Taking a Look at Organic Farming

In order for farmers to label their products as USDA Organic they must adhere to the strict standards outlined in the organic certification program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The article, “Organic foods: Are they safer? More nutritious?” explains that these standards include how food is “grown, handled and processed”. Rather then using pesticides, organic farmers use methods such as beneficial insects and microorganisms and special disease resistant crop selection to protect their crops. They may use crop rotation and mulch to manage weeds. They do not use or include food additives, fortifying agents or preservatives in their products.

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

A major criticism of organic foods is the obvious price increase included with purchasing organic products. While there are numerous reasons for the price premium associated with organic foods, the most obvious reasons are the cost of organic supplies such as feed and fertilizer to make a profit. George Siemon, CEO of the Organic Valley co-op, states that “A ton of organic cattle feed can cost from $350 to $400 a ton versus $220 or less for a ton of conventional feed,” illustrating a major price difference for simply fertilizing a crop (Simon). With access to more resources than organic farmers, conventional farmers will often spend less in the overall farming of a crop than organic farmers, increasing their profits. Conventional farmers often use materials such as “sewage sludge, which is cheap to buy, and chemical fertilizers, which are both cheap to buy and cheap to transport” (Simon). Using these potentially hazardous chemicals for crop production runs the major risk of chemical runoff and contamination of local water supplies or reservoirs, which will directly affect

In order to be labeled “organic” the farmer who grew it used renewable resources and conservation of soil and water methods. Also, organic farmers do not use conventional pesticides or weed killers, which may contain synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge. According to Fisher, "Sewage sludge from municipalities' waste may contain heavy metals and toxins . . .” (1). Rather, organic farmers use sophisticated crop rotations, spread mulch and

The general public sees any type of organic food as being produced “straight out of a backyard garden” or “right off of the family farm”. But is it really freshly picked tomatoes right out of Grandma Mae’s garden or chicken breast from a local farm? If the food purchased is from Whole Foods or the organic section at Walmart, then that probably is not the case. Large organic farms are what usually supply Whole Foods and other larger chain stores that have organics. They are not what people initially think of when imagining the typical organic farm. They usually think of a small plot of land with an old farmhouse, chicken coops, a red barn, and a large pasture of grass. Even though there are still organic farms like that,

Organic farming began just as the effects of the Great Depression waned in the United States, and has seen a dramatic increase in popularity most recently (AG). The sales of organic food increased by about twenty percent a year throughout the nineteen nineties (Marcus). That is over ten times the rate of increase that conventional food experienced during the same period of time (Harris). As recently as twenty eleven, about seventy-eight percent of American families admitted to routinely purchasing organic food (Organic). Organic food sales jumped from three point five million in nineteen ninety-seven, to thirty-one million in twenty eleven (Organic). However, while organic food may seem better than conventional food, numerous studies have shown that it is not distinguishably more healthful, nutritious, palatable, or safe.

The rise of organic farming in the United States came about following the general push to return to a more natural way of life in the late 1960s and 1970s. This was really a return to the traditional farming methods that were used exclusively until the rise of industrial farming in the 1920s. A major force behind this movement was science writer, Rachel Carson who published Silent Spring in 1962 (History). In this work, she focused on the loss of songbirds due to the widespread use of DDT and the otherwise “indiscriminate use of chemical pesticides, fertilizers, and weed killers” (History). The label “organics” sprung from consumer pressure

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

Pollan states, “the word ‘organic’ has been stretched and twisted to admit the very sort of industrial practices from which it once offered a critique and an alternative” (Pollan 157). This is because there are certain factors that influence the regulations related to organic farming. All of these factors lead to one root cause for certain regulation, money. Big organic companies consistently ask themselves, how we can make the most money. They use certain words on labels as previously mentioned to capture the eyes of their consumers. This growing industry needs the USDA to approve certain regulations in order to give the consumer what they want and make the most money possible. Founder of Cascadian farm, Gene Kahn was a pioneer for the big organic industry and serves on the USDA’s National Organic Standards Board in 1992. As a result, the final standards approved by the USDA permitted certain additives and synthetics from ascorbic acid to xanthan gum that could be used in organic foods and still be labelled as organic food. With this came the invention of the organic TV dinner, a fast made food for when Americans don’t feel like cooking, an instant seller. The USDA needs to keep big organic companies such as Earthbound Farm and Grimmway Farms happy (by allowing certain additives), in order to keep them quiet. Big corporations make the laws not the

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

According to the USDA, organic foods consist of foods and products that are grown without the use of sewage sludge, harmful pesticides, and fertilizers made from synthetic ingredients. These standards and guidelines were implemented with the overall objective of improving the quality of the food supply while also preserving the environment. The Organic Foods Act (OFPA) “authorized a new USDA National Organic Program (NOP) to set national standards for the production, handling, and processing of organically grown agricultural products. In addition, the Program oversees mandatory certification of organic production.” (Gold “Organic Production/Organic Food:”) When these standards are upheld, consumers are given the opportunity to educate themselves on the contents found in their food, which

Although organic production reflects similar cost structure with conventional production in terms of growing, harvesting, transportation and storage; total costs are higher in organic production due to more labour and management intensive process in order to adapt these strict regulations. This causes organic foods become more expensive than conventional foods. However, even more expensive, global demand for organic foods has been growing substantially over the last decades. There are several different reasons behind this rapid increase in consumer demand for organic foods. Food safety concerns linked to

As we have been discussing in class, the debate on organic food has been rising. Many say that it is the way of the future, while many others say it is going back to the ways of the past. When synthetic chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides are currently some of the most used things in farming today to help facilitate perfect growing conditions and increase yields, could it be possible for organic farmers compete with them? If organic farming were to become the go-to method of farming, we have to ask: Is organic farming globally sustainable? While there may be many ways to answer this question while looking at different aspects of the organic movement and their definitions, one answer in particular jumped out at me. Organic farming is not globally sustainable because it is not efficient enough to serve the global market.

The word Organic can be defined in multiple ways but what the word basically means that the product is derived from living matter. Organic farming produces organic food. The goal is to encourage soil and water conservation, reduce pollution, and constrain conventional methods to fertilize and control weeds. According to the U.S Food and Drug Administration “The term "organic" is not defined by law or regulations FDA enforces.”

Organic refers to how farmers grow and process food. Organic farming methods differ from conventional farming in several ways including, using chemical fertilizers to promote plant magnification, while organic farming employs manure and compost to fertilize the soil. Conventional farming sprays pesticides to dispense pests while organic farmers turn to insects and birds, mating disruption, or traps. Conventional farming uses chemical herbicides to manage weeds while organic farming rotates crops, hand weeds, or mulches. When raising animals, conventional farmers give animals antibiotics, magnification hormones, and medications to spur magnification and avert disease. Organic farmers aliment their animals’ organic ailment and sanction them to roam. They withal will ascertain the animals have a balanced diet and