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