Organic Food: Is It Really Better? Essay

Americans usually do not think about what they eat. We do not acknowledge whether it is locally grown, sustainably raised, grass-fed, and free-range or pesticide free. Americans fail to realize the negative effects from the harmful pesticides, hormones, dyes and preservatives that are in our food. Conventional foods are produce that is grown with the use of many harsh chemicals before it is put into a supermarket. (The food we eat conventionally was meant to help us lead healthier lives, but it actually harms us.) Many people believe that there is little nutritional difference between organic and conventional food but it is not about the nutritional value. It is a matter of what the conventional foods contain. Even though organic food is hard to find and more expensive than conventional food, it is also much safer and healthier. If everyone transitions and commits to eating organically, we can override and overcome conventional farming and its negative effects. Nearly forty percent of the world’s agricultural land has degraded. The amount of arable land is decreasing nationally and worldwide because toxic pesticides and herbicides are polluting our air, soil and groundwater. Soil productivity has decreased because of wind and water erosion of the topsoil. This causes loss of organic matter in the soil, a decrease in water holding capacity and biological activity. Fossil fuels play a huge role in producing food as well. Industrial farming has farming machinery and petroleum-based chemicals that require 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 such as bees are dying and the climate is getting hotter and drier (Schiffman, In Defense of Organic Farming). According to the EPA, the water runoff from conventional farms exceeds the legal limit for nitrate concentrations in drinking water compared with organic farms that do not use chemical pesticides. The excess nitrate exposure can cause respiratory conditions, thyroid disorders and cancer (Greenfield, The Organic Advantage). Princeton University states that only one percent of the pesticides actually targets the pests and that in fact, 99 percent affect the environment and contaminate our fresh groundwater that is used for drinking. The harmful chemicals in pesticides that enter our water system take many years for it to be eliminated from our drinking water. Organic 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 are more 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 developing new tactics to invade the produce, which then leads to the conventional farmers’ use of stronger chemicals. Animal manure, compost and green manure are used as natural fertilizers. It nourishes the soil allowing crops to survive during drought periods. It also helps preserve our planet 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 more biodiversity there is on a farm encourages stability (Organic 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 all 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 than one-third of all the automobiles in the world (LaSalle and Hepperly, Regenerative Organic Farming). Removing this great amount of carbon dioxide from our oxygen will increasingly 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, genetic 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, What’s So Great About Organic Food). The prices of organic food products seem to be the main issue of why people prefer not to buy it. Organic fruits and vegetables cost from 13 to 34 cents more than ordinary conventional produce (Kluger, What’s 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 certification (Organic Agriculture). No chemicals means more labor. Without chemicals and the use of synthetic pesticides farmers have to hire more laborers to complete jobs such as hand weeding, 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 to 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 pay 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 supported organic farming. One of the many reasons for our health issues is because of the way in which meat 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 pesticides are being transferred into our bodies. Inorganic meat, fish, dairy and eggs 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 increases the uses of antibiotics and vaccines. Organic Farmers protect and provide homes for wildlife. Animals on organic farms are raised and treated 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, What’s So Great About Organic Food). These vitamins are essential in our daily American diet. Our diet is considered to be â€Å"killing† the planet and us Americans. In 2010, The Center for Disease Control and Prevention 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 processed foods are saturated with salt and high fructose corn syrup, which are the two flavors that we know and love (Kluger, What’s So Great About Organic Food). The population 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 person’s age and genetic susceptibility (Kramer). 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 increased 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 blood 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 (Paul, Kemp, Segal, Organic Foods). They are not able to metabolize and break down the chemicals from the pesticides, therefore causing their body to absorb the chemical and making them less able to filter it out of their bodies. They are twice as likely to have developmental delays behavioral disorders such as ADHD and motor dysfunction. Also, Women who do not consume organic food while 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 organic 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 strictly 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. â€Å"The Organic Advantage. â€Å"(2013). Web. 14 Nov. 2013. Kluger, Jeffrey. â€Å"What’s So Great About Organic Food?. † (2010). Web. 14 Nov. 2013. Kramer, Leslie. â€Å"Worth Going Organic. † Positive Thinking (2008) Web. 14 Nov. 2013. LaSalle, Tim J., and Paul Hepperly. â€Å"Regenerative Organic Farming: A Solution to Global Warming. † 2008. Web. 15 Nov. 2013. â€Å"Organic Foods: Are They Safer? More Nutritious? † Mayo Clinic. Mayo Foundation for Medical 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. â€Å"Organic Foods. † Understanding Organic Food Labels, Benefits, and Claims. May 2013. Web. 14 Nov. 2013. Schiffman, Richard. â€Å"In Defense Of Organic Farming. † Web. 14 Nov. 2013.