkets, it's good news that more
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| farming practices. Water samples taken
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| | and more markets are providing natural
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| from the Ohio River as well as area tap
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| | and organic foods in their stores.
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| water contained trace amounts of
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| | Findings from a survey by Supermarket
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| penicillin, tetracycline and vancomycin.
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| | News showed that 61% of consumers now buy
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| Toxic chemicals are contaminating
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| | their organic foods in supermarkets. More
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| groundwater on every inhabited continent,
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| | communities and health agencies also are
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| endangering the world's most valuable
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| | working to set up more farmer's markets
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| supplies of freshwater, according to a
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| | for their communities, also, which brings
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| Worldwatch paper, Deep Trouble: The
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| | more organic, locally grown foods to the
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| Hidden Threat of Groundwater Pollution.
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| | consumer. The next time you go shopping,
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| Calling for a systemic overhaul of
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| | consider investigating organic choices to
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| manufacturing and industrial agriculture,
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| | see if it's indeed worth the change!
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| the paper notes that several water
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