Organic foods used to only be found at health food stores, however it is now common and found at most grocery stores. Some people still might be confused about organic products and not understand the differences between normal and organic food. The word “organic” refers to the way farmers grow and process agricultural products, such as fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy products and meat. Organic farming practices are designed to enhance soil and water quality, reduce pollution, provide safe, healthy livestock habitats, enable natural livestock behavior, and promote a self-sustaining cycle of resources on a farm.
Materials or practices not permitted in organic farming are synthetic fertilizers to add nutrients to the soil, sewage sludge as fertilizer, most synthetic pesticides for pest control, irradiation to preserve food or to eliminate disease or pests, genetic engineering, used to improve disease or pest resistance or to improve crop yields, antibiotics or growth hormones for livestock. Organic crop farming materials or practices may include plant waste left on fields, livestock manure or compost to improve soil quality, plant rotation to preserve soil quality and to interrupt cycles of pests or disease, cover crops that prevent erosion when parcels of land are not in use and to plow into soil for improving soil quality, mulch to control weeds, predatory insects or insect traps to control pests, certain natural pesticides and a few synthetic pesticides approved for organic farming. Organic farming practices for livestock include healthy living conditions and access to the outdoors, pasture feeding for at least 30 percent of livestock’s nutritional needs during grazing season, organic foods for animals, vaccinations
There is a growing body of evidence that shows some potential health benefits of organic foods when compared with conventionally grown foods. While these studies have shown differences in the food, there is limited information to draw conclusions about how these differences translate into overall health benefits.
One of the benefits of organic foods is more nutrients. Studies have shown small to moderate increases in some nutrients in organic produce. The best evidence of a significant increase is in certain types of flavonoids, which have antioxidant properties. Another benefit is an increase in omega-3 fatty acids. The feeding requirements for organic livestock farming, such as the primary use of grass and alfalfa for cattle, result in generally higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids, a kind of fat that is more heart healthy than other fats. These higher omega-3 fatty acids are found in organic meats, dairy and eggs. Organic foods also have lower levels of toxic metal. Cadmium is a toxic chemical naturally found in soils and absorbed by plants. Studies have shown significantly lower cadmium levels in organic grains, but not fruits and vegetables, when compared with conventionally grown crops. The lower cadmium levels in organic grains may be related to the ban on synthetic fertilizers in organic farming.
Another advantage is less pesticide residue. Compared with conventionally grown produce, organically grown produce has lower detectable levels of pesticide residue. Organic produce may have residue because of pesticides approved for organic farming or because of airborne pesticides from conventional farms. The difference in health outcomes is unclear because of safety regulations for maximum levels of residue allowed on conventional produce. Less bacteria are also a benefit to organic food. Meats produced conventionally may have a higher occurrence of bacteria resistant to antibiotic treatment. The overall risk of bacterial contamination of organic foods is the same as conventional foods.
One common concern with organic food is cost. Organic foods typically cost more than their conventional counterparts. Higher prices are partly because of more expensive farming practices. That’s a small wonder when you consider the long list of cost- and production-optimizing practices that are common on conventional farms but aren’t allowed on organic farms. These include genetically modified organisms, conventional pesticides, herbicides, petroleum-based and sewage-sludge-based fertilizers, antibiotics, growth hormones and irradiation. Depending on what’s being produced, the scarcity of organic raw materials can ratchet costs up too. For many consumers of organic food, the absence of these practices is worth the extra cost. But the truth is that many people simply can’t afford the difference in cost. There’s a different cost factor for farmers which is the learning curve they must undergo if they choose to transition from conventional to organic farming. Suddenly they must master a whole new set of agricultural principles, with both guidance and skilled labor less readily available than they are for conventional agriculture.
Overall, organic food is becoming more popular and a lot of people are deciding to switch. There is growing evidence that shows the benefits of organic foods over conventional grown foods. However, for many people these differences are still not enough to persuade them to go organic because of the sometimes very big price difference.
Works Cited
Advantages and Disadvantages of Organic Foods. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.livestrong.com/article/442122-advantages-disadvantages-of-organic-foods/.
Are organic foods worth the price? (2018, April 4). Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/organic-food/art-20043880.
Organic 101. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://choosecanadaorganic.ca/organic101/.
Lewin, J. (1970, May 25). What does organic mean? Retrieved from https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/organic.
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