Organic Food
What is Organic Food and Why Should I Care?
In today’s world, there are an exorbitant amount of meal choices and food options. We are constantly searching for nutritious foods so that we may live healthy lives. In regard to purchasing healthy foods, organic food is growing in popularity due to an increased concern for food safety and environmental protection.
Organic food refers to crops or livestock that are grown on the farm without the application of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, or genetically modified organisms (Darveb and Katz 21). There are a number of regulations and specific requirements that must be met and maintained for farmers to qualify for organic food production. In order to obtain organic certification in the U.S., farmers must pay a fee to have their facilities and food annually inspected by certified organic inspectors. For three consecutive years, the land and crops must not be treated with any synthetic pesticides, insecticides, herbicides or certain fertilizers, such as sewage sludge and most chemical fertilizers (http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/NOPFAQsHowCertified). Organic food is best choice because it is safer and healthier than conventional food and environmentally clean.
According to consumer surveys, the public is concerned about the safety of the produce purchased in stores due to the danger of pesticide contamination. Authors Marika Alena McCauley and Laura Inouye state, “Over 900 million pounds of pesticides are used annually by U.S. agriculture, posing threats to human health and wildlife. In addition, 24.6 million pounds of antibiotics (70 percent of total U.S. antibiotic production) are fed to chickens, pigs and cows annually.” Also, according to Consumers Union study, 27 different foods had high toxicity levels and among 7 had an exceedingly high toxicity level. The food with the highest toxicity levels were apples, grapes, green beans, peaches, pears, spinach and winter squash (“Environment: High
In today’s world, there are an exorbitant amount of meal choices and food options. We are constantly searching for nutritious foods so that we may live healthy lives. In regard to purchasing healthy foods, organic food is growing in popularity due to an increased concern for food safety and environmental protection.
Organic food refers to crops or livestock that are grown on the farm without the application of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, or genetically modified organisms (Darveb and Katz 21). There are a number of regulations and specific requirements that must be met and maintained for farmers to qualify for organic food production. In order to obtain organic certification in the U.S., farmers must pay a fee to have their facilities and food annually inspected by certified organic inspectors. For three consecutive years, the land and crops must not be treated with any synthetic pesticides, insecticides, herbicides or certain fertilizers, such as sewage sludge and most chemical fertilizers (http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/NOPFAQsHowCertified). Organic food is best choice because it is safer and healthier than conventional food and environmentally clean.
According to consumer surveys, the public is concerned about the safety of the produce purchased in stores due to the danger of pesticide contamination. Authors Marika Alena McCauley and Laura Inouye state, “Over 900 million pounds of pesticides are used annually by U.S. agriculture, posing threats to human health and wildlife. In addition, 24.6 million pounds of antibiotics (70 percent of total U.S. antibiotic production) are fed to chickens, pigs and cows annually.” Also, according to Consumers Union study, 27 different foods had high toxicity levels and among 7 had an exceedingly high toxicity level. The food with the highest toxicity levels were apples, grapes, green beans, peaches, pears, spinach and winter squash (“Environment: High
Cited: Cummins, Ronnie. “Industrial Farming Is Harming Farmers, the Environment, and Public Health.” Is factory farming harming America?, Ed. Stuart A. Kallen. Farmington Hills: Christine Nasso, 2006. 11-19. Print. Derven, Daphne L. “Organic Agriculture.” Encyclopedia of Food and Culture. Ed. Solomon H. Katz. Vol. 3. New York: Charles Scribner’s sons, 2003. 14-19. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 26 Feb. 2014. “Environment: High Pesticide Levels Found in Produce.” Facts on File World News Digest: n. pag. World News Digest. Facts on File News Services, 25 Feb. 1999. Web. 26 Feb. 2014. . Harris, Mark. “Organic FUTURES.” Vegetarian Times 283 (2001): 74. Academic Search Complete. Web. 5 Mar. 2014. McCauley, Marika Alena, and Inouye, Laura. “Organic Farming Should Be Pursued.” Food opposing viewpoints. Ed. Laura K. Egendorf. Farmington Hills: Bonnie Szumski, 2006. 85-88. Print. Non Profite Resource. "Organic Foods." Understanding Organic Food Labels, Benefits, and Claims. N.p., Dec. 2013. Web. 04 Apr. 2014. United States Department. “Agricultural Marketing Service – Home.” National Organic Program, 28 Jan. 2014. Web. 05 Apr. 2014.