According to the Organic Trade Association, in 2010 organic sales accounted for over four percent of the U.S. total food sales (Cohen). This puts into perspective how much of a role organic food has come to play in U.S. food sales. In our world today, one choice that people are constantly being faced with when out shopping for groceries is whether or not they should purchase organic foods. Many people assume that organic foods come with many more benefits than regular food which is why they cost more. However, contrary to popular belief, along with the extra cost of organic food there are actually little to no health nor environmental benefits, which is why we should stray away from purchasing these products. When hearing the term organic one of the first things that typically pops into people’s heads is the word healthy, yet, in comparison to regular foods, organic foods essentially aren’t all that much healthier. For example, “Stanford University concluded… fruits and vegetables labeled organic are, on average no more nutritious than their cheaper counterparts” (Cohen). Even though organic foods are grown on fields free from fertilizers, they still contain a similar number of nutritious ingredients. This effectively demonstrates as to why people should restrain from purchasing organic foods. Regular foods allow for people to get all essential nutrients, therefore there is no need to purchase organic options. Not only do organic and regular foods typically share equal
Author, Steven Shapin, in his essay, “What Are You Buying When You Buy Organic,” presents controversy reasons to buying organic food. Shapin’s purpose includes defending his point that organic food proves not always having the best results. He justifies his approach to buying organic foods with an argumentative appeal to the necessity of buying these products. Shapin questions the value of organic foods in larger organizations by targeting the industry, health, and the virtue.
In paragraph 2, Rachel Cernansky, says, “The big price tag can lead people to assume organic food is better than conventionally grown food.” On the other hand, organic food should not be consumed because of its price. “Besides, she said, why would she want to pay a markup that can run double or triple the cost of conventional food” (Lazarus 14). This statistic shows that organic food is a much higher cost than regular food. In paragraph 20, David Lazarus, stated, “According to Consumer Reports, organic foods and beverages run an average 47% more in price than conventional alternatives. In some cases, the markup can be more than 300%. That’s a hefty difference.” This quote shows how much organic food can be sold for. There is no point in buying organic food that is triple that amount of conventional food. In conclusion, we should not buy food because of its
But as consumers are only willing to pay the extra money for organic food mainly for any health benefits they associate with organic foods, such health benefits should be significant enough to warrant this inflated price. Studies demonstrate that the advantages of organic food are relatively small and even some disadvantages were found. Although correlations were found between a few health benefits and eating organically (reduced risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in subjects who eat organic foods more and mitigation of allergic dermatitis from consuming organic dairy products), these correlations were the only ones found amongst hundreds
Duke currently has seventeen coal fired plants located and operating in the United States. Over the course of time two coal plants have been bought by Dynegy in 2014, and one has been retired. They also currently operate seven oil or natural gas fired plants in the Carolinas and operate a total of thirty coal fired plants in the United States. Buck Steam Station is a coal fired plant located on the Yadkin River in Rowan County. It was the first large capacity coal fired station built by Duke. Over the course of time the turbines were slowly shut down and in 2011 modifications were completed. The plant officially turned into the Buck Combined Cycle Plant (Power Plants). The plant now operates using coal and natural gas fired turbines. This
Long time ago, the idea of organic food was something ridiculous, nobody cared. But after proved the nutritional benefits and better taste of organic food, many farmers become interest in grown organic food. The article Beyond Organic by Eliot Coleman said that “Now that the food-buying public has become enthusiastic about organically grown foods, the food industry wants to take over.”
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.
From the now popular recyclable cloth grocery bags, to the organic garden at the White House, food, and the food industry is changing. The popularity of organic and whole foods is on the rise. Processed foods are increasingly advertising that they are additive and preservative free, and all sorts of products now offer a “gluten-free” variety. The popularity of what is now being called the sustainable food movement, leads many to wonder why are some people willing to pay more, sometimes double, for organic produce, meat, eggs, and milk. Will this prove to be just another trendy American fad, or are there real health benefits from eating organic and whole foods? While the organic market only represents approximately 3% of the total food
In the dystopian classic, Animal Farm by George Orwell, the pigs on the estate possess authority succeeding the initial revolution, and as a result, demonstrate qualities of smartness and cleverness, yet never procure Orwell’s trust. With the revolution occurring, and the death of Old Major, the previous leader of the animals on Manor Farm, a position of leadership arises to which “fell naturally upon the pigs, who were generally recognized as being the cleverest of the animals” (Orwell 12). This fulfillment grants the pigs, in particular Napoleon, the power each desires, due to the shrewd method to obtain authority each pig displays upon the conclusion of the revolution, which reassures the chaotic, confused animals. However, Napoleon and
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
In recent years, many people don’t go more than a few days without hearing about organic foods in one way or another, whether it be through the media, friends or the numerous labels at the grocery store. For me, whenever someone brings up organic foods, they always put them on a pedestal of health caused by people’s recent disgust with the industrialized way we produce foods, which, to be fair, is not unfounded. I had assumed it was a bunch of gibberish, however, the data suggests a more ambiguous answer.
Thesis: Choosing to purchase and consume organic food is a smart and healthy choice for you and your family.
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
Objective Regain blackberries 20% lost market share, and improve overall net profit vs. last year by 13%
Barlow, B., Hemminger, L., and Schlegel, B. (2006). Is Organic Food Worth the Extra Cost? Retrieved from Environmental Health Perspectives website: http://www.ehponline.org/docs/2006/114-2/ss.html