Instructor Fallon Curry
English 1301
16 June 2015
Organic vs. Non Organic Foods
Ten years ago it was difficult to find organic foods in local stores, but now most super markets sell several types of foods that are organic. Because of this, the public has been given the opportunity to provide healthier and cleaner foods for their families. But, when buying groceries, people unfortunately tend to buy what they believe to be organic food, but what is actually referred to as conventional organic, without even noticing. There are two different types of organic foods, true organics and conventional organics. True organic food is food grown is healthy soil, which grows healthy, plants, which in turn, feeds humans and creates health within. Conventional organic food is basically industrial agriculture done without the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. It follows the bare minimum to meet the regulations in order to get the ‘Certified Organic’ stamp. Companies do this in order to cash in on the bigger margins that health- and environmentally-conscious consumers are willing to support for organic food. When shopping it is important to buy mostly true organic foods, doing so allows you, as the consumer, to avoid dangerous chemicals and hormones, benefit from more nutrients, and preserve the ecosystem.
Purchasing organically grown food is the only way to avoid dangerous chemicals and hormones that are present in commercially grown food. More than 600 active chemicals are registered for agricultural use in America annually. The average application equates to about 16 pounds of chemical pesticides per person every year. As stated by Renee Loux in her article over her top ten reasons to go organic, she stated that, “Many on these chemicals were approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) before extensive diet testing” (Loux). The National Academy of Sciences reported that 90% of the chemicals applied to foods have not been tested for long-term health