Organic vs. Conventional Foods Essay

According to The Atlantic Magazine, organic means, “Organic means crops are grown without artificial pesticides, fertilizers, GMOs(genetically modified organisms), irradiation, or sewage sludge, and animals raised without hormones or antibiotics”(The Atlantic, Defining Organic: The Difference Between Sustainable and Local). The industrial organic food chain does not use harmful chemicals such as pesticides or herbicides. In The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Michael Pollan says, “Organic farming rules do not allow chemical weed killers, so Greenway has to use other methods to fight weeds”(Pollan 140). The fields are watered to get any weed seeds to grow before the plants are to be grown. Then, the farmers uses a tractor to plow the weeds. The farmers do this several times. Later, the farmers use propane torches to burn any remaining weeds. “The result of all this hard work is fields that look just as clean as if chemical weed killers had been used"(Pollan 140). When Michael Pollan says this, he is explaining that, because they plow the fields and do not use toxic chemicals, there are no harmful chemicals which can seep into the food and water supply and poison the consumers. Also, industrial organic farmers are changing. They are drifting away from the industrial way of only growing one or two crops per farm and are slowly starting to grow many crops per farm. “"The efforts of organic farmers to

The chemical pesticides used in farming affect the quality of water because of run off which then go into lakes or rivers. In chapter four, Carson concentrates on the water pollution caused by pesticides. The pollution can be unsafe for use and causes fish to die. An example used is a study done by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service in 1960 that showed that “our waters have become almost universally contaminated with insecticides.” (pg.41) The pesticides are especially threatening to groundwater which is an important source of drinking water for humans. Consequently, the chemicals in pesticides can cause cancer and other harm effects on our health. Another issue is that the pesticides in water and can mix with other chemicals and become a new chemical. Therefore, it can lead to the creation of an unknown chemical with harmful

On the contrary, many may argue that even though organic food at times possess such threats they do not come close to comparing to the threats possessed by chemically treated foods. Researchers such as Joanna Jurewicz, believe that children being exposed to pesticides at any time during foetal life will have some type of health effect. She addressed that each year “almost 50,000 children are poisoned annually by exposure to pesticides” (Jurewicz 71), while emphasizing that the most common health effects are on foetus and young children. She proposed that all acute exposures to pesticides cause “skin irritation, lesions in the respiratory tract, and severe toxic neurologic effects”, in long exposure she blames their constant motive to put everything in their mouth and their immature detoxification systems with how they are the easy target for pesticides and chemical

The environment is getting worse due to many reasons, one of being ‘off-farm input’, which is effecting and damaging the environment. ‘Off-farm input’ consists of fertilizers, fungicides, herbicides and pesticides, which is used on agriculture to grow faster and larger. These ‘off-farm input’ is effecting and damaging the environment, through the chemicals in the pesticides and fertilizers, creating groundwater contamination. The ‘Environmental Protection Agency’ has stated that herbicides

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

7A Organic agriculture is defined by the USDA as agriculture that uses methods that help preserve the environment and do not use synthesized chemicals like chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Farmers may use compost to improve soil fertility as an alternative to nitrogen and phosphorous based fertilizers. In organic agriculture, polycultures are often implemented, where multiple different crops are planted in one field. Crop rotation is also an essential part of organic farming, as it increases crop diversity and soil quality. Family farms better protect the environment when they switch to organic agriculture. Use of synthesized chemicals require more water, which can deplete water sources and even cause desertification, which increases soil

Organic produce has become increasingly popular in recent years, as consumers have grown more worried about their health and environmentally aware. Many supermarkets now have large sections for organic fruits and vegetables. However, our assumption of the word “organic” does not mean “pesticide-free” or “chemical-free”. Organic farmers are allowed to use a wide variety of chemical sprays on their crops. Organic means that these pesticides must come from natural sources. Also, these pesticides must be applied using equipment that has not been used to apply any synthetic materials, and the land being planted on cannot have been treated with synthetic materials either. Most organic farmers utilize mechanical and cultural tools to help control

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.

Organic farming is becoming an increasingly popular market throughout the world. (Adam, 2004, p. 666). The aims of organic farming are, to decrease pollution, maintain soil fertility and biodiversity, be more sustainable, and have increased nutritional benefits than conventionally grown foods (Yaping et. al., 2003, p. 298). While the aim of conventional farming is to provide safe, proficient supplies of food, in abundance and at low prices (Trewavas, 2001, p.409). Since 1996, the amount of land in the UK dedicated to organic farming has risen tenfold (Adam, 2004, p. 666). As well, from 1992 to 1997, the amount of certified organic cropland in the US more than doubled (Tafel et al, 2007, p.182 ). The main difference between organic and

The organic farming method puts ecologically friendly techniques into practice by relying on biological pest management and composting. Organic food is grown without using synthetic chemicals, antibiotics, or hormones in both crop production and raising livestock. The purpose behind organic food production is to encourage and enhance the biological cycle within the farming system to maintain and increase long-term fertility of soils, minimize all forms of pollution, avoid the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, maintain genetic diversity of the production system, consider the wider social and environmental impact of the food production

Organic food is grown without using synthetic chemicals, antibiotics, or hormones in both crop production and raising livestock (Dimitri). According to the International Federation on Organic Agriculture Movements, the purpose behind organic food production is to “encourage and enhance the biological cycle within the farming system to maintain and increase long-term fertility of soils, minimize all forms of pollution, avoid the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, maintain genetic diversity of the production system, consider the wider social and ecological impact of the food production and processing system, and to produce food of high quality in sufficient quantity” (Bourn).

As stated by Organic Agriculture and Organic Food, “for centuries, farmers utilized such natural cultivation techniques like harvest rotation, hybridization, including the utilization of soil supplements, including fertilizer or manure. Farmers also had to rely on natural pest control methods as the foundation of useful bugs or bug- repellent plants,”(Organic Agriculture and Organic Food, par. 2). Keeping these precautions in mind, growers preserve various species from the hazardous results of pesticides.

“Organic agriculture includes all agricultural systems that promote the environmentally, socially and economically sound production of foods and fibres. These systems take local soil fertility as a key to successful production. By respecting the natural capacity of plants, animals and the landscape, it aims to optimise quality in all aspects of agriculture and the environment. Organic agriculture dramatically reduces external inputs by refraining from the use of chemo-synthetic fertilisers, pesticides and pharmaceuticals. Instead it allows the powerful laws of nature to increase both agricultural yields and disease resistance. Organic agriculture adheres to globally accepted principles, which are implemented within local social-economic, geoclimatical and cultural settings.” (Logan, 2009) In simple terms organic farming is fresh foods that are grown without the use and means of

Inorganic is a word everyone associates with healthy food. It can be spotted on the labels in supermarkets and local grocery stores. The demand for organic food has even increased as more people associate it with being healthy and environmentally friendly. However, how “organic” is organic food? Is organic food worth the extra cost? Does organic food have that much more nutrients than conventional food? These are all questions that ponder many people's brains. Organic food receives mixed reviews. Some perceive it to be much more beneficial than conventional foods while others do not. However, organic food is worth the recognition it receives as it is high quality. The market for organic food is worth the extra dollars because it is very beneficial for human health, the environment, and animal production.

All over the world people are making the switch to organic because it is a better choice for one’s health. Some people may not even know what organic grown food is. Organic is a substance that is grown and not treated with any