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