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Go Organic
“If it doesn’t grow from the ground or have a mother, don’t eat it” (Michaels)
By: Diana Snarr
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Organic or not Organic
Whenever I go to the supermarket I see fruits and vegetables labeled as 'organic'. Both the nonorganic and organic fruits and vegetables look fresh and plump, but the organic foods cost almost
twice as much. There are now organic drugs, drinks, fruits, bread, yogurt, and vegetables. The
market for organic foods is growing by 20 percent a year. There are increasing concerns about
food safety and the fact that many processed foods are made from genetically modified products.
Organically grown foods mean that these organic foods have been grown without the use of
pesticides or any chemicals whatsoever. Non organic foods are harmful. In the long run,
financially and physically, organic foods are worth it.
Food Quality and Health
The quality of your food determines the outcome of your health and lifestyle. Organic foods
have higher levels of essential nutrients. An American study found that organically grown food
contained much higher average levels of minerals than non-organic food. For example, there
was 63 per cent more calcium, 73 per cent more iron, 125 per cent more potassium and 60 per
cent more zinc in the organically produced foods. There was also 29 per cent less of the toxic
element mercury. (BL Smith) There are increasing concerns of chemicals and pesticides left on
conventionally grown foods, why are they harmful? Pesticide residues may reduce the fertility
of humans and animals and the health of their offspring, as well as disrupting the chemical
communication systems that regulate the reproductive cycle. (N Lampkin) A 17-year study
carried out at the University of Denmark has shown that women with higher than average levels
of pesticides such as dieldrin in their blood stream have double the risk of breast cancer. Food
produced organically contains fewer contaminants. Some scientific studies have shown that there
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are more beneficial nutrients in organically produced food. Those codes on fruit labels actually
mean something. You’ll not only learn where the fruit was grown, you’ll also learn how it was
grown. Here is a chart to help you decipher them.
Number on Label
Four numbers
What it means
The fruit was conventionally
grown.
Five numbers, beginning with The fruit was organically
9
grown.
Five number, beginning with 8 The fruit was genetically
engineered
Example
4011 – conventionally grown
yellow banana
94011 – organic banana
84011- genetically engineered
banana
Master your Metabolism, by Jillian Michaels
Value for Money
“We need to learn the lessons of the real cost of production. We need to ask ourselves not just
why organic prices are so high, but why conventional prices are so low” (A. Wilson, Waitrose)
Non organic food contains many hidden cost like taxes and the cost of the treatment for the harm
caused to the environment by conventional farming. The pros and cons of organic farming shows
us that organic food is more expensive. But with the number of farmers shifting to organic
farming and increased government funding, the prices will come down. Also, organic food has
lesser hidden cost. With Organic foods, you pay for what you get. Organic foods contain more
nutrients, that is, a higher amount of minerals and vitamin C. During processing, non organic
foods lose some nutrients and such nutrients have to be artificially added back to the food.
If these hidden costs were included in the shelf price, consumers would be paying the real costs
of food. Organic food would be cheaper, because its hidden costs are much lower. Crop
rotations, animal feed and welfare standards, the use of husbandry instead of agrochemicals, and
the preservation of natural habitats all result in organic food costing more to produce. Non
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organic food appears to be cheaper, but in fact consumers pay for it three times – first over the
counter, second via taxation (to fund agricultural subsidies) and third to remedy the
environmental pollution. Conventionally, and engineered farming ruin our land and soil by
using the chemicals and pesticides to keep away weeds and grow more food. The more we buy
organic the less we destroy the earth.
Awareness
My position of this topic is simply awareness. Being aware of the way non organic foods and
how they are produces is our first step. Choosing and acting is the second step. Read the
organic food vs non organic food chart, which is given below, to compare the facts about organic
foods and non organic foods. Then you decide.
Fact
Nutrients
Non Organic Food
Organic Food
During processing, non organic foods lose
Organic foods contain more nutrients, that
some nutrients and such nutrients have to be is, a higher amount of minerals and vitamin
artificially added back to the food.
C.
Natural fertilizers like green manure and
compost are used for the plants and soil in
Chemical fertilizers are used to provide
organic farming. If the question is of
Fertilizers
nutrients for the growth of crops in
chemical fertilizers vs organic fertilizers,
conventional farming.
then chemical fertilizers are obviously more
harmful.
Pesticides are not allowed in organic
Pesticides
In conventional farming, there are over 450
gardening or farming. In certain cases, they
pesticides which are permitted for use. Many
maybe allowed but only after considering
of these pesticides are toxic.
factors like necessity, effect on human
health and environmental health.
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Herbicides are used in non organic farming to
Methods like crop rotation and hand
protect crops from insects and weeds.
Herbicides
weeding are used instead of herbicides in
Herbicides sometimes leave a harmful toxic
organic gardening and farming.
residue on the plants.
Human waste is used as a fertilizer to grow
Sewage
crops in conventional farming. This
Use of sewage sludge is not permitted in
Sludge
contaminated sewage sludge may cause
organic farming.
diseases.
Non organic food is irradiated, to kill harmful
bacteria and other microorganisms. Such
Irradiation
Irradiation is avoided in organic farming.
radiations might cause diseases in human
beings.
Fertilizers contain nitrate as a common
Nitrate
ingredient and this nitrate gets converted to
Organic food contains lesser amount of
Amount
nitrosamines, which may be retained in the
nitrates in it.
food and be cancer causing.
Genetically modified seeds are used in non
organic farming. Such seeds are expensive
Genetic
Organic farming selects healthy seeds by
and difficult for farmers to afford. Such seeds
Engineering
seed testing.
give high yields crops, but such plants may be
deficient in nutrients.
Good animal husbandry standards are
Animals are given antibiotics against diseases.
Animal
Intensive farming methods are used to grow
Welfare
chicken quickly and most of the time the
animals are kept indoors.
maintained in organic farming. No antibiotics
are used on animals, but homeopathic
medicine is used, in case an animal gets
sick. If a farmer gives any antibiotic to an
animal, he loses the certificate for organic
farming. Livestock are handled properly and
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given a proper diet, and adequate exposure
to the outdoors.
Animals are injected with hormones for
No hormones are used in organic animal
Hormones
stimulating growth, so that they can be sold in
husbandry.
the markets.
As animals are given antibiotics in
Organic farming is not permitted to use such
conventional farming, human body, when sick
harmful chemicals. Thus, when you
Effect on
does not accept the same antibiotics, thus
measure the pros and cons of organic food
human body reducing the body's immunity in the long run.
vs non organic food, organic food is better,
Exposure to pesticides is harmful to humans
as it has lower health risks.
and especially harmful to women's health.
There are more chances of food poisoning
Food
with conventional farming food products
Possibility of toxic pathogens is very less in
Poisoning
because of the use of chemicals in the form of
organic foods.
fertilizers and pesticides.
Use of pesticides damages aquatic life.
Organic farming uses crop rotation to
Herbicides and pesticides contain toxic
prevent pests, by creating a more diverse
chemicals, which has resulted in lesser
ecological system to naturally grow the
number of birds, insects and wild plants on the pest's predators. For increasing the quality
Environment
farmland. Earthworms are essential for good
of soil, natural manure and composting is
soil health and using pesticides and
done. Thus, the benefits of organic farming
insecticides reduce earthworm population.
are more long term and benefit in fighting
This leads to increased dependence of the
problems like degradation of the
soil, on pesticides.
environment.
Due to productivity and cropping regimes in
Use of green manure and good topsoil
conventional farming, there is more soil
management, prevents soil erosion in
erosion.
organic farming.
Pollution
Soil Erosion
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Organic food is better as it uses natural farming techniques. So, the question of organic foods or
non organic foods – which is better, is clearly answered by the above table that organic food
surpasses the conventionally produced food in several ways. Everyday we are eating meat from
animals that are mistreated. We treat them like machines by rigorously milking cows and over
feeding chickens with processed corns to make them fat. Everyday male chickens are tossed
away because they don’t produce eggs. We eat beef from thousands of cows that get caged and
slaughtered everyday. American’s have no idea what is in their hamburger and we continue to
be ignorant and support this torture. If you had the choice between animals that are treated well,
grazing on grass instead of corn, living a healthy normal life, versus animals that are tortured.
Which would you choose? I know most if us, not all would rather choose animals and their
produce for that matter that is raised in an organic environment. We all need to be educated in
what we are eating and what we are doing to our environment.
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Work Cited:
1. A Lewer, Price only part of organic jigsaw, Organic Focus, April 2000
2. BL Smith, Organic foods vs. supermarket foods: element levels, Journal of Applied
Nutrition, 45, 35-39, 1993.
3. Journal of Alternative Agriculture, 7, 129-135, 1992. 2010 sustainable garden supply
4. K Woese, D Lange, C Boess, KW Bogl, A comparison of organically and conventionally
grown foods: result of a review of the relevant literature, Journal of Science, Food and
Agriculture, 74, 281-293, 1997.
5. N Lampkin, The Quality of Organically Produced Foods in Organic Farming, Ipswich:
Farming Press, 1990.
6. V Basker, Comparison of taste quality between organically and conventionally grown
fruit and vegetables, American