For example, she lists some of the regulations from a food trade organization called Codex Alimentarius, whose purpose is to regulate fair trade both nationally and internationally and ensure the health of consumers. The Codex standards that are stated show that this organization does not follow its purpose, but does the exact opposite. According to natural news.com, “All food (including organic) is to be irradiated, removing all toxic nutrients from food (unless eaten locally and raw.” This is just one of the rules listed; the rest follow in a similar matter. Because farmers have to follow all these specific regulations and procedures, they find themselves paying ridiculous fees to get the “certified organic” label.
He used the average household income of local African farmers as an example of the ineffectiveness of organic agriculture; however, his views have created a number of opponents to his ideas. For example, Ann Lappe, author of “Diet for a Hot Planet” had this to say, “Paarlberg doesn’t get what it means to be organic. Organic farming isn’t just about not using chemicals. Organic farmers improve output by tapping a sophisticated understanding of biological systems to build soil fertility and manage pests and weeds through techniques that include double-dug beds, intercropping, composting, manures, cover crops, crop sequencing, and natural pest control. It could be aptly dubbed ‘knowledge-intensive’ farming.”
I originally thought about the word organic as fruits and vegetables picked freshly from the branches of a tree and packaged into stores and chickens wandering large fields, I realize that it is not that simple. Michael Pollan traced some of his organic purchases back to their sources and discovers that there are organic feedlots, organic dairy cows whose lives are not any nicer than the conventional, and organic “free-range” chickens whose only access to the outside world is a small door in their shed, which is only open for about two weeks. “The organic movement, as it was once called, has come a remarkably long way in the last thirty years, to the point where it now looks considerably less like a movement than a big business” (Pollan 138). My thoughts now on organic foods at supermarkets such as Wegmans and Walmart is that the animals aren’t treated as great as conventional foods. I’ve realized that the extra cost of organic that I pay is largely because of the transportation.
Shoppers might object, claiming they do not have the means to pay for organic, ecological or culturally available food. They might point out some organic food is more expensive like milk, a staple to our diet. If a shopper bought one gallon of organic milk for $5.99 at Trader Joe’s, a popular Whole Foods chain store, each week for a year instead of a gallon of regular milk for $1.98 at Kwik Trip, a local gas station, they would be spending $208.52 more a year on milk alone. Although I understand that it can be a little more expensive, I still maintain that there are ways to make shopping in a more healthy way, cheaper. To starting with, we could purchase in-season produce because out-of-season is more expensive, due to shipping and storage costs.
First of all, Pollan states just because it says it's organic doesn't mean it really is. If you buy an “organic” salad at your local grocery store, farmers will still use pesticides to keep bugs away and other animals. The chemicals they use are all natural, but it's not truly organic if you use pesticides or other chemicals. In The Omnivore’s Dilemma Pollan says, “Instead of toxic pesticides, crops are sprayed with natural substances, like BT, a pesticide made from a common soil bacteria” (140.) This quote proves that big organic industrial companies use pesticides to help produce grow.
Her first detail about this point is that these farm nurture more than regular ones. Organic farms also do not run the risk of harming wildlife or humans. Farms that aren’t organic can kill wildlife with the harmful chemicals and if those chemicals get into the water they could poison the water supply and possibly but humans in danger. Organic farms let off less carbon dioxide and don’t cause global warming to happen as quickly as normal ones. They also are much better for the soil.
Many people choose to eat only organic because it’s said to be healthier but when compared to non-organic food the difference is slim. Regardless people continue to buy organic products. People get emotionally connected to
Just because the animal is fed organic grains constitutes them labeling it as organic. Most people do not know this. Another organic item he mentions is chicken. These chickens are labeled as free-range chickens. In my mind free-range means the chickens can walk around freely and are not in cages.
This is a choice between providing consumers with pesticide-free food products versus pesticide-laden processed food products. Industrial food production started in 1947 when the chemical industry decided to shift their focus away from war-time technology to more peaceful applications, one of which was creating chemical fertilizers to help farmers in raising their crops. It was advertised that the synthetic fertilizers would allow farmers increase the fertility of their soil without the need
Also had doubts that organic would help. As Sanchez begins his journey to live a month organically, realizes the obstacle that comes with organic. Purchasing organic clothing was difficult to accomplish since the demand for organic clothing was not high. In the other hand organic food has been easier to access because majority of large
Don’t even get me started on the American food industry! The american food industry is one of the only food industries in the whole wide world that favors money over the health of its citizens. The food that most Americans eat is processed crap, if you can even call it food! How many of you have eaten popcorn, chips, candy, or crackers in the last week? The amount of chemicals in the food we eat as a country on a daily basis is freaking ridiculous.
This type of organic food that is popular among many people is produced on organic farms. Farms belonging to this group foster recycling, speak for promotion of ecological balance concept and represent the direction of conserving environment. The process of growing organic food implies refusal from use of synthetic pesticides as well as other chemical stuff that increases fertility. According to the Food Marketing Institute, “Organic livestock must have access to the outdoors and be given no antibiotics or growth hormones” (Natural And Organic Foods).
Is healthy food is more expensive than unhealthy food the problem Is the people tend to go towards the unhealthy it’s easier more convenient and processed food sometimes can be a bit cheaper. In a study that shows that eating healthy is it really that expensive maybe it takes a little more time to prep your meals but it’s worth it at the end. ”swapping out some of these less expensive, and less healthy foods, for fresher and more nutritious ones added up to only about $1.50 more per day. ”-Alexandra Sifferlin.
The concept of food has undergone a radical transformation in recent years. Before food was consumed mainly to satisfy hunger and to provide enough nutrients whereas nowadays food is intended to prevent nutrition-related diseases and improve the physical as well as the mental well-being of consumers (Wholefoods Market, n.d.). Thus, organic food has become very popular. Organic food refers to the way agricultural products are grown and processed. Although organic regulations differ by country, different countries have different regulations regarding organic food, but organic food must be grown without the use of toxic and persistent pesticides (Robinson, Segal, & Segal, 2017).
Organic exports are sold at impressive premiums, often at prices 20% higher than the same products produced on non-organic farms. Under the right circumstances the market returns from organic agriculture can potentially contribute to local food security by increasing family incomes. Entering this lucrative market is not easy. Farmers require hiring an organic certification organization to annually inspect and confirm that their farms and businesses adhere to the organic standards established by various trading partners. During the conversion period to organic management, which lasts 2 to 3 years, farmers cannot sell their produce as “organic” and thus, tap price premiums.
