by 2 people |
Go Organic. Sound familiar?
With scary news such as pesticides, food recalls, mad cow disease and contaminated milk products, it is not surprising that organic food has become a prominent movement. However, everything good comes with a price.
Do you ever ask yourself, is organic food worth it?
What Exactly is Organic Food?
USDA (National Organic Standards Board of the U.S. Department of Agriculture) has established a national standard for the term "organic":- Organically grown foods mean that these foods cannot be produced with the presence of:
- synthetic pesticides
- human waste, sewage sludge, and synthetic fertilizers
- genetic modified organisms (GMO) and components
- growth hormones
- antibiotics
- The land for organic farming has to be absent of any chemicals for a minimum of 3 years;
- Organic foods should be processed and packaged without the use of ionizing radiation, artificial preservatives, colorings, or other additive.
Did you know...
- "Organic" does not mean "natural".
Unlike organic, there is no legal definition for "natural" food. However, by "natural" it generally means the food has been minimally processed and does not contain artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. - There are varying degrees of being "organic":
- "100% organic": food must contain only organic content
- "Organic": must contain 95% or more organic content
- "Made with organic ingredients": must contain 70% or more organic content, and the remaining 30% must come from the USDA's approved list
- "Transitional": food is grown on land that is undergoing the three-year conversion period
- "Free-range" or "free-roaming": The animal or animal products spent a good portion of its life outdoors. In my opinion this is too weakly defined. In theory, if the latch is not locked and the chicken can struggle out to get out of the coop, they can be labelled as "free-roaming".
How Big is the Organic Food Market?
It is now common in supermarkets to have a special organic section, and nowadays we have organic drinks, fruits, bread, vegetables, meat, drugs, baby food, dog food... you name it, they have it. So, we know the market is big and growing.How big? Here are some stats.
- The organic food market was estimated to be ~US$40 billion in 2006, doubling its size in 2002.
- Organic farming has been one of the fastest growing segments of U.S. agriculture since the 1990s, growing at ~20% each year, versus a 2-3% growth only for conventional foods.
- According to the Food Marketing Institute, more than half of Americans now buy organic food at least once a month.
- Organic food accounts for 1-2% of food sales worldwide in 2008.
What is Organic Farming?
While organic food seems to be 21st century movement, organic farming is the oldest form of agriculture, simply because synthetic fertilizers and pesticides were unavailable. The chemicals came to only after 1940s using the technologies (originally for ammunitions and nerve gas) developed after World War II.Nowadays, organic farming involves long-term planning and a systematic method to maintain harmony with nature. For example, in order to be certified as organic farmland, farmers in the US have to maintain records and submit to audits by accredited agents, maintain "buffer zones" to prevent prohibited chemicals from compromise the soil and land, minimize soil erosin by practising crop rotation, and use organic seeds when available.
Fun Facts!
- Currently, around two-thirds of the certified U.S. organic farmland is used for crops, and one-third as pasture.
- In the US, California is the leading state in organic fruits and vegetables production, followed by Washington and Oregon. For organic dairy cows, Wisconsin, California and New York are top producers.
Is Organic Food Regulated?
The USDA standard (officially known as National Organic Program (NOP) Standards) described above was established in 2000 and organic foods have since been regulated.In addition to the US, many countries now require organic certification before foods can be marketed as organic products:
- Australia: NASAA Organic Standard
- Canada: Canada Gazette, Government of Canada
- European Union: EU-Eco-regulation
- India: National Program for Organic Production
- Japan: JAS Standards
The Big Debate: Is Organic Food Worth It?
1. Organic farming is environmentally friendlyYES camp:
- Reduced pollution: Because organic farming does not use pesticides, the problem of chemical run-off and resulting contamination of drinking water can be greatly reduced.
- Quality of soil sustained: Organic farms tend to practise diverse crop rotation and use of organic composts, which deter pests from returning regularly, diversify the use of nutrients in soil, improves the quality of soil in a natural, eco-friendly way.
- Wildlife protected: Organic farming does not use synthetic pesticides which can harm local wildlife.
- Energy conservation:organic farms use less non-renewable energy and produce less waste, e.g. less packaging materials for chemicals.
- Crop rotation not limited to organic farming: Many benefits outlined above are a result of crop rotation, instead of organic farming. Crop rotation can be applied to conventional farming as well
- Whether soil quality is sustained is questionable: Since current organic standards limit fertilizer use, the land actually runs a risk of nutrient depletion. Studies have shown organic fields to have lower levels of soil phosphorus and sulfur.
- Benefit of energy conversation exaggerated: While it is true that fossil fuel usage is less in organic farming, we should not ignore the energy used in plowing and other chores which may also indirectly consume non-renewable energy.
2. Organic food is more nutritious
YES camp:
- Based on a 4-year long study in EU, organic food is found to contain more micronutrients essential for good health: vitamins A, C, E, vitamins of the B group, and other elements such as zinc and minerals such as calcium.
- With balanced diet, conventional foods contain more than enough nutrition, with lower price.
3. Organic food is less harmful
YES camp:
- According to Journal of Applied Nutrition, organic foods generally show higher levels of nutrient minerals and lower levels of heavy metals.
- Organic foods do not contain harmful synthetic pesticides.
- Organic Farming is better for the food producers:
Organic techniques do not expose producers to dangerous organophosphate pesticides and other dangerous chemicals.
- Organic food may contain non-synthetic fertilizers which can be equally harmful: Regulations do allow certain pesticides derived from plants. For example, the organic pesticide "rotenone" is highly toxic to fish and somewhat toxic to mammals. While USDA regularly reviews these approved pesticides, the delisting process has been slow.
- Pesticides can be rinsed: A simple way to substantially remove pesticides is to rinse fruits and vegetables thoroughly before eating.
- Organic food is not necessarily healthier: While regulations ban the use of human waste, animal manure contained in organic compost may include bateria such as E. Coli which is harmful to humans (however, USDA has imposed temperature guidelines to kill any human pathogens that could be present in the manure).
Lastly, from YES camp:
Organic food simply tastes better! This is obviously very subjective.
Biggest argument from NO camp:
- Too much burden on the planet: According to Norman Borlaug, father of the "green revolution," and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, organic farming practices can at most feed 4 billion people. Increased crop land needed to farm organic food could potentially destroy the rainforests and wipe out many ecosystems.
- Because of the inefficiency, Organic food is and will be pricy: Organic foods are not mass-produced and traditional organic farming often produces lower yields than modern intensive farming methods. Therefore, the main problem of organic food being considerably more expensive can never be solved.
Your Voice: Is Organic Food Worth It?
Loading poll. Please Wait...
Show Your Support!
If you are an organic fan, show the world with these T-shirts today!
No to Growth Hormones: Cows Women's Light T-Shirt
Everyday we have been fed with produce from animals stuffed with growth hormones. Say no to this practice and support organic farming.
Price: 20.99 
You are what you eat Organic Cotton Tee
You are what you eat: go Organic -- a good reminder on the importance of healthy eating, drinking and living.
Price: 24.99
Go Organic (black design) Dark T-Shirt
Go Organic. This design reminds us that natural healthy living is an education process, and your health will just get better with practice! Black, white and color t-shirts are available.
Price: 24.99
I make Organic Fertilizers Infant Bodysuit
Make everyone laugh out loud with this T-shirt, and promote organic farming in a whole new way! This collection also makes excellent baby and pet gifts.
Price: 14.99
What is the Future of Organic Food?
The Organic Food trend is increasingly converging with other movements. For example:- Genetically modified foods: there have been increasing attention on the pros and cons of GMO: Europe has been very negative, US is rather neutral while other countries are supportive. You are most welcome to visit our related article on this topic.
- Fair trade:More people believe that social and environmental harmony actually goes hand in hand, and in many cases fair trade involves organic farming.
- Local farm: local farms, which have the benefit of fresher produce and lower transportation cost and support of local community, has been gaining tractions. Many local farms practice organic farming.
Have you noticed other trends? Please share with us!
Check Out This Lens
-
Genetically Modified Foods: The Debate
-
Genetically modified food, a type of GMO (genetically modified organisms), is produced from changing the genetic characteristics of an organism, such as a seed. This can be done through inserting a new DNA into the organism, adding, removing or rearr...
Smart Consumers, come over.
Useful links for your reference
- eco-labels
- Here you'll find out what the labels on your favorite products really mean.
- USDA National Nutrient Database
- A great database to check the nutritional value and mineral content in major food products.
- Organic & Natural Foods Coupons
- Suggestions as to where and how to get these goodies.
Lastly, if you were Barack Obama...
Imagine you are President Obama. You get the following question While visiting a local organic market:
"Organic food is great but price is the biggest issue. Poor people have been priced out. Would you support a major government subsidy of organic food to consumers?"
Your answer, and why:
Fetching blurbs now... please stand byYes
No
Any other thoughts? We'd love to hear from you.
submit
-
Reply
- Sistalove Sistalove Aug 12, 2009 @ 3:15 pm
- Great Lens! Have been fed up for years with all the rubbish they put in our food. I think we trust these people far to much and demand they make changes. we always find out when its too late!
-
Reply
- daria369 daria369 Jan 15, 2009 @ 6:46 pm
- Thank you for joining my Squidoo group!
"Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful."
-- Buddha
-
Reply
- lakeerieartists lakeerieartists Jan 1, 2009 @ 8:01 pm
- This is a very nice lens. Welcome to Living the Green Organic Lifestyle!
