Organic Food: The Healthy Choice Essay

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.

Organic foods are defined as products “generally grown without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers and without the routine use of antibiotics or growth hormones” (Brandt). Health conscious consumers have driven up the demand for organically grown foods from a $3.6 billion industry in 1997 to over $24.4 billion in 2011. According to Consumer Reports, organic foods can cost anywhere from 47% more in price to 300% in some

The organic food industry is booming. Demand for organic food is higher than ever, according to the Organic Trade Association’s recent report. American’s spent a whopping $43.3 billion on organic food in 2015, an 11 percent increase over last year’s record. And yet 5.6 billion pounds of pesticides are used around the world each year.

While many people want to support the organic method because of its known benefits but they also feel that it is just another way to cheat consumers out of their money. However, studies have proven that conventional fruits, vegetables, and even drinks are cheaper than organic. With the world population growing larger and larger we need efficient way to provide food for everyone with reasonable price. Even though it is more efficient to

Conventional agriculture uses unsustainable techniques. This is why organic food is healthier for you. Inorganic fertilizers boost crop production in the short term, which allows farmers to use their land to produce more product in a faster way. Perhaps the most important positive effect of switching to organic modes of farming is to reduce the forms of social instability that conventional agriculture will cause in the near future. Pesticides used in conventional farming also cause a number of adverse environmental effects. Because modern agriculture techniques were developed to allow farmers to grow

In spite of the increasing popularity of Organic food these days, most of the people do not have a clear idea regarding the definition of organic food. In simple words, Organic foods are those foods that are produced, processed and packaged without using chemicals. They have been accepted due to their perceived health benefits over conventional food. The organic industry is growing rapidly and has caught the attention of farmers, manufacturers and, above all, consumers. Some of the popular organic food items include organic tea, organic coffee, organic wine, organic meat, organic beef, organic milk, organic honey, organic vegetables, organic fruits, organic rice, organic corn, organic herbs, organic

Currently, the majority of the organic food market is run by small business owners and small family-run operation. These businesses have a harder time producing organic foods through cost effective methods because they usually do not have high distribution costs and other expenses that could be cut as demand rises. Small organic businesses usually rely on local farms and local agriculture that produce their crops at a slower rate and volume than mass produced name brands. Therefore, since organic food production is still in its preliminary stages in the world economy, (about 1% of the food industry is organic food) the best solution would be to let organic food companies acquire a bigger chunk of the

Observers of agriculture have noted the increase in popularity for organic products. However, is it possible for this growth in the organic industry to be sustainable and profitable? Some notable studies include, yield, price premium, demand, cost, etc. In this paper, organic to conventional agriculture will be investigated. Given that organic agriculture is still in its infancy, demand for organics will continue to grow despite for lower yield and higher premium cost. Additionally, since demand for organic agriculture will continue to grow, cost will be marginal compare to benefits. The following literature reviews will attempt to demonstrate and support this hypothesis.

Shopping for groceries can be unhealthy and possibly even toxic if one does not know that much about the foods they are buying. Too many people put aside the fact that we may be harming our bodies from all of the toxins from non-organic foods we are eating or drinking every day. Finding out the truth of all the non-organic foods people have been giving their family versus the organic foods they should be giving their families, will have some people thinking twice about whether or not they should buy an organic product. There are many reasons why people should educate themselves with all the information regarding the benefits eating organically. Everyone around the world should embrace the availability of organic, naturally grown foods to help introduce a healthier lifestyle, prevent diseases, and help decrease environmental pollution.

As consumers, we see the label “organic” in most supermarkets that we shop at every day, but do we know what makes certain food items obtain the label organic? There is much controversy on the topic organic foods and for good reason. There are many factors to take into account when decided if organic food is superior to conventionally grown foods. There are key components that all amount to how nutritious your food is. It all comes down to the quality of the land that the food is grown on, the farming technique, the elimination of toxic chemicals, and the increase in certain beneficial vitamins. The only downside to being pro-organic food is the slightly increased price tag. Despite the increased cost, organic foods are a healthier choice compared to conventional chemical ridden foods.

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,

In this study, 41.7%±1.7 of all participants purchased organic foods regardless of family size (Table 1). As with other studies, the reason for purchasing organic could be related to consumer beliefs that organic foods are healthier and taste better than conventionally grown products8. Additionally, consumers may believe that growing organic food is better for the environment than conventional growing methods since the use of pesticides is lower and

In a study done by Annals of Internal Medicine, it has been proven that the consumption of organic products has the same nutritional values as conventional products. Although quality nutrition is not a factor in the cost for organic products, the real cost is stemmed from the neglect of pesticide in the product. Ultimately organic products are raised in a superior environment unlike conventional products which are raised in cost effective methods. Non-organic products mature in ghastly conditions. Products purchased by a future consumer should ultimately benefit them. Avoiding mature products from vile origins is the reason I believe organic products are worth inflated costs.

Organic production is known for being tastier, healthier and more sustainable. Consumers of organic food believe several misconceptions. One misconception is that pesticides and fertilizers are not used in crop production and that not using these contributes to or affects the taste. However, no scientific evidence has been found to prove this theory. In fact, there are only one or two studies done out of more than a hundred that show that organic produce has a higher level of nutrients. The simple fact is that organic food cannot travel as far, and the nonorganic and fresher produce tend to taste better. Secondly, it is commonly thought that in order for crops to be labeled as organic by the USDA, the farmer cannot use pesticide, herbicide, or fertilizer. However, the USDA only requires that organic farmers use natural or non-synthetic pesticide, herbicide, and fertilizer. Natural products such as copper and sulfur are often used in organic farming as pesticides and fungicides, however, we would never purposefully ingest these compounds either. Moreover, these natural pesticides are just as carcinogenic as their synthetic equivalents. In fact, 99.9 percent of the pesticides consumed by the public are natural. Not to mention, the cost of organic produce is much higher than normal produce. Consumers can literally

Do you know everything that happens to the food you buy before you buy it? You probably do not because the food industry does not want you to know. If you did know, you would not want to eat your food. Have you ever wondered why you can buy tomatoes in the middle of winter, or why meat does not have any bones? Foods have been imported to your supermarket from all around the world. Produce is harvested when it is not completely ripe and then later ripened with chemicals such as ethylene gas. Meat and dairy corporations make you believe that th¬¬eir food comes from farms and ranches, when really; their food is being produced in factories. The only way to know the truth about your food is by getting it from reliable sources. Organic farmers tell you the truth about what is done to their food before it becomes an item on the shelf of a supermarket. Consuming organic foods greatly impacts everyday life and health because it contains more nutrients, creates a safer environment, and is able to reduce risks or even prevent diseases and health issues.