Organic And Non-Organic Food : The Benefits Of Organic Foods

Organic foods are no longer only found in health food stores; they have become a mainstay in our supermarkets. Today’s consumers are faced with the decision of whether or not it is worth the cost to buy organic. To determine the answer to this question one will need to determine if it has been scientifically determined that consumption organic food products are more beneficial to one’s health.

First of all, the counter argument needs to be addressed. Many argue that there is not a significant difference between organic and conventional foods. Disagreements often sound like, “There is very little scientific evidence to support any health benefits for organic products” (Andrei). Opponents of organic food have argued that it is too expensive and not at all worth the high price. They state that “Organic has become a synonym for luxury” (Andrei). Many are choosing to eat organic simply because they can afford it. Although organic food is supposedly healthier, “A 2009 meta-analysis…said there was no nutrient difference in organic versus conventional”

Traits of organic food can also be misconstrued in the sense of the ingredients and how it is different from the way processed food is produced. “In reality, certified organics have lower levels of chemical residue, Roethal argues, which is positive for consumers, farm workers and the land itself, but organic growing practices have no impact on how many nutrients, calories or grams of fat are in anyone's favorite foods”(SFGate). As mentioned previously in the quote, often times organic food can benefits one’s health because of the little amount in which chemicals and calories are in the substance. The concern about organic food is that it is substantially more expensive than non-organic food. However,“Organic food sales are increasing by double digits annually, and more than 80 percent of parents reported buying organic food for their families last year”, according to Batch. With the high-price of organic food, this could also be a reason on why people tend to lean more towards the less healthier items, all because of the low cost. Even though there are different and confusing standards on what organic really is, the ideal description would typically be foods that do not have the same producing process as non-organic food.

Over the last few years, awareness of organic food has risen. Due to this, the demand for organic food is a factor which is influencing the farmers to switch to use this technique, and it is being sold in specialty stores and conventional supermarkets. Organic products contain numerous marketing claims that it is healthier, it offers more value, and the farming is more environmentally friendly than traditional foods, so, how does one determine if organic is the way to go? Some argue that there is evidence that supports and demonstrates why organic foods and farming are better overall, while others insist that conventional foods and agriculture can offer the same benefits as going organic. There is no right or wrong answer. Within this

Organic foods are those which are grown without hormones, pesticides, or synthetic fertilizers. Organic farming does have its advantages. It conserves water and soil resources, recycles animal waste, releases fewer chemicals, improves soil fertility, promotes diversity of crops, and protects farm workers, livestock, and wildlife from potentially harmful pesticides (AG). Are organic foods safer than conventional foods though? After all, they do claim to be better for consumers, which is a tactic to be avoided (Pollan). Not only can organic foods be contaminated with bacteria and synthetic pesticides, they are also more expensive than

Agricultural Secretary Dan Glickman states that organic food is no more wholesome or nutritious than conventional foods (Marcus 1). Although organic food is almost completely free from synthetic chemicals found in synthetic foods, they are no richer in vitamins, antioxidants, and other nutrients. They are not less likely to make a person sick either (Marcus 2). The higher grocery price only buys a person peace of mind, not better nutrition.

On the other hand, costs do rise when purchasing organic, locally sourced food because big food sellers like Wal-mart can afford to sell at lower prices. In response, Sara Vinson of Yellow Hen Farm in Covington recognizes that these small farms are “not trying to compete with Wal-mart” in view of higher prices for local farm produce. Higher prices make sense, though, as more manpower has been put into organically grown food than industrially produced products. Often, weeding and harvesting will require hours of labor since pesticide use is not allowed on an organic farm.

Organic food is more expensive than regular food items. The farm machinery needed to harvest organic food is more specialized, and therefore the food is more expensive. They use the best tools and fertilization supplies. The farmers create natural environments. Organic food is grown without pesticides. Nowadays, people are using organic food broadly. The author gives lot information about organic food, and how it works. Regular food is made with lot of pesticides, and it is effect on humans. Nowadays people have cancer, more pesticides effect on IQ. 73% people used organic food, and that is good.

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.

Organic versus non-organic foods are always being debated to whether they are worth the extra cost. This seems to be an easy question, at first, but begs a more in-depth analysis to come to a conclusion. Organic definitions can vary by government, company and even individuals. Many people have their own ideas of what organic means. My personal definition, before this research assignment, was that organic products were grown with no pesticides, chemical additives, or preservatives and grown in a humane way. Meaning that if it said 100% organic, that is what was meant. This however, is not the case when it comes to the government’s definition of organic, according to T. A. Niewold who wrote, “Organic More Healthy; Green Shoots in a

Organic food is an alternative to conventional food. It is marketed as pure, wholesome, natural, and still small scale. People shopping for organic food are doing so to avoid the chemicals and not necessarily because the organic products have more nutrition. When I go shopping at the local grocery store I will purchase fresh produce such as carrots, potatoes, fruits, and meats to avoid all the chemicals that could very possibly be part of the nonorganic similar items. It is possible that the nonorganic carrots could very well be grown in soil that has been heavily fertilized year after year and/or sprayed with chemical pesticides. Ever wonder why apples are so shiny? A coating of shellac is applied to apples to give apples a shiny coating, prolong 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 on the apple trees. There are no pesticides sprayed on organic food. While this does make the food taste fresher, it also means that it will go bad more quickly. Unfortunately, this increases

The most commonly heard reason that organic foods are skipped over is because of their price. One article, written by Eric Gimenez, suggests raising the minimum wage to help low-wage workers, such as people in the food industry, afford organic foods. He states, “With over 20 million workers, the food system is the largest and fastest-growing sector in the nation. Unfortunately, with a national median wage of $9.90 per hour, the vast majority of food workers toil under the poverty line” (Gimenez). One drawback of raising their minimum wage is that the price of food would also rise, though not at the same rate. The article also reports,

Organic food is one of the fast growing markets in the world. Only in the U.S., retail sales of organic foods were $6.2 billion in 2015: California made up the biggest part of the country’s organic food market, with $2.436 billion of total sales; Colorado was on the ninth place with $155 million of total sales (“2015 Certified Organic Survey” 9). Today, organic products are available in almost every conventional grocery store and often have a higher price over conventional products. In fact, the majority of consumers believe that organic products do not contain pesticides or antibiotics, and they are better for health and the environment. Because the U.S. Department of Agriculture regulates the use of the “Organic” and “USDA Organic” labels, it is a primary driver of the marketing success of organic products in the U.S. Misunderstanding of the principles and practices of organic farming, labels and quality of organic food, values and motivations of consumers, have made many debates in our society.

Organic food is produced without using most conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; bioengineering; or ionizing radiation. More than that, "organic" is not only a set of

As well as crops, animals can be raised organically, meaning that their feed is organic and they are not given any “antibiotics, growth hormones, or any animal-by-products.” (helpguide.org). Knowing the difference is important because consumers will be able to make a choice on what type of product it is they wish to buy. Many organic food consumers believe that organic food is better in many ways and are willing to pay the high prices for the products. In this report we will examine reports and conduct studies on organic food products and how they compare to conventional food products to see whether there is any actual benefit to eating organically.