Choosing Organic for Health
By: Marjorie Geiser
We come from a society where growing organic and just growing produce and livestock for food Was once one of the same. Small family farms still grow their own food using traditional methods passed down through the generations. As commercial farming became bigbusiness however growers and farmers started to investigate methods of increasing crops and building bigger livestock in order to increase their profits. This led to increased use of pesticides and drugs to enhance yield.
In this article we will look at what is required in order to call a product organic how choosing organic eating and farming impact the environment and our health discuss the benefits of eating organic foods and what research says about the nutritional benefits of organicallygrown produce.
Calling it Organic
In 1995 the US National Organic Standards Board passed the definition of organic which is a labeling term denoting products produced under the authority of the Organic Foods Production Act. It states Organic agriculture is an ecological production management system that promotes and enhances biodiversity biological cycles and soil biological activity. It is based on minimal use of offfarm inputs and on management practices that restore maintain and enhance ecological harmony.
The primary goal of organic agriculture is to optimize the health and productivity of interdependent communities of soil life plants animals and people.
The philosophy of organic production of livestock is to provide conditions that meet the health needs and natural behavior of the animal. Organic livestock must be given access to the outdoors fresh air water sunshine grass and pasture and are fed 100 percent organic feed. They must not be given or fed hormones antibiotics or other animal drugs in their feed. If an animal gets sick and needs antibiotics they cannot be considered organic. Feeding of animal parts of any kind to ruminants that by nature eat a vegetarian diet is also prohibited. Thus no animal byproducts of any sort are incorporated in organic feed at any time.
Because farmers must keep extensive records as part of their farming and handling plans in order to be certified organic one is always able to trace the animal from birth to market of the meat. When meat is labeled as organic this means that 100 percent of that product is organic.
Although organic crops must be produced without the use of pesticides it is estimated that between 1025 percent of organic fruits and vegetables contain some residues of synthetic pesticides. This is because of the influence of rain air and polluted water sources. In order to qualify as organic crops must be grown on soil free of prohibited substances for three years before harvest. Until then they cannot be called organic. When pests get out of balance and traditional organic methods do not work for pest control farmers can request permission to use other products that are considered low risk by the National Organic Standards Board.
The Environment
According to the 15year study Farming Systems Trial organic soils have higher microbial content making for healthier soils and plants. This study concluded that organically grown foods are raised in soils that have better physical structure provide better drainage may support higher microbial activity and in years of drought organic systems may possibly outperform conventional systems. So organic growing may help feed more people in our future!
What is the cost of conventional farming today The abovementioned 15 year study showed that conventional farming uses 50 percent more energy than organic farming. In one report it was estimated that only 0.1 percent of applied pesticides actually reach the targets leaving most of the pesticide 99.9 percent to impact the environment. Multiple investigations have shown that our water supplies both in rivers and area tap waters are showing high levels of pesticides and antibiotics used in farming practices. Water samples taken from the Ohio River as well as area tap water contained trace amounts of penicillin tetracycline and vancomycin.
Toxic chemicals are contaminating groundwater on every inhabited continent endangering the worlds most valuable supplies of freshwater according to a Worldwatch paper Deep Trouble: The Hidden Threat of Groundwater Pollution. Calling for a systemic overhaul of manufacturing and industrial agriculture the paper notes that several water utilities in Germany now pay farmers to switch to organic operations because this costs less than removing farm chemicals from water supplies.
What About our Health
Eating organic food is not a fad. As people become more informed and aware they are
taking steps to ensure their health. US sales of organic food totaled 5.4 billion dollars in 1998 but was up to 7.8 billion dollars in the year 2000. The 2004 Whole Foods Market Organic Foods Trend Tracker survey found that 27 oercent of Americans are eating more organic foods than they did a year ago.
A study conducted by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation reports that the number of people poisoned by drifting pesticides increased by 20 percent during 2000.
A rise in interest and concern for the use of pesticides in food resulted in the passage of the 1996 Food Quality Protection Act directing the US EPA to reassess the usage and impact of pesticides for food use.
Particular attention was paid to the impact on children and infants whose lower body weights and higher consumption of food per body weight present higher exposure to any risks associated with pesticide residues.
Publishing an update to its 1999 report on food safety the Consumers Union in May 2000 reiterated that pesticide residues in foods children eat every day often exceed safe levels. The update found high levels of pesticide residues on winter squash peaches apples grapes pears green beans spinach strawberries and cantaloupe. The Consumers Union urged consumers to consider buying organically grown varieties particularly of these fruits and vegetables.
The most common class of pesticide in the US is organophosphates (OPs). These are known as neurotoxins.
An article published in 2002 examined the urine concentration of OP residues in 25 year olds. Researchers found on average that children eating conventionally grown food showed an 8.5 times higher amount of OP residue in their urine than those eating organic food. Studies have also shown harmful effects on fetal growth as well.
Pesticides are not the only threat however. 70 percent of all antibiotics in the US are used to fatten up livestock today. Farm animals receive 24.6 million pounds of antibiotics per year!
Public health authorities now lin