| Why Organic? | | | | Support A True Economy: Although organic foods |
| Okay, we have all heard organic foods are better | | | | might seem more expensive than conventional |
| for you, but is that the only reason to eat them? | | | | foods, conventional food prices do not reflect |
| The choices we make every day have a huge | | | | hidden costs borne by the taxpayers, including |
| impact on other people, the earth, the air we | | | | nearly $74 billion in federal subsidies in 1988. Other |
| breath, the water we drink and so much more. | | | | hidden costs include pesticide regulation and |
| Here's how: | | | | testing, hazardous waste disposal and clean-up, |
| Better for your health: A review of 41 studies | | | | and environmental damage. |
| indicates organic crops provide substantially higher | | | | Promote Biodiversity: Mono-cropping is the |
| levels of nutrients such as protein, vitamin C, iron, | | | | practice of planting large plots of land with the |
| magnesium, and phosphorous. These minerals | | | | same crop year after year. The lack of natural |
| boost your immune system, give you energy, | | | | planting diversity has left the soil lacking in natural |
| and taste better. | | | | minerals and nutrients. Single crops are more |
| Protect Future Generations: The average child | | | | reliant on pesticides while some insects have |
| receives 4 times more exposure than an adult to | | | | become genetically resistant to certain pesticides. |
| at least 8 widely used cancer-causing pesticides in | | | | Flavor: There is a good reason why many chefs |
| food. The food choices you make now will impact | | | | use organic foods in their recipes- they taste |
| your child's health in the future. | | | | better. Organic farming starts with the |
| Prevent Soil Erosion: Soil is the foundation of the | | | | nourishment of the soil, which eventually leads to |
| food chain in organic farming. In conventional | | | | the nourishment of the plant and ultimately, our |
| farming the soil is used more as a medium for | | | | bodies. |
| holding plants in a vertical position so they can be | | | | The Dirty Dozen |
| chemically fertilized. As a result, American farms | | | | Based on an analysis of more than 100,000 U.S. |
| are suffering from the worst soil erosion in | | | | government pesticide test results, researchers at |
| history. | | | | the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a |
| Protect Water Quality: The Environmental | | | | research and advocacy organization based in |
| Protection Agency estimates pesticides (some | | | | Washington, D.C., have developed the "dirty |
| cancer causing) contaminate the groundwater in | | | | dozen" fruits and vegetables, that they say you |
| 38 states, polluting the primary source of drinking | | | | should always buy organic, if possible, because |
| water for more than half the country's population. | | | | their conventionally grown counterparts tend to |
| Save Energy: Modern farming uses more | | | | be laden with pesticides. You can reduce your |
| petroleum than any other single industry, | | | | pesticide intake by 90 percent by eating organic |
| consuming 12% of the country's total energy | | | | varieties of the following fruits and veggies: |
| supply. More energy is now used to produce | | | | 1. Apples |
| synthetic fertilizers to till, cultivate, and harvest all | | | | 2. Cherries |
| the crops in the U.S. Organic farming is still mainly | | | | 3. Milk |
| based on labor-intensive practices such as | | | | 4. Peaches |
| weeding by hand and using green manures and | | | | 5. Red raspberries |
| crop covers rather than synthetic fertilizers to | | | | 6. Strawberries-read here to find out how nasty |
| build up soil. | | | | this industry is! |
| Keep Chemicals Off Your Plate: EPA considers | | | | 7. Grapes |
| that 60% of all herbicides, 90% of all fungicides | | | | 8. Cucumber |
| and 30% of all insecticides are carcinogenic. | | | | 9. Corn-Get the story on corn: The Omnivore's |
| Pesticides are poisons designed to kill living | | | | Dilemma. |
| organisms, and can also be harmful to humans in | | | | 10. Bell peppers |
| addition to cancer, pesticides are implicated in birth | | | | 11. Potatoes |
| defects, nerve damage, and genetic mutation. | | | | 12. Spinach |
| Protect Farm Worker Health: A National Cancer | | | | Still having a hard time making the switch to |
| Institute study found that farmers exposed to | | | | organic food? |
| herbicides had a 6 times greater risk than | | | | I would love to support you! Even if you've never |
| non-farmers of contracting cancer. Field workers | | | | thought organic was important, or if you think |
| suffer the highest rates of occupational illness in | | | | you can't afford it, I can help you become a |
| California. | | | | more conscious eater. Choosing to eat organic |
| Help Small Farmers: It's estimated that the United | | | | food is one of the simplest, most pleasurable |
| States has lost more than 650,000 family farms | | | | ways to protect the earth and promote your |
| in the past decade; organic farming could be one | | | | health. |
| of the few survival tactics left for family farms. | | | | |