In our fast paced society, Americans struggle to find healthier alternatives in terms of food. Consumers are beginning to be more environmentally conscious by choosing to buy organic fruits and vegetables. Scott Meyer is the editor of Organic Gardening Magazine and is featured in the video, “Organic Vegetables” on the National Geographic website states, “. . . organic food is great produce. It tastes better than any food you can buy . . . and working in concert with nature produces a great result . . . All the chefs know that organic food is the best kind of food.” Meyer supports environmental balance in nature and how it beneficially promotes organic production. Organic food products are grown without the use of conventional pesticides, artificial fertilizers, irradiation, growth hormones, or sewage sludge. “The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) estimates that twenty pounds of pesticides are used per person per year in the United States. At least fifty of these pesticides are classified as carcinogenic” (Burke 13). This statistic from the administration responsible for advancing the public health is believed to know that inorganic food can cause serious health risks in humans. Organic food can make a positive impact through our health, the environment, and animal welfare.
It is proven that organic food contains more natural nutrients that are beneficial to our health. According to an article on the National Geographic website affirms, “The Organic Trade Association and Organic Consumers Association point to studies that confirm the improved nutritional value, such as evidence published in the September 2010 issue of the journal PLoS One that measured a higher level of antioxidants, vitamin C and phenolic compounds and organ...
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...d water conservation as well as reducing pollution. Some people are concerned about whether animals are abused or forced into compact spaces, but organic farming have a better treatment when it comes to organic meat by letting their livestock roam freely and eat natural greens. Preventive measures are used to improve animal welfare and to help minimize disease. In contrast, conventional farming methods use drugs on their animals to promote faster growth and put on weight more efficiently. Organically raised animals are never given genetically engineered hormones or antibiotics. Consumers can help change food policy as well as urge the government and industry to stop unnecessary antibiotic use in agriculture. Therefore, natural grown foods always have a positive impact on human health, the ecosystem, and well treated animals that participate in organic agriculture.
Steven Shapin is an expert when it comes to telling people the reality of the situation. In his, article “What Are You Buying When You Buy Organic?” Shapin exposes and explains the truth behind the word organic. He explains that our view on organic is not a reality. The small farms that we picture in our heads are really just big business in disguise and these big businesses are trying to do good by supposedly not using harmful pesticides. Which are supposed to not damage the environment but in reality they are probably not making any sort of difference. Some people care about the environment, while others are buying taste when it comes to organic food but using different pesticides are going to help the taste, only freshness tastes the best.
If people are conscious about their health and what they put inside their bodies, they should consider refraining from animal products, or if that is not reasonable for their lifestyle, consider reducing the amount of animal products in their diets. Finding a local farm and ensuring that the farmer endorses organic products can also serve as an alternative. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, organic food is defined as “food produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations. Organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones”(National Agricultural Library). A “comprehensive meta-analysis on organic foods” done by Carlo Leifort, PhD at Newcastle University, tested 343 studies and confirmed that organic foods have an increased amount of antioxidants and a reduced amount of toxic pesticides, thus confirming that organic food has several health
...er, by growing organic food, people will also contribute in preserving the environment, including with reducing the global warming effect and also treat animal better as one of our important sources.
"Preface to 'Are Organic Foods a Positive Trend?'." Food. Ed. Jan Grover. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2008. Current Controversies. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 9 Apr. 2011.
With the world’s population continuing to increase, the demand for food is higher than ever. This increase in food demand also calls for more efficient ways of growing and providing the food. Two methods that are very controversial are the organic and conventional method. While many people support the organic method because of its known benefits, others feel that it is an over inflated industry that cheats consumers out of their money. But recently many studies have disproved those critics. These studies prove that Organic food is a better choice than conventional because it is better for the environment, avoids the use of chemicals, and is generally more beneficial.
Many believe that organic farming must be local and transporting around the world defeats the purpose of organic farming. Michael Pollan, a well known food critic and the Author of The Omnivore 's Dilemma, asks “So is the industrial Organic food chain finally a contradiction in terms?”The size of the industrial organic industry has increased greatly in the past decades: “It 's no longer the image of a small organic farmer with four acres and a hog. This is mainstream now—this is an industry worth over $31.5 billion.” Src 3. The large organic companies have grown to be worth billions of dollars and because of this it would be hard to defeat them and change the standards. The industrial food system as a whole has decreased the amount of farming in America vastly. Pollan states that in the United States there is “One Farmer, 129 Eaters.” This means that for every farmer there is he/she is feeding 129 people across the United States. Organic farming and conventional farming produce the same yields with crops and animals.The large scale organic system could be beneficial if the standards are changed and made better for the environment. It is
Even though conventionally grown foods are cheaper it is worthwhile to invest into buying organic foods because they are healthier. It has been proven that many organic foods dramatically reduce pesticide levels, lower cholesterol, and create a healthy environment. In addition, feeding the livestock with natural foods is more humane and allows the animals to avoid constant antibiotic injections. Organic foods are not only safer for our immune system but also better for the environment.
As we stroll the aisles of our local supermarkets we see all kinds of food products, but does it ever occur to you how fresh or natural these products maybe. Organic farming prohibits any use of artificial chemicals, growth hormones, or antibiotics in the production of its crops and livestock. Organic farming has existed for centuries, but after the industrial revolution factory farming was arising. Organic farming does not allow the use of any pesticides in its crops or livestock production, but also helps sustain a good economic flow in rural communities. Although there are many benefits of organic farming, there is a lack of credibility some farmers provide within the distribution of their products and some argue that there’s no difference
Organic foods have become more and more popular over the years, and consumers may or may not be knowledgeable when shopping for organic and/or conventional foods. This report will help define the difference between organic and conventional foods and farming, including the health benefits and risks. The demand for organic foods will also be discussed briefly. The purpose of this research is to describe and identify the advantages and issues that are involved with organic and inorganic foods.
Many consumers and farmers have discovered that living in an industrialized culture where the focus has become faster, bigger, and cheaper is not the best way to produce our food. Obsessed with productivity, the agriculture industry is reaping the negative consequences of creating an unsustainable environment for food production. Time and time again, the media captures stories regarding deadly bacterial contamination and dangerous pesticide contamination causing illness and death in our communities. The environment is also damaged and contaminated. This devastating trend, due to irresponsible farming practices as a result of the industrialization of the food industry, has become all too common. Returning to organic farming, which our grandparents referred to as farming, and reclaiming our food is not only our choice, it is our right.
A lot of research has been done over the past five and six years about organic foods and whether it is healthier or not, in terms of antioxidants it is seen to be more prominent in Organic foods then in any other type of conventional food. The antioxidants in Organic food seem to be more beneficial to a person’s health then conventional food is. Organic food is also a lot safer for your heart as all the unwanted toxins from pesticides and fertilizers that not only kill the nutritional value but also may end up shortening a person life span by eating conventional food is very high. Their risk of eating all these toxins may have a huge effect on your heart and your immune system and by eating Organic foods you don’t have this worry that conventional foods come with. Organic food is not prepared using chemical toxins so therefore it cannot affect our health negatively as it is produced more naturally then other foods. Because farmers use natural fertilizers like manure and worms and insects it has a much better effect on our health than any other conventionally grown food that the consumer will buy without knowing the harmful effects that come with doing this. As you can see here the effect of Organic food on people’s health is good as people are finally getting the nutrients they need on a daily basis and to be able to live now in the twenty first
The term “organic” is almost everywhere in modern society, whether it’s used to promote a product or it’s debated on whether it really benefits the human diet. Organic food is heavily debated on as it appears more and more in local grocery stores and farmers markets begin to populate, it raises questions such as “Is organic food better than food grown with pesticides and biologically engineered genes?” and “Are there benefits to eating organically over foods grown in any other way?” In terms of what data and results show in research may help lead to answers to most of the heavily debated issues throughout discussions on organic food.
A study of 362 datasets found that organic agriculture produces 80% of conventional yield with 21% standard deviation (Tomek et al. 2012). Second, organic farming requires less energy input which equates to less money spend from the farmers in addition to lowering carbon emissions. A study by the Department of Environment shows that organic agriculture uses 25 percent less than energy than their chemical counterparts, and certain crops like organic leeks and broccoli use 58 and 49 percent less, respectively (Bialis et al. 2013). Third, organic farming does not use pesticides. According to the World Health Center, 20,000 people die annually from the exposure of pesticides (Costa et al. 2014). Fourth, the methods that organic farmers use are better for the environment in the long run. And lastly, organic farming creates more jobs. A study done in United Kingdom shows 93,000 jobs could be created if Britain were to make a full scale shift to organic farming (Herro 2006). Although conventional agriculture is the primary producer for food currently, a large scale shift to organic agriculture is better suited to feed the world because organic agriculture can produce at adequate yield, requires less energy input, do not use
“Some people live to eat, others eat to live,” as rightly said by an anonymous author. Food is a source of life, we need to consume food everyday to survive and having nutritious food is essential to have a healthy living. Food that we consume today is an outcome of industrial farming which uses lot of chemical and pesticides to grow plant and use hormones and antibodies in animal and also to store food for longer period. So in this we have a question, what options do we have, this could be simple by consuming organic food, naturally grown vegetables and animal sources and sustainable growing methods. When we talk about organic food, we might not know much about it but we know it is good for our health and might consider it to consume everyday if readily available. So what is organic food? According to Allen, Gary J. & Albala, ed. (2007). Organic foods are produced using methods of organic farming, with limited modern synthetic inputs such as synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers, though organic pesticides, such as Bt toxin, are still used. Organic foods are also not processed using irradiation, industrial solvents, or chemical additives. Thus organic food is comparatively nutritious, use less pestisides and is sustainable and less harmful to the environment
First of all, the main reason that people choose organic food is that people think organic foods have less chemical residue, such as pesticide, and fertilizer. In the article “Organic foods contain higher levels of certain nutrients, lower levels of pesticides, and may provide health benefits for the consumer”, Crinnion indicated that organic foods just had 33 percent of the amount of pesticide and fertilizer residues that found in conventional foods, and conventional foods contain two or more types of chemical residues than organic foods (Crinnion, 2010). In addition, Crinnion used a study of Seattle preschoolers as an example to demonstrate organic foods have less pesticide residues. The study of Seattle concluded that children who ate more conventional foods had six times higher level of pesticide resi...