Conventional Food Vs Organic Food

Every year, the average person in America consumes nearly a ton of food, and the majority of this consists of packaged and highly processed products. These foods also contain a substantial amount of unwanted fats and chemicals. The growing of organic versus nonorganic food has been a controversial issue for a long time among organic and nonorganic farmers and their customers. This is due to the myriad definitions of healthy eating and the stated benefits on both sides.

The articles “Organic foods: Are they safer? More nutritious?”, by the Mayo Clinic Staff and “Is organic better for your health? A look at milk, meat, eggs, produce and fish”, by Tamer Haspel, delve into whether or not the products produced by organic farming are more nutritious and or safer than those produced by conventional farming.

When considering differences between organic and conventional foods often the first thing people comment on is the nutritional value. Organic foods have grown in popularity due to the perception that they are better nutritionally. Barbara Hey (2009), health reporter and author of the article, “A Different Health Debate: Conventional versus Organic Food” and Smith-Spangier, Crystal, et al. (2012), emphasize that the benefits of organic foods and farming are important to society. That organic food can help protect what’s most valuable to people, their health. They suggest that eating a healthy diet rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants is a good investment in preventative care. Jeff Gillman (2008) agrees and states, “ …preventing disease is much more cost effective than treating disease. Organic foods can play a vital role in keeping people healthy” (139).

As an alternative to the industrial food chain which is now prevail in the US, the organic food chain emphasis that “nature rather than the machine should supply the proper model for agriculture” (Pollan 131). The idea of “organic” is best demonstrated by farms that raise diversified species in a traditional way and target at the local market. However, most of the “organic food” people consume today is produced from the “industrial organic” farms which belong to the industrial food chain instead of the ideal organic food

Organic farming began in the late 1940’s in the United States, and in recent years it has seen a dramatic increase in popularity (Rubin 1). The sales of organic food have been increasing by about 20 percent a year over the past decade (Marcus 1). That is over ten times the rate of their conventional counterparts (Harris 1). There are 10 million consumers of organic food in the United States, yet organic food represents only one percent of the nation’s food supply. This year organic food sales are expected to rise to six billion dollars (Rubin 1). So what is organic food? Organic food is that which are grown without hormones, pesticides, or synthetic fertilizers. Also, the soil in which organic food

While we all love food and it’s a necessity to live there are now two categories of food. Organic and non-organic, this can be any food from meats to dairy to fruits and so on just about everything today can be put to one side or the other. Through the use of evidence and explanations, the difference between organic and non-organic will be shown in depth providing for a decision to be made between the two.

Many people have heard about organic foods, however, not everyone understands the facts, benefits, or how it is grown. Organic food ingredients are grown without the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, genetically modified organisms, or ionizing radiation. Animals that produce meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products do not take antibiotics or growth hormones. In “Organic Food: Healthier for You and the Planet” Collin Dunn discusses organic food using some statistics, pictures, and his personal opinion to better inform people who eat organic foods why it is better to eat and how it is better for the planet. However, Lawrence Robinson, Jeanne Sega, and Robert Segal discuss organic food in:

With the world’s population continuing to increase, the demand for food is higher than ever. This increase in food demand also calls for more efficient ways of growing and providing the food. Two methods that are very controversial are the organic and conventional method. While many people support the organic method because of its known benefits, others feel that it is an over inflated industry that cheats consumers out of their money. But recently many studies have disproved those critics. These studies prove that Organic food is a better choice than conventional because it is better for the environment, avoids the use of chemicals, and is generally more beneficial.

In the United States consumers are inundated with every option imaginable for food. Among those options is the choice of organic or conventional food. Health experts will tout the virtues of organic food as being better for the consumer and preventing many diseases, however, there seems to be more to it than that. When speaking with friends, especially those living on a budget, the philosophy leans more towards the difference between fresh and processed food, and organic food is considered a luxury which few can afford. In an attempt to define the family health standards within the household, a transformation has taken place over the past four years. Where once a life filled with convenience food and college exams was reflected, now there is the attempt to ensure the most healthy food enters the home and this includes many organic options. Since the transformation has begun taking place, my family is healthier eating organic food than we were eating conventional food. Organic food keeps the family healthy because my children happily eat it, it tastes good, has more vitamins, does not contain pesticides, hormones, or antibiotics, and is almost always fresh. Every parent I have spoken with complains that it is hard to get their children to eat fresh fruits and veggies. In fact, most are even thankful if their child will eat canned corn or peas. I can't help but smile at this idea given that children are humans with an instinct toward the

Are you concerned about the health of yourself and that of your family when walking through the grocery store? You should be. You might be surprised to learn about chemicals known to exist in the conventional foods we eat daily. Ever wonder why apples are so shiny? A coating of shellac is applied to apples to give them a shiny coating, prolonging their shelf life, and prevent bruising. You might reconsider the next time you reach for the shiniest red apple and remember to think about the pesticides that were used to make it that way. Being informed of the benefits of organic food versus those of conventional will enable you to make the best decisions for you and your family.

“Organic Foods: Health and Environmental Advantages and Disadvantage” describes that consumers suppose that farming organics is more benign to the environment since “organic farms do not use or release synthetic pesticides into the environment, some of which have the potential to harm soil.” Consumers get a sense of security knowing that their food is safe from toxins like pesticides, as well as a sense of responsibility for improving the earth’s welfare. This has become an increasingly important factor for purchasing organic foods, as the push for more environmentally friendly options has been increasingly prominent in this day and

The term organic literally means ‘biological’ or the substance obtained from living organisms. Eating organic food is the latest trend in the western world. In organic foods the

No matter where we go as consumers, we are faced with an endless amount of variety when it comes to product choices. Within the last several years the organic food market has become a popular trend among Americans. In today’s supermarkets, organic foods are everywhere, as they are no longer limited to only upscale retailers. Large corporations are jumping on the bandwagon and bringing the organic industry to the mainstream market, making the products readily available to the average consumer. The movie Food Inc. portrays this when the film shows Wal-Mart transitioning into this industry as it is flourishing with the recent health campaigns. In 2013 the organic food industry grew to $35.1 billion dollars, an 11.5% increase compared to the previous year ("Market Analysis"). Consumers seem to believe that organic foods have more health benefits, such as nutritional value, environmental benefits, and also take account for animal welfare. So what is the truth about organic food and why is it becoming so popular? It seems as though while organic food maybe the better choice, most consumers do not have a clear understanding on what organic food actually is and what it means.

This paper begins by providing key information and terms to provide a basic understanding of concepts between organic foods and genetically engineered foods, often known as genetically modified organisms (GMO). Any organism or microorganism which is genetically engineered is referred to as a GMO. In today’s modern world, scientists are most commonly using this technology in agriculture to pinpoint genes, isolate them, and then manipulating these genes to create crops with predetermined traits. This type of engineering, in plant-based foods, stems from a desire to create foods which do not occur organically in nature. The term “organic foods”, directly describes foods in which no artificial or genetically modified processes are used during the

This paper begins by providing key information and terms to provide a basic understanding of concepts between organic foods and genetically engineered foods, often known as genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Any organism or microorganism which is genetically engineered is referred to as a GMO. In today’s modern world, scientists are most commonly using this technology in agriculture to pinpoint genes, isolate them, and then manipulating these genes to create crops with predetermined traits. This type of engineering in plant-based foods, stems from a desire to create foods which do not occur organically in nature. The term “organic foods”, directly describes