The Debate Over Organic Certification For Aquatic Animals

Micheal Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma is a novel that discusses his findings about the food we consume from the fertilizer to when it end in the supermarket in three major sections. The first section is about the overproduction of corn, its origin and how it is in the majority of everything we eat because of its versatility. The next section is about the organic food “empire,” its origin from hippies and its similarities to the processed food industry in some ways. The last section is about him experiencing hunting for his food as a hunter- gatherer. Throughout these sections there are two major themes: there is a fundamental tension between the logic of nature and human industry, and the way we eat represents our most profound engagement

An arising food category in America is anything organic. Over the years, several local grocery stores organic section is rapidly increasing. Michael Pollan, who wrote Omnivore's Dilemma, is a New York Times bestselling author. Pollan stated, “Forty years ago there was no such category as ‘organic’ food. Today it is a $20-billion business- the fastest growing part of the food industry.” (112) With organic farming becoming more common, there are many changes being made that are resulting in significant outcomes. One of the substantial changes while using organic farming is the improved treatment and health of animals. Further knowledge and awareness of the importance on how organic farming is better for the lives of animals, as well as our health is needed. Gaining more education on animals lives with organic farming, will potentially lead organic food becoming the most popular because of its remarkable outcomes.

According to Pollan, the reality of organic food chain is largely inaccurately reported. “Today it takes between 7 and 10 calories of fossil fuel energy to deliver one calorie of food to an American plate " (Pollan 238). For example, although supermarket produce and goods may have the label of organic, it has been shipped all around the country in vehicles powered by fossil fuels. Many literary critics focus their reports on some small and non-representative organic farms which follow the organic ideal, while making the public believe such is the reality of all the farms producing organic food. Also, Pollan argues that USDA must be responsible for the degradation of the organic food chain by setting weak standards on the definition of organic. For example, the USDA rules that dairy cows must have access to pasture, but such a standard is so vague that many organic farms only keep a tiny and nominal pasture in order to label their products as organic. Also, the large companies operate in industrializedabel their product as organic as long as they meet the vague standards set up by the USDA but such industrial organic food does not resemble what organic originally means. Although small farms often come closer to the ideal and are even more productive acre-for-acre than their large-scale

With the organic industry booming and up until recently showing an annual growth rate of 20% it has been necessary for the federal government to step in and regulate the previously self regulated industry. Initially, regulation of this industry was implemented by private nonprofit organizations and some state governments as a way to put an end to consumer fraud and to ensure the integrity of organic food. This

Other flaws in “big” organic are discussed, painting a picture  of a feel‐good movement that provides few benefits. Pollan’s final position on “big” organic is  somewhat unclear. He clearly perceives substantial flaws in the system, such as the fact that it is  as non‐sustainable as typical industrial food production, but at the same time he seems to argue  that it is at least a step in the right direction.     Pollan’s position on “small” organic is much less equivocal. He spends a substantial section of  the book detailing his visit to a small organic “grass” farm. Although Pollan does his best to  maintain a journalistic, neutral view throughout the book, it is clear that he was captivated by  the work being done by the grass farmers. Pollan shows that the most important crop to these  farmers is in fact the numerous varieties of grass, which form the foundation of the life cycle on  the farm. These farmers work to farm in a sustainable, natural way that closely resembles the  symbiosis of nature. In this section, Pollan provides a fascinating look at the evolved  relationships between different species of plants and animals, and how these relationships can  be utilized to create a sustainable farming system. Although Pollan is clearly enamored with  such “small” grass‐based farming, he also recognizes the near impossibility of implementing  such farming on a large scale. For example, the higher costs

Michael Pollan, in his book The Omnivore’s Dilemma, advocates for organic, locally grown foods. He contends that processed foods, unlike organic foods, are

When I first looked at the book The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan, my first thoughts were that I was not going to be fascinated by a book about organic food and factory farms. When I started to indulge myself into the book I started to consider how much hard work, and time it took to get an entire meal onto my plate. Each meal, with its different ingredients, all have unique paths from which they have come from. The main notion that stayed with me throughout the entirety of the novel were the use of industrial farm systems. These factory farms completely contradict my false perception of a red barn and miles of seemingly endless pasture, filled with cattle. In these industrial farms one of the most frightening aspects, other than the slaughtering of innocent animal, is there standard of living. For example, when Mr. Pollen went to the Petaluma “organic” farm many of the Cornish Chickens were so congested together that by their

As an alternative to the industrial food chain which is now prevail in the US, the organic food chain emphasis that “nature rather than the machine should supply the proper model for agriculture” (Pollan 131). The idea of “organic” is best demonstrated by farms that raise diversified species in a traditional way and target at the local market. However, most of the “organic food” people consume today is produced from the “industrial organic” farms which belong to the industrial food chain instead of the ideal organic food

As a part of the American Marketing Service (AMS), the NOP was founded in 1939 and strives to develop “national standards for organically-produced agricultural products” (“National”). Their mission is to ensure goods with an organic seal are controlled and distributed as uniformly as possible, and they take every complaint with a heavy hand to keep irregularities to a minimum. In 1990, the USDA was instructed to “establish uniform national standards for organic food and farming, fixing the definition of a word that had always meant different things to different people” (Pollan 154). Since then the term organic has been manipulated and distorted by large companies in order to push their products to as big a market as possible, leaving consumers dazed and confused about the actual standards of the foods they were purchasing. Often times, the true meaning of the extravagant or misleading words on the packaging is hard to translate for the average consumer-organic being no different. The seal that dawns certified organic products provides no insight into the qualifications needed in order to receive that stamp nor is the USDA very forthcoming about the actual meaning of the word organic. Any retailer can slap an “organic” label on their product so long as “at least 95% of the farm-grown ingredients are organic and you sell direct to customers in

Planet Shrimp wants to use ‘clean’ shrimp as their main point of differentiation, highlighting their closed-loop aquaculture process that does not involve toxins and ensures environmental sustainability throughout. As consumers are continually concerned about knowing where their food comes from, the safety of their food and price point, Planet Shrimp should understand how to educate the public about the ‘clean’ shrimp movement (The Canadian Press, 2014a). To achieve this, Planet Shrimp must answer the question:

According to the National Park Traveler Agency, in 2012 they revisited the Organic Act and it is now in for revision. The National Park service is asking the questions; if the 1916 Organic Act able to handle the new challenges. There has been multiple debates over what is right and what needs to be looked at. The new threats that affect the world and its land and wildlife are getting more and more emanate. The threat of climate change that is looming over the world, the new industries going up and the more and more demand for resources is getting intense, the profound demographic shifts altering the complexion of the nation's populace. The Organic Act is stated more as like a “century-old law”

Once upon a time there was a woman whom we shall call Vanilla that loved the outside and everything natural. She ate granola, and was a vegetarian. She slept upon an organic latex mattress and every product in her property was as organic as they come. She preached organic to all of her nonbelieving friends, who had been somewhat receptive, however , not totally in love with the reasoning behind.

Due to individual interests, individuals reproduce with little concern for the increased demand on the commons. A single person with this mentality is not the problem, each individual relying on the others to make a change means that the collective interest of controlling population size is neglected. Hardin claims that the only nontechnical solution is the sacrifice of individual rights and preferences. According to Hardin, “Freedom in a commons brings ruins to all.” The freedom that Hardin is referring to is the right to breed. He believes that the inherent right to breed is flawed and that limitations need to be set and followed according to legislation. Therefore, a true solution is realized when the individual’s inherent right to breed is forfeited. Although Hardin’s belief in restricted breeding may be extreme, this frame of thought may be applied to the problem of cod stock depletion. Cod and marine life in general is considered a commons because the sea is freely accessible by all, and as a result it is difficult to establish property rights and assign ownership. It is clear that the interests of large fishing companies, small fisheries and independent fishermen constitute the individual interests, who hope that cod continue to be caught and sold. The collective interest in this case is that of the public, which desires a healthy ecology and a sustainable

Although organic foods are found in nearly every grocery store, the average person is unable to differentiate between organic and non-organic food products. Many consumers purchase organic products in the hopes of gaining positive health benefits. (Chhabra, Kolli, et al “Organically Grown Food Provides”) “The current demand for organic foods outstrips the domestic supply, causing retailers in the United States to import $2 billion worth of organic foods annually.” (Crandall, Seideman, et al. ”Organic poultry: Consumer perceptions”) In this paper, I want to define what it means for food to be organically produced, while also exploring the requirements necessary to deem a product ‘Organic”.

Sustainable farming strives to avoid the depletion of natural resources by opposing methods that rely heavily on petroleum products (gasoline, chemical fertilizers and pesticides) and/or exploited labor. Organic farming involves the strict adherence to three standards defined by the federal Organic Foods Production Act of 1990. The act includes the stipulation that farmers must be certified, continually increasing soil fertility and are prohibited from using synthetic pesticides and fertilizers ("Community Alliance with," 1997). Thus, sustainable agriculture involves a continuum, containing points where limited use of synthetic products may be acceptable to organic farming where none are used.