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Organic Food


Organic Food Grows in Popularity

Organic food used to be only available from small grocers or farmer's markets. Now almost every grocery store carries some form of organic food product. Organic food is grown without the use of chemical pesticides. The fertilizer used is not artificial. In the meat market, this means the animals were raised without growth hormones or many antibiotics. The organic food is all natural.


The production of organic food is monitored closely. There are strict guidelines set forth by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) which farmers must follow in order to label a product as organic. This means the extensive testing of the soil. The equipment used for growing the organic food is inspected. The processing plants for organic food products are closely monitored. Unless the farmer has organic certification they can not market the food as organic.

Growing organic food is better for the environment. Because there are no harsh chemicals involved in organic food production, the soil is less polluted. The water supplies have less chance of being contaminated by artificial fertilizers and other chemicals. The ecosystem on an organic food farm is extremely healthy. Through the use of natural farming instead of chemicals, each part of the ecosystem can thrive and be in balance.

One of the greatest benefits to eating organic food is the consumer is less exposed to residual pesticides. Most commercially grown produce will have a pesticide still on them when they reach the grocer's shelves. This can be dangerous to the consumer. Sneaking an unwashed grape or two can lead to serious health conditions if the grapes are still contaminated with pesticides.

It is important to know what our children are eating. Reports by the National Research Council state that most children are exposed to pesticides in the foods they eat. Choosing to feed the children organically grown fruits and vegetables can reduce this exposure. Certain pesticides have been proven to carry serious side affects. Much of the produce in America's markets come from other countries. The foreign farmers are not regulated by the same USDA standards as the American farmer. It is important to clean all produce thoroughly before use to ensure any pesticides are eliminated.

There is controversy in the agricultural industry when it comes to organic farming. Certain reports indicate that organic foods can not be produced as quickly as the commercially grown foods. This means there would be food shortages if every farmer were to 'grow green'. Yet others argue that the cost of production is much less on an organic food farm. The debate still continues.

 
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