| We come from a society where growing organic and | | | | Eating organic food is not a fad. As people become |
| just growing produce and livestock for food Was | | | | more informed and aware, they are taking steps to |
| once one of the same. Small, family farms still grow | | | | ensure their health. US sales of organic food totaled |
| their own food using traditional methods passed | | | | 5.4 billion dollars in 1998, but was up to 7.8 billion |
| down through the generations. As commercial | | | | dollars in the year 2000. The 2004 Whole Foods |
| farming became big-business, however, growers and | | | | Market Organic Foods Trend Tracker survey found |
| farmers started to investigate methods of increasing | | | | that 27 oercent of Americans are eating more |
| crops and building bigger livestock in order to increase | | | | organic foods than they did a year ago.A study |
| their profits. This led to increased use of pesticides | | | | conducted by the California Department of Pesticide |
| and drugs to enhance yield.In this article, we will look | | | | Regulation reports that the number of people |
| at what is required in order to call a product organic, | | | | poisoned by drifting pesticides increased by 20 |
| how choosing organic eating and farming impact the | | | | percent during 2000.A rise in interest and concern for |
| environment and our health, discuss the benefits of | | | | the use of pesticides in food resulted in the passage |
| eating organic foods, and what research says about | | | | of the 1996 Food Quality Protection Act, directing |
| the nutritional benefits of organically-grown | | | | the US EPA to reassess the usage and impact of |
| produce.Calling it Organic | | | | pesticides for food use.Particular attention was paid |
| In 1995, the US National Organic Standards Board | | | | to the impact on children and infants, whose lower |
| passed the definition of organic, which is a labeling | | | | body weights and higher consumption of food per |
| term denoting products produced under the authority | | | | body weight present higher exposure to any risks |
| of the Organic Foods Production Act. It states, | | | | associated with pesticide residues.Publishing an update |
| "Organic agriculture is an ecological production | | | | to its 1999 report on food safety, the Consumers |
| management system that promotes and enhances | | | | Union in May 2000 reiterated that pesticide residues in |
| biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity. | | | | foods children eat every day often exceed safe |
| It is based on minimal use of off-farm inputs and on | | | | levels. The update found high levels of pesticide |
| management practices that restore, maintain, and | | | | residues on winter squash, peaches, apples, grapes, |
| enhance ecological harmony."The primary goal of | | | | pears, green beans, spinach, strawberries, and |
| organic agriculture is to optimize the health and | | | | cantaloupe. The Consumers Union urged consumers |
| productivity of interdependent communities of soil | | | | to consider buying organically grown varieties, |
| life, plants, animals, and people.The philosophy of | | | | particularly of these fruits and vegetables.The most |
| organic production of livestock is to provide | | | | common class of pesticide in the US is |
| conditions that meet the health needs and natural | | | | organophosphates (OPs). These are known as |
| behavior of the animal. Organic livestock must be | | | | neurotoxins.An article published in 2002 examined the |
| given access to the outdoors, fresh air, water, | | | | urine concentration of OP residues in 2-5 year olds. |
| sunshine, grass and pasture, and are fed 100 percent | | | | Researchers found, on average, that children eating |
| organic feed. They must not be given or fed | | | | conventionally grown food showed an 8.5 times |
| hormones, antibiotics or other animal drugs in their | | | | higher amount of OP residue in their urine than those |
| feed. If an animal gets sick and needs antibiotics, | | | | eating organic food. Studies have also shown harmful |
| they cannot be considered organic. Feeding of animal | | | | effects on fetal growth, as well.Pesticides are not |
| parts of any kind to ruminants that, by nature, eat a | | | | the only threat, however. 70 percent of all antibiotics |
| vegetarian diet, is also prohibited. Thus, no animal | | | | in the US are used to fatten up livestock, today. |
| byproducts of any sort are incorporated in organic | | | | Farm animals receive 24.6 million pounds of antibiotics |
| feed at any time.Because farmers must keep | | | | per year!Public health authorities now link low-level |
| extensive records as part of their farming and | | | | antibiotic use in livestock to greater numbers of |
| handling plans in order to be certified organic, one is | | | | people contracting infections that resist treatment |
| always able to trace the animal from birth to market | | | | with the same drugs. The American Medical |
| of the meat. When meat is labeled as organic, this | | | | Association adopted a resolution in June of 2001, |
| means that 100 percent of that product is | | | | opposing the use of sub-therapeutic levels of |
| organic.Although organic crops must be produced | | | | antibiotics in agriculture and the World Health |
| without the use of pesticides, it is estimated that | | | | Organization, in its 2001 report, urged farmers to |
| between 10-25 percent of organic fruits and | | | | stop using antibiotics for growth promotion. Studies |
| vegetables contain some residues of synthetic | | | | are finding the same antibiotic resistant bacteria in the |
| pesticides. This is because of the influence of rain, air | | | | intestines of consumers that develop in commercial |
| and polluted water sources. In order to qualify as | | | | meats and poultry.Is it More Nutritious? |
| organic, crops must be grown on soil free of | | | | Until recently, there had been little evidence that |
| prohibited substances for three years before harvest. | | | | organically grown produce was higher in nutrients. It's |
| Until then, they cannot be called organic. When pests | | | | long been held that healthier soils would produce a |
| get out of balance and traditional organic methods do | | | | product higher in nutritional quality, but there was |
| not work for pest control, farmers can request | | | | never the science to support this belief. Everyone |
| permission to use other products that are considered | | | | agrees that organic foods taste better.In 2001, |
| low risk by the National Organic Standards Board.The | | | | nutrition specialist Virginia Worthington published her |
| Environment | | | | review of 41 published studies comparing the |
| According to the 15-year study, "Farming Systems | | | | nutritional values of organic and conventionally grown |
| Trial", organic soils have higher microbial content, | | | | fruits, vegetables and grains. What she found was |
| making for healthier soils and plants. This study | | | | that organically grown crops provided 17 percent |
| concluded that organically grown foods are raised in | | | | more vitamin C, 21 percent more iron, 29 percent |
| soils that have better physical structure, provide | | | | more magnesium, and 13.6 percent more phosphorus |
| better drainage, may support higher microbial activity, | | | | than conventionally grown products. She noted that |
| and in years of drought, organic systems may | | | | five servings of organic vegetables provided the |
| possibly outperform conventional systems. So, | | | | recommended daily intake of vitamin C for men and |
| organic growing may help feed more people in our | | | | women, while their conventional counterparts did not. |
| future!What is the cost of conventional farming, | | | | Today there are more studies that show the same |
| today? The above-mentioned 15 -year study showed | | | | results that Ms. Worthington concluded.Considering |
| that conventional farming uses 50 percent more | | | | the health benefits of eating organic foods, along |
| energy than organic farming. In one report, it was | | | | with the knowledge of how conventionally grown and |
| estimated that only 0.1 percent of applied pesticides | | | | raised food is impacting the planet should be enough |
| actually reach the targets, leaving most of the | | | | to consider paying greater attention to eating |
| pesticide, 99.9 percent, to impact the environment. | | | | organic, today. Since most people buy their food in |
| Multiple investigations have shown that our water | | | | local supermarkets, it's good news that more and |
| supplies, both in rivers and area tap waters, are | | | | more markets are providing natural and organic foods |
| showing high levels of pesticides and antibiotics used | | | | in their stores. Findings from a survey by |
| in farming practices. Water samples taken from the | | | | Supermarket News showed that 61 percent of |
| Ohio River as well as area tap water contained trace | | | | consumers now buy their organic foods in |
| amounts of penicillin, tetracycline and | | | | supermarkets. More communities and health agencies |
| vancomycin.Toxic chemicals are contaminating | | | | also are working to set up more farmer's markets |
| groundwater on every inhabited continent, | | | | for their communities, also, which brings more organic, |
| endangering the world's most valuable supplies of | | | | locally grown foods to the consumer. The next time |
| freshwater, according to a Worldwatch paper, Deep | | | | you go shopping, consider investigating organic |
| Trouble: The Hidden Threat of Groundwater Pollution. | | | | choices to see if it's indeed worth the change!Marjorie |
| Calling for a systemic overhaul of manufacturing and | | | | Geiser is a registered dietitian, certified personal |
| industrial agriculture, the paper notes that several | | | | trainer and life coach. Marjorie has been the owner of |
| water utilities in Germany now pay farmers to switch | | | | a successful small business, MEG Fitness, since 1996, |
| to organic operations because this costs less than | | | | and now helps other nutrition professionals start up |
| removing farm chemicals from water supplies.What | | | | their own private practice. |
| About our Health? | | | | |