organic food essays

Over the past few decades, a strong debate has ensued on the topic of the production of organic foods. Both sides in this argument are adamant and present strong facts. The pro-organic food side argues that they use little to no chemicals in any of their products, that they use traditional methods like crop rotation to keep the earth fresh and avoid overuse, that the foods are free of genetically modified ingredients, that their produce is healthier, and that organic livestock are treated more humanely and without the use of any medicines or steroids. The anti-organic campaign says that organic companies do indeed use chemicals that are harmful, that the manure used in organic growth carries larger pathogen contamination, that there are unique problems with organic animals that present problems for humans, and that organic food production is not adequate to meet the world's food needs. Since 1996, the sale of organic foods in America has increased roughly twenty percent every year, from million in 1980 to about billion presently. Almost 50% of the American population buys at least one organic product at least once a month. About one percent of the United States' food supply is grown with organic methods (Sajn, 1-2) Although organic food is the minority now, the use of chemicals to manipulate fertilization of crops, kill insects and help conventional farmers to mass-produce their products was not always used. The demand for mass production of fruits, vegetables and livestock came after the Second World War when food as a whole was extremely scarce. America needed a fast and reliable method to accomplish a massive production of produce and meat in a short amount of time. The use of chemicals worked extremely well for America in this time of need, and was very cost-effective because with larger numbers of produce, the prices became much cheaper. The methods.
It is a common fact that the human population on Earth is enormous—over 7 billion people inhabiting a relatively small planet. Aside from many other conundrums stemming from overpopulation stands a question of food supplies. Those who reside in agricultural regions with a low density of population have a possibility to eat natural products which they grow on their own, or which at least contain little or no artificial nutrients. However, the situation is different in the industrial and developed regions, where food is often produced with the use of various kinds of preservatives, chemicals, nutrients, and other external ingredients, which can cause harm to the body. Organic food can be seen as a better alternative, since it is more natural. Organic foods are believed to be safer than conventional ones, and it has natural origins, which makes it a reasonable choice. According to the requirements of the British Soil Association, organic food should consist of at least 95% natural ingredients (Soil Association). “Natural” means that the ingredients should come from the plants and animals that were grown or bred without any chemicals or artificial nutrients. In the United States, there also exists strict requirements for the products which are labeled as organic: the U.S. Department of Agriculture has enabled a special certification program that requires organic food to meet specific standards.In correlation to this, customers should pay attention to the labeling on the packaging of food products. If it says 100% organic, this means that the product has been manufactured without the use of any chemicals or artificial additives; simply organic means that the product consists of 95% natural ingredients (MayoClinic). Returning to the standards of organic nutrition, organic food cannot contain, in particular, such ingredients as synthetic fertilizers or pesticides;.
Shopping in the grocery stores, consumers will find increasingly congested stacks of food with the labels of “organic food”. Organic food has been one of the fastest growing sectors of food industry in the past few decades as a legitimate alternative to conventional food. Organic food can be defined as the “product of a farming system which avoids the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, growth promoters and additives” (Kouba 33). There is a growing market for organic food even though its price is usually significantly higher than that of conventional food. The reasons of such large demand of organic food lie in its benefits. Why do people purchase organic food over traditional food, and what makes it more and more demanding? Many research studies regard organic food as healthy food because it contains low pesticide residue. Moreover, many consumers find organic food more nutritious and better-tasting than traditional food. Also, the positive environmental impact of organic farming appeals to “green” eaters, who consider organic food environmentally friendly. Therefore, both empirical data and consumer preferences reveal that the benefits of organic food include less hazardous pesticide, more nutrition, and a farming technique that is more environmentally friendly than non-organic food.Chemical ResiduesOrganic food is based on very precise standards of production, and its non-pesticide requirements are an integral part of the identification and labeling of such products. With respect to chemicals, organic agriculture refrains from the use of “synthetic pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, fungicides, veterinary drugs, synthetic preservatives and additives” (Shepherd et al.3). Thus, the hazardous residues in organic food are restricted to the lowest amount possible. In fact, many researches have shown the harmfulness of pesticide residues on human health, so.
For related articles and more information, please visit OCA's All About Organics page , our Myth of Natural page and our Genetic Engineering page. Consumer demand for healthy, sustainably grown food has grown the organic market from just billion in 1990 to nearly billion today. Increasingly, consumers are saying €œNo€ to foods containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs), €œNo€ to highly processed junk foods, and €œNo€ to foods that come from factory farms. Health tops the list of concerns about GMOs, junk foods and food from factory farms. But consumers aren€™t just rejecting these foods because of their potential to cause health problems. They€™re consciously choosing organic for its nutritional superiority. The health safety benefits of organic foods are well known. For the most part, organic farming prohibits the use of toxic pesticides, antibiotics, growth hormones, nanoparticles, climate-destabilizing chemical fertilizers like toxic sewage sludge or coal waste, and genetically engineered ingredients. But recent studies reveal that organic foods, especially raw or non-processed, are also substantially more nutritious. They contain higher levels of beta carotene, vitamins C, D, and E, health-promoting polyphenols, cancer-fighting antioxidants, flavonoids that help ward off heart disease, essential fatty acids, essential minerals, and significantly lower levels of saturated fats. A Nutritional Comparison: Organic Versus Non-Organic Organically grown apples, potatoes, pears, wheat, and sweet corn have drastically higher nutritional content than their conventionally grown counterparts, including:63: Percent more calcium.78: Percent more chromium. 73: Percent more iron. 118: Percent more magnesium. 178: Percent more molybdenum. 91: Percent more phosphorus. 125: Percent more potassium. 60: Percent more zinc.Between 20 and 40: Additional percentage of.
Enter Your Search Terms to Get Started! Organic Food Why Organic Food is Better Everybody is jumping on the organic food bandwagon. Why? It is healthier. If you do not believe me look at the numbers according to an article in “Newsweek” since 1991 the purchasing of organic food has raised twenty percent. There are many other reasons why organic food is better. Organic food is better because it is healthier, better for the Earth, and is better quality food. I. Organic food is healthier. A.) It is gown in natural soil so Mother Nature grows the plants like a garden. 1.) Regular farmers use chemicals that kill the entire natural organism that help the soil release the soils nutrients into the plants. 2.) Farmers that use chemicals make animals that burrow the earth not do their part in nature, which will effect root development and drainage. B.) There are no chemicals. 1.) There is no risk at all for food poising. a.) if a distributer of regular foods forgets to wash off pestisides the consumer could get food poising II.) Organic food is better for the Earth. A.) There are no pesticides that can pollute the Earth or the ozone lair. B.) There is no imbalance in nature. 1.) Farmers get help from nature to make their food. III. Organic food is better quality food. A.) The Organic farmers must follow stricter regulations then regular farmers. 1.) The regulations for organic farmers must make sure that any soil, holding center, or packing utensils must not have any trace of chemicals to make sure it is certified organic. B.) All Health food stores receive all of their produce from regional areas to maintain freshness. 1.) Organic stores most likely recive their fodd within one-three days of being picked, but regular stores recive fruits at least a week old from Florda or California. That is why they use petsisides to maintanie fressness In conclusion, organic. APA     MLA  .