Yoni Whitten, D.C., C.C.W.P
Organic foods have become a very hot topic recently. As more and more people begin to consider the impact the foods they eat are having on their own health and on that of the environment, organics are emerging as a natural solution to a number of concerns. Unfortunately, the term “organic” has been misused and abused to the point where many people are confused as to what they are actually purchasing. As such, some of us are left questioning whether or not there is a benefit to going out of our way to consume organic foods and if it is indeed worth the extra cost.
Regardless of the source, there is one incontrovertible fact about eating organic foods and that is: Consumption of organic foods reduces the amount of toxic chemical residues entering our body. By limiting the amount toxins entering our bodies, we reduce our total stress load and that alone improves our health. This fact in and of itself makes organics worth the money. Additionally, a number of scientific studies have demonstrated organic foods to be far superior in terms of nutrient density. One such study found that, on average, organic produce has about 20% more nutrients than its conventionally-grown counterpart. There have been studies that show no significant difference in nutrient content between conventional and organic produce but whether they do or not is irrelevant. The fact remains that the single greatest benefit to eating organic comes not from what’s in them, but rather from what’s not -- toxic chemicals.
In fact, in order to receive the status of "certified organic" food must be:
Organic farmers control weed growth with techniques like tillage, crop rotation, mulching, cover crops and even hand weeding, while conventional farmers chose to eliminate weeds by spraying crops with massive amounts of toxic chemical herbicides. Organic farmers refine and cultivate the soil with natural fertilizers which encourage the growth of health-promoting micro-organisms in the soil, whereas conventional farmers pollute the earth and our food by applying fossil fuel-derived and/or sewage-based chemical fertilizers in order to grow their crops. Organic farmers use natural methods such as insect predators and non-toxic barriers to eradicate harmful insects and disease, while conventional farmers use dangerous chemical pesticides and insecticides that kill virtually anything living in that soil and leave behind a harmful residue. Organically grown foods are free from these and other chemical residues, which are extremely destructive to both us and the environment.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 30% of insecticides, 60% of herbicides and 90% of fungicides are known carcinogens! The U.S. Superior Court must have been convinced of the dangers of these chemicals when they ordered American food giant Dole to pay over $3 million in punitive damages to six workers who were made sterile through interaction with pesticides used on the Dole plantations in November of 2007.
Other serious health conditions that have been attributed to the use of pesticides include:
The price we end up paying for our food extends far beyond the checkout stand and we cannot ignore the toll that conventional farming takes on the environment. Conventionally grown food typically travels over 1,500 miles from the farm to our plate. As bad as that sounds, researchers have determined that only 11% of a food’s environmental impact is derived from its transportation. The rest of that food’s environmental impact is almost entirely associated with the growth, processing, and packaging of foods, which in the case of conventional agriculture includes huge amounts of fossil fuel-derived fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides.
Organic farming not only removes those harmful elements from the equation but, newly published research is pointing to an even greater and more exciting environmental benefit of organic farming - “carbon sequestration”. Citing nearly 30 years of research, scientists from Cornell University, the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) and the Rodale Institute and have determined that healthy, microbe-rich soil bolstered by organic farming methods actually has the ability to pull large amounts of carbon dioxide (the most prevalent greenhouse gas) directly from the air. Unlike conventional farming, organic farming actively promotes the growth of microorganisms in the soil. These fungi and other living organisms, which are abundant in organic soils, naturally pull carbon from the air and store it in the soil where it is retained for decades.
They determined that one acre of organic cropland can remove approximately 7,000 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere each year. If we multiplied that by the 434 million acres of U.S. cropland, it would be the equivalent of eliminating 90% of all emissions from every car in the U.S. today. The most important vote we can cast is with the purchases we make, so buy organic and cast your vote in favor of health for you and for the planet.
Action Steps:
Increase your health and that of your family, by purchasing organic fruits and vegetables and free-range, grass-fed animal products.
Remember:
References:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/11/16/business/main3512301.shtml
http://newszealand.blogspot.com/2009/03/miles-minor-element-of-carbon-footprint.html
http://www.ucsusa.org/food_and_agriculture/science_and_impacts/impacts_industrial_agriculture/they-eat-what-the-reality-of.html
http://www.worldwatch.org/node/827