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Published: October 13, 2006
When you are at your next dinner party, casually mention your penchant for exclusively purchasing organic foods and watch the responses – odds are they will be as polarized as the Energizer Bunny himself. Some are bound to raise their glass and toast you as a progressive genius; others may turn and run as fast as they can, trying to avoid the latest incarnation of the neo-hippie.
Whatever their reaction, nothing can change the organic farming industry’s rising popularity.
Organic food is produced naturally on all levels. Corn crops are not sprayed with pesticides; chickens are not injected with growth hormones and are allowed to roam freely as they grow; and fertilizers are not dumped on wheat fields to stimulate growth. Essentially, organic farming amounts to farming without the use of artificial enhancing pesticides, fertilizers, hormones or additives.
Historically, organic foods have only been available at specialty grocery stores or farmers' markets. But the availability of organic foods has increased drastically over the past 10 years. Today, most major supermarkets offer a section devoted exclusively to organic products.
Nutritionally speaking, a primarily organic diet will do more for you than just allow you to eat your apple with a natural peace of mind. According to a journal written by the Association of Primary Care Groups and Trusts in 2004, a diet heavy in organic foods will lower the amount of toxic chemicals and food additives ingested; completely eliminate consumption of genetically modified organisms (GMO); increase the amount of beneficial vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids and antioxidants extracted from the food consumed; and potentially reduce the chances for developing cancer, coronary heart disease, allergies and hyperactivity. European studies also have demonstrated a link between conventional foods and decreasing male fertility rates.
Studies in other parts of the world have arrived at similar conclusions. Research from the Organic Retailers and Growers Association of Australia (ORGAA) reached a bold conclusion stating the mineral content of fruits and vegetables grown in conventional fashion is ten times less than its organic food counterparts.
Conventional foods also can disrupt the body of absorption, assimilation and elimination forming the backbone of good health. These synthetic foods destroy the natural, cyclical processes organic foods aid, leaving the body prone to disease and malfunction.
So why has it taken so long for the general public to switch to an organic diet? Even though world organic food sales topped U.S. $23 billion in 2002, many people find organic food to be elitist and unaffordable for the common consumer. Organic foods are more expensive and lack the protective chemical elements which greatly diminish preservation time. While you surely will pay more for an organic banana, organic advocates argue the long-term benefits of such a purchase outweigh the immediate cost increase.
Environmentally speaking, organic farming has a greater potential for producing a sustainable yield – one which will not tax the earth to the point of no return. And based on the growing popularity of organic food, those who produce organic products will win over time as well.
Critics also argue the toxicity on conventional foods has no effect on a consumer. Though this point is hotly contested, it remains perfectly valid until enough conclusive evidence to the contrary emerges. Furthermore, these critics point out that even organically-raised fruits will still contain traces of chemical residues.
Some people call into question the nature of the organic industry. Began as a movement for small farmers to reject the ways of bullying big businesses, organic farming has exploded to the point where big businesses themselves have entered into the organic fray. If this trend continues – as all indications seem to suggest it will – people worry the idea of organic will not come to mean the same thing it once did.
Wherever you stand on the organic debate, the nutritional content of natural, whole foods cannot be ignored. Our ancestors subsisted for thousands of years on food coming straight from the earth. Why can't we?
Sources:
The Global Market for Organic Food and Drink. Organic Monitor. July 2003. 10 October 2006. <http://www.organicmonitor.com/700140.htm.>< br />Goswami, Kanika. Whole Foods Diet. Buzzle.com editorial.16 October 2004. 11 October 2006. <http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/10-16-2004-60 518.asp.>
Organic foods in relation to nutrition and health key facts. Medical News Today. 11 July 2004. 11 October 2006. <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.ph p?newsid=10587.>
Some Nutritional Benefits of Organic Food. Organic Connection. 11 October 2006. <http://www.organicconnection.net/nutritional.h tml.>
Organic food is produced naturally on all levels. Corn crops are not sprayed with pesticides; chickens are not injected with growth hormones and are allowed to roam freely as they grow; and fertilizers are not dumped on wheat fields to stimulate growth. Essentially, organic farming amounts to farming without the use of artificial enhancing pesticides, fertilizers, hormones or additives.
Historically, organic foods have only been available at specialty grocery stores or farmers' markets. But the availability of organic foods has increased drastically over the past 10 years. Today, most major supermarkets offer a section devoted exclusively to organic products.
Nutritionally speaking, a primarily organic diet will do more for you than just allow you to eat your apple with a natural peace of mind. According to a journal written by the Association of Primary Care Groups and Trusts in 2004, a diet heavy in organic foods will lower the amount of toxic chemicals and food additives ingested; completely eliminate consumption of genetically modified organisms (GMO); increase the amount of beneficial vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids and antioxidants extracted from the food consumed; and potentially reduce the chances for developing cancer, coronary heart disease, allergies and hyperactivity. European studies also have demonstrated a link between conventional foods and decreasing male fertility rates.
Studies in other parts of the world have arrived at similar conclusions. Research from the Organic Retailers and Growers Association of Australia (ORGAA) reached a bold conclusion stating the mineral content of fruits and vegetables grown in conventional fashion is ten times less than its organic food counterparts.
Conventional foods also can disrupt the body of absorption, assimilation and elimination forming the backbone of good health. These synthetic foods destroy the natural, cyclical processes organic foods aid, leaving the body prone to disease and malfunction.
So why has it taken so long for the general public to switch to an organic diet? Even though world organic food sales topped U.S. $23 billion in 2002, many people find organic food to be elitist and unaffordable for the common consumer. Organic foods are more expensive and lack the protective chemical elements which greatly diminish preservation time. While you surely will pay more for an organic banana, organic advocates argue the long-term benefits of such a purchase outweigh the immediate cost increase.
Environmentally speaking, organic farming has a greater potential for producing a sustainable yield – one which will not tax the earth to the point of no return. And based on the growing popularity of organic food, those who produce organic products will win over time as well.
Critics also argue the toxicity on conventional foods has no effect on a consumer. Though this point is hotly contested, it remains perfectly valid until enough conclusive evidence to the contrary emerges. Furthermore, these critics point out that even organically-raised fruits will still contain traces of chemical residues.
Some people call into question the nature of the organic industry. Began as a movement for small farmers to reject the ways of bullying big businesses, organic farming has exploded to the point where big businesses themselves have entered into the organic fray. If this trend continues – as all indications seem to suggest it will – people worry the idea of organic will not come to mean the same thing it once did.
Wherever you stand on the organic debate, the nutritional content of natural, whole foods cannot be ignored. Our ancestors subsisted for thousands of years on food coming straight from the earth. Why can't we?
Sources:
The Global Market for Organic Food and Drink. Organic Monitor. July 2003. 10 October 2006. <http://www.organicmonitor.com/700140.htm.>< br />Goswami, Kanika. Whole Foods Diet. Buzzle.com editorial.16 October 2004. 11 October 2006. <http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/10-16-2004-60 518.asp.>
Organic foods in relation to nutrition and health key facts. Medical News Today. 11 July 2004. 11 October 2006. <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.ph p?newsid=10587.>
Some Nutritional Benefits of Organic Food. Organic Connection. 11 October 2006. <http://www.organicconnection.net/nutritional.h tml.>
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