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Some
concepts about organic
products and farming
Organically
grown food is a term that relates to food that
is grown on a certain kind of farm using
methods of production that care for the soil
and the environment. Food that is further
processed is done so under guidelines that
ensure minimal chance of contamination and
deterioration in food quality.
Organic food therefore, presents consumers
with a perceived set of attributes that align
themselves with environmentally acceptable
production techniques that minimize the risk
of contamination from pesticides, and also
delivers food that is wholesome and
nutritious. Organic food is produced by people
that care for the health of their customers
and their environment.
Organic agriculture is a holistic production
management system which promotes and enhances
agro-ecosystem health, including biodiversity,
biological cycles and soil biological
activity. It emphasizes the use of management
practices in preference to the use of off-farm
inputs. This is accomplished by using, where
possible, agronomic, biological, and
mechanical methods, as opposed to using
synthetic materials, to fulfill any specific
function within the system.
The
US department of Agriculture (USDA)
established new guidelines for the use of the
word on food labels in 2001: they became law
in the fall of 2002. The USDA defines
"organic" to mean foods whose
ingredients cannot have been made by using
most synthetic fertilizers and pesticides,
genetic engineering, growth hormones,
irradiation or antibiotics.
-Learn
about Genetically Modified Crops-
-GM
Industry puts human genes into rice-
Ten
reasons to buy organic products:
1. TO PROTECT FUTURE GENERATIONS
"We have not inherited the earth from
our fathers, we are borrowing it from our
children" -Lester Brown. The average
child receives four times more exposure than
an adult to at least eight widely used
cancer-causing pesticides in food. Food
choices made now, determine your child's
future health.
2. TO PREVENT SOIL EROSION
Soil is the foundation of the food chain in
organic gardening. In conventional farming,
however, the soil is used more as a medium to
hold plants in a vertical position, so they
can be chemically fertilized. Soil structure
is neglected and the top-soil is washed or
blown away.
3. TO PROTECT WATER QUALITY
Water makes up two-thirds of our body mass and
covers three quarters of the planet.
Pesticides and other chemicals widely
contaminate ground water and rivers and
pollute our primary source of drinking water.
4. TO SAVE ENERGY
Modern farming uses more petroleum than any
other industry. More energy is now used to
produce synthetic fertilizers than to till,
cultivate and harvest crops. Organic farming
is still based on labor intensive practices
such as hand weeding, green manure and cover
crops instead of chemicals.
5. TO KEEP CHEMICALS OFF YOUR PLATE
Many pesticides and herbicides were registered
long before extensive research linking them to
cancer and other diseases could be
established. They are poisons designed to kill
living organisms and can also harm humans. In
addition to cancer, pesticides are implicated
in birth defects, nerve damage and genetic
manipulations.
6. TO PROTECT FARM WORKERS
Farmers have a much larger risk than
non-farmers of contracting cancer. Farm worker
health is also a serious problem in developing
nations, where pesticide use can be poorly
regulated. An estimated one million people are
poisoned annually by pesticides.
7. TO HELP SMALL FARMERS
Most organic farms are small, independently
owned family farms of less than 100 acres.
Many family farms have been lost this past
decade. Organic farming could be one of the
few survival tactics left for family farms.
8. TO SUPPORT A TRUE ECONOMY
Although organic foods might seem more
expensive than conventional foods,
conventional food prices don't reflect hidden
costs such as pesticide regulation and
testing, hazardous waste disposal and clean up
and environmental damage. If the hidden
environmental and social costs of
chemically-produced conventional produce were
added to that produce, it would be more than
double the price of organic food.
9. TO PROMOTE BIODIVERSITY
The conventional farmer uses monoculture, the
planting of large plots of land with the same
crop year after year. This approach leaves the
soil lacking in natural minerals and
nutrients, which have to be replaced by
chemical fertilizers in increasing amounts.
Single crops are also more susceptible to
pests, making farmers more reliant on
pesticides. Insects have become genetically
resistant to certain pesticides and despite
the increased uses of chemicals, crop losses
are increasing. Organic farmers encourage
natural predators on their farms and are
content with a smaller harvest. They also
practice crop rotation to add health and
energy to the soil.
10. FOR A BETTER TASTE
Organic farming starts with the nourishment of
the soil, which leads to the nourishment of
the plant and, ultimately, our palate. Ask the
many chefs who prefer to use organic foods.
Contact
us to find out more about organic products and
improve your quality life!
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