The Pros And Cons Of Organic And Non-Organic Food

Research Paper When going to the grocery store you come across organic and non-organic food. You may wonder what is the differences between the two. Is organic food a healthier alternative? As well as, you may question what the term organic even means. Well, let me give you some insight when making these kinds of decisions. Organic food is the production of food without the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or other artificial agents (OED). While non-organic foods are produced by conventional farmers. Conventional farming, is farming that uses synthetic chemicals and fertilizers to maximize the harvest of crops, which are typically genetically modified (Sustainable). Conventional Farming has several cons that has effects on the environment

Here is an insight of how non-organic milk is produced. Non-organic cattle are injected with GMO’s to increase the production of milk. “In 1950, the average dairy cow produced almost 5,300 pounds of milk a year. Today, the typical cow today produces just under 20,000 pounds” (Gould). This was made possible by injecting the dairy cattle with RBST, an artificial growth hormone in order to artificially raise milk manufacturing. Conventional dairy cattle can be held in three kinds of stalls for their whole lives. One is being in a tie-stall barns, where they spend their life chained around their neck to a stall. Another is a free-stall barns, where the cattle are kept from the outdoors and put in stalls for milking and rest. The last way that conventional farmers hold their dairy cows is in, dry lots, which is an area where this is nothing to graze on as well as, cattle are kept in the middle of trips to the milking barn (epa). In all of these situations, dairy cattle frequently suffer infections of the feet from being held in those dreadful holding stalls as well as having to stand in their own manure. Conventional farming focuses more on the significant amount of milk production that is being produced rather than the health and welfare of their

Organic farming produces crops using methods that save the environment and avoid most synthetic chemicals, such as pesticides and antibiotics (USDA). Organic farming is more environmentally friendly compared to conventional farming, due to the fact that they do not use any kind of synthetic chemicals. In many farm lands, pollution of the local streams, river and drinking water are caused by synthetic fertilizers. Organic farming systems greatly reduces the amount of water pollutions, because of the absent of contaminated water run-off. In some areas there is such a major problem of water population that conventional farms must be converted to organic farms in order to restore the environment (Organic). Another positive factor is there is absolute no use of genetically modified organisms, in any stage of food production. When seeing the label "Organic", you can be rest assured that the product contains no GMO’s this however, cannot be true for any products coming from a conventional