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Shapin's Essay What Are You Buying When You Buy Organic Foods?

1000 Words4 Pages

With a rising demand for “organic” natural and unprocessed foods, it is expected that big companies see it as an opportunity for profit. Small farms are at a disadvantage with the inability to produce such a large supply for the demand. A giant industries demands can only be fueled by another giant industry rather than by competing small farms. Understanding this dynamic between farm and table can only help further our understanding of what it means to be “organic”. For these large providers, success is the only goal. This begs the question, how does an industry focus on profit tailored to the demand for “organic” foods? These are the question posed in Steven Shapin’s essay What are you buying when you buy Organic? With continued growth in …show more content…

While these large farms advertise that their food is grown straight from the ground, it still may contain antibiotics, preservatives and other such harsh chemicals. Ideally it detrimental for organic products to be shipped long distances this is why many problems arise when it comes to providing “local” foods. These large providers have now become an industry and as a result, will cut corners to save costs. Super farms still function as any other large business …show more content…

The drive for “organic” foods is motivated by several reasons including the environment. Still, others may believe that anything “organic” increases healthiness. Yet scientific evidence shows that preservatives found in a food show a little risk of danger when consumed. “Scientific evidence for the risks of such residues is iffy, as it is, too, for the benefits of the macronutrients that are said to be more plentiful in an “organic” carrot its conventional counterpart.”(Shapin, 432). Shapin goes on to say that many people are led to believe that foods that are labeled as “organic” mean an increase in nutrition. (Shapin, 432) If foods were properly labeled as “organic” then people would be right in thinking that the products they purchase are free of pesticides and other such harmful chemicals. However, this is simply not the

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