Go Organic
Patrick Carter
October 29, 2009
English 1301-015
Barbi Fowler
Organic or Not Organic
Even though organic foods cost a bit more than conventionally grown foods, I believe that our health is suffering from the consumption of conventionally grown products. We are being poisoned by foods contaminated with pesticides and other chemical fertilizers. This is not only affecting our health but it is also affecting our environment. We can benefit from organic foods. Since I have been in college I have been doing a lot of food shopping. Whenever I go to the supermarket I have noticed that fruits and vegetables are labeled as organic or conventional. The two of these look just the same but the only visual difference that I noticed was the price of the two. Organically grown products are as much as thirty to thirty-five percent the price of conventionally grown products but the main difference is in how they are grown. Organic farming is a system that uses natural methods of pest, disease, and weed control, and calls for the lowest possible levels of environmental pollution. . Conventional farming is basically the opposite. It is much more polluting to the environment. The conventional crops are grown with massive amounts of pesticides and chemical fertilizer. Pesticide poisoning is taking a toll on farm workers and “reported cases are doubling every ten years” (Baltt Pg. 5). Fruits and vegetables are really the main list of foods with the most pesticide residue. One of the main reasons for this is that consumers have become extremely picky about having fresh produce. Growers discovered this and to keep produce blemish-free they just dose every vegetable and fruit with toxic chemicals ( Holt and Reed Pg. 109). It really doesn’t make sense to me to put a higher priority on food beauty than on food safety. On the other hand, organic crops are not completely one hundred percent free from pesticides, possibly due to overspray from adjacent conventional farms. Blatt (Pg.76)
October 29, 2009
English 1301-015
Barbi Fowler
Organic or Not Organic
Even though organic foods cost a bit more than conventionally grown foods, I believe that our health is suffering from the consumption of conventionally grown products. We are being poisoned by foods contaminated with pesticides and other chemical fertilizers. This is not only affecting our health but it is also affecting our environment. We can benefit from organic foods. Since I have been in college I have been doing a lot of food shopping. Whenever I go to the supermarket I have noticed that fruits and vegetables are labeled as organic or conventional. The two of these look just the same but the only visual difference that I noticed was the price of the two. Organically grown products are as much as thirty to thirty-five percent the price of conventionally grown products but the main difference is in how they are grown. Organic farming is a system that uses natural methods of pest, disease, and weed control, and calls for the lowest possible levels of environmental pollution. . Conventional farming is basically the opposite. It is much more polluting to the environment. The conventional crops are grown with massive amounts of pesticides and chemical fertilizer. Pesticide poisoning is taking a toll on farm workers and “reported cases are doubling every ten years” (Baltt Pg. 5). Fruits and vegetables are really the main list of foods with the most pesticide residue. One of the main reasons for this is that consumers have become extremely picky about having fresh produce. Growers discovered this and to keep produce blemish-free they just dose every vegetable and fruit with toxic chemicals ( Holt and Reed Pg. 109). It really doesn’t make sense to me to put a higher priority on food beauty than on food safety. On the other hand, organic crops are not completely one hundred percent free from pesticides, possibly due to overspray from adjacent conventional farms. Blatt (Pg.76)