Organic Food: Is It Really Better? Essay

Ameri rouses usuall(a)y do not think about what they eat. We do not ac spotledge whether it is local anaestheticly make grown, sustainably raised, grass-fed, and free-range or pesticide free. Ameri fecal matters fail to all overhear the negative effects from the harmful pesticides, hormones, dyes and preservatives that ar in our solid victuals. Conventional foods be produce that is grown with the hold of many harsh chemicals before it is give into a supermarket. (The food we eat accomplishedly was meant to help us elimin take healthier lives, but it rattling harms us.)Many tribe believe that in that location is little nutritional dispute between constitutive(a) and accomplished food but it is not about the nutritional value. It is a matter of what the unoriginal foods contain. Even though original food is hard to find and much expensive than formal food, it is also much safer and healthier. If everyone transitions and commits to eating fundamentalally, we can countermand and overcome conventional farming and its negative effects. Nearly forty part of the orbs agricultural territory has degraded.The sum of arable land is decreasing nationally and worldwide beca utilisation toxic pesticides and herbicides ar polluting our pushover, soil and ground weewee. crap productivity has decreased because of wind and water erosion of the topsoil. This causes loss of total matter in the soil, a decrease in water guardianship capacity and biological activity. Fossil dismisss play a huge contribution in producing food as well. Industrial farming has farming machinery and petroleum-based chemicals that demand huge amounts of fossil fuels, which deplete the soil of its nutrients.The ratio for fossil fuel energy needed for beef production is 35 to 1 as well as 3 to 1 for all other agricultural products. Modern agricultural methods cause aquifers to dry out, pollinators much(prenominal) as bees be dying and the climate is getting hotter and drier (Schiffman, In Defense of thoroughgoing Farming). According to the EPA, the water runoff from conventional farms exceeds the legal boundary for treat concentrations in drinking water comp bed with entire farms that do not use chemical pesticides.The excess nit calculate exposure can cause respiratory conditions, thyroid disorders and cancer (Greenfield, The natural fertiliser Advantage). Princeton University states that only when one pct of the pesticides actually targets the pests and that in fact, 99 share affect the environment and contaminate our reinvigorated groundwater that is used for drinking. The harmful chemicals in pesticides that enter our water system dash many categorys for it to be eliminated from our drinking water. ingrained farming practices use less energy and are designed to benefit the environment by reducing pollution and conserving water and soil quality and use methods to grow food that support sustainability. Pesticides and fertilizers ar e to a greater extent(prenominal) harmful than helpful for the crops. The pesticides that conventional farms use also contribute to the resistance that insects and pests develop. They are constantly growth new tactics to invade the produce, which then leads to the conventional farmers use of stronger chemicals. animal(prenominal) manure, compost and green manure are used as indwelling fertilizers.It nourishes the soil al confuseding crops to survive during drought periods. It also helps preserve our artificial satellite and farmland especially for the future generations to come. Farming organically generously promotes biodiversity. Biodiversity in organic food means that there is a greater quantity and variety. Generally, the much biodiversity there is on a farm encourages stability ( complete Agriculture). Research at the Rodale Institute has shown that organic methods can remove up to 7,000 pounds of carbon dioxide from the air yearly.As follows, Rodale estimates that if al l 434 million acres of U. S. cropland were converted to organic practices, it would be the same as removing 217 million cars, which is nearly 88 percent of all cars in the country and more(prenominal) than one-third of all the automobiles in the world (LaSalle and Hepperly, Regenerative complete Farming). Removing this great amount of carbon dioxide from our oxygen will more and more benefit our environment. There are many significant differences between organic and conventional food products. According to the U. S.Department of Agriculture, fruits and vegetables are labeled organic if it has no pesticides, familial modifications, growth hormones, artificial fertilizers or irradiation. Most conventional food products include a variety of these methods. Conventional food products are the exact opposite. All types of organic foods only represent three percent of the total American market and imply that we should support the production of organic foods (Kluger, Whats So Great sligh tly organic fertiliser viands). The prices of organic food products seem to be the main issue of why people elect not to buy it.Organic fruits and vegetables cost from 13 to 34 cents more than ordinary conventional produce (Kluger, Whats So Great About Organic Food). Milk labeled hormone-free costs as well as antibiotic free is six dollars a gallon, whereas grocery store milk is 3. 50 dollars a gallon. The main reasons that organic foods are costly are because it requires abstaining from the use of chemicals the demand overrides the supply, the producing methods and the necessity to obtain organic affidavit (Organic Agriculture). No chemicals means more labor.Without chemicals and the use of synthetic pesticides farmers receive to hire more laborers to complete jobs such as hand takeing, cleaning polluted water and recovering from pesticide contaminations from former land owners. The USDA claims that Americans prefer organic over nonorganic, but there is only little farmland t o fulfill these requests. Organic farmers use crop rotation as an alternative to chemical weed killers to keep the soil healthy and the prevention of weed growth. This method does not allow crops to be produced in larger quantities. Acquiring Organic certification can be very expensive.Organic farms are required to return a mandatory inspection fee annually to be organically certified. Inspection costs usually range from 400 dollars to 2000 dollars every year (Organic Agriculture). The indicated costs would be easy to pay for if more people support organic farming. One of the many reasons for our health issues is because of the way in which pith producers treat our animals. Organically farmed animals are raised without harmful chemicals, growth hormones or antibiotics. Cows, chicken and pigs are retaining most of the pesticides that they ingest.These animals eat produce that contains pesticides causing it to be stored in their tissues and fat. When we eat these animals, the pestic ides are being transferred into our bodies. Inorganic meat, fish, dairy and nut are the main source of environmental pollution. It contributes to almost 95 percent of toxic residues into our everyday diet. Battery caged hens live in small cages that only allow minimum movement. Few birds survive this because it compromises its immune systems, which also affixs the uses of antibiotics and vaccines.Organic Farmers protect and provide homes for wildlife. Animals on organic farms are raised and do by in a much more humane environment than inorganic farmers. Most of these conventional animals are caged, grain-fed and are treated with cruelty. Grass-fed and free-range animals have less fat than grain-fed animals and have high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids as well as omega-6, which is believed to reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease and arthritis and increases cognitive function (Kluger, Whats So Great About Organic Food). These vitamins are essential in our daily American diet.Our diet is considered to be cleanup position the planet and us Americans. In 2010, The Center for Disease Control and legal profession released that nearly 27 percent of Americans are considered obese and the obesity rate tops 30 percent in nine states. Every American eats 220 pounds of meat a year and only 14 percent consume the recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Most serve welled foods are vestal with salt and high fructose corn syrup, which are the two flavors that we know and love (Kluger, Whats So Great About Organic Food).The creation should be very concern with the long-term health effects that conventional produce has on us. There are 450 percent more chemicals in conventional produce than organic produce. Many studies have shown that pesticides link to health issues including cancer, birth defects and nervous system damage which depend on factors such as pesticide toxicity, the level of exposure and the persons age and genetic susceptibility (Krame r). A study from Dr.Langrin, a food observer, shows that people who ate conventional food, then switched to organic food showed an 85 to 90 percent decrease in pesticide levels in their bodies. When they began eating conventional food again, their pesticide levels change magnitude greatly (Zerbe, Organic Foods). This study showed that there was a significant difference in the amount of pesticides in inorganic food than organic food. Children and infants benefit tremendously from organic food. It aids in their development and their overall health.By the time most children reach the age of two, they obtain the lethal limit for toxins in their bodies. Feeding children organic food will decrease this amount and they will only have one-sixth of the amount of carcinogens in their melody causing the risk of illnesses to decrease significantly. Children and fetuses with high levels of pesticide intake are more vulnerable to this chemical than adults because of their less-developed immune systems and their bodies and brains are still in the process of development (capital of Minnesota, Kemp, Segal, Organic Foods).They are not able to metabolize and profane down the chemicals from the pesticides, therefore causing their body to absorb the chemical and fashioning them less able to filter it out of their bodies. They are twice as likely to have developmental delays behavioral disorders such as minimal brain dysfunction and motor dysfunction. Also, Women who do not consume organic food enchantment they are pregnant, give birth to children that will subsequently have low IQ scores (Greenfield, The Organic Advantage). Adults are not the only people who suffer, but unborn children and infants as well.Choosing the organic lifestyle will increase your lifespan, allow you to live healthier and will benefit the environment and our planet overall. Organic food can be purchased at some local supermarkets and many farmers markets or private organic stores. By supporting organi c farming, we will eliminate chemicals caused from conventional farming out of our air, soil, water, food and our bodies. We can take precautionary measures to protect and preserve the future generations to come by doing so.As most Americans eat conventionally, changing to an organic lifestyle can give you a sense of comfort knowing that your food is purely nutritious and cannot harm you. If we Americans start eating organically now, we can be sure that in the future there will only be a few conventional farms left on our planet. Works Cited Greenfield, Paige. The Organic Advantage. (2013).Web. 14 Nov. 2013. Kluger, Jeffrey. Whats So Great About Organic Food?. (2010). Web. 14 Nov. 2013. Kramer, Leslie. Worth Going Organic. Positive Thinking (2008) Web. 14 Nov. 2013. LaSalle, Tim J., and Paul Hepperly. Regenerative Organic Farming A Solution to Global Warming. 2008. Web. 15 Nov. 2013. Organic Foods Are They Safer? More Nutritious? whitethorno Clinic. Mayo Foundation for checkup Education and Research, 07 Sept. 2012. Web. 14 Nov. 2013. Organic Agriculture What Are the Environmental Benefits of Organic Agriculture? N. p. , n. d. Web. 16 Nov. 2013. Paul, Maya W. , Gina Kemp, and Robert Segal. Organic Foods. Understanding Organic Food Labels, Benefits, and Claims. May 2013. Web. 14 Nov. 2013. Schiffman, Richard. In Defense Of Organic Farming. Web. 14 Nov. 2013.