Introduction:
Researching organic foods and whether they are better than conventional and genetically modified foods. What does the term “Organic” mean?
It simply means that the produce is grown without the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilisers, genetic modification or ionising radiation.
With animals it means that those animals do not ingest any grown hormones or antibiotics.
Organic foods are produced by organic farmers who emphasise the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to promote environmental quality for future generations.
Before any food can be called “organic” a government-approved certifier inspects the farm where the products are grown or produces to ensure that the farmer is following all necessary
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However the natural toxins that organic plants produce to rid itself of pests could also be harmful to people, other concerns are that the manure used to fertilise organic crops could cause contamination leading to diseases such as E. coli.
However there is little evidence that organic crops contain any form of contamination as they are tested and certified. Advantages and disadvantages of organic foods:
Advantages:
1. Organic foods help prevent certain diseases such as strokes, cancer and other heart diseases since research has shown that organic produce contains approximately 40% more anti-oxidants than non-organic produce.
2. Organically producing foods helps prevent environmental pollution since no chemicals that cause environmental damage are used in producing organic foods.
3. Organic farming helps conserve water and the soil.
4. Organic foods have good taste and increased nutritious value comparing to conventional foods.
5. Organic foods have a better effect on animal reproduction than conventional foods (which could cause infertility due to the chemicals in the food).
6. Organic foods help control or even lose unnecessary body
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Organic foods do not last as long as conventional of GM foods as they do not contain preservatives.
3. There is a limited supply of organic foods in some areas.
Differences between Organic, Conventional and Genetically Modified foods:
Organic Foods Conventional Foods GM Foods
Produced without any pesticides, synthetic fertilisers or growth hormones. Produced using pesticides, synthetic fertilisers and growth hormones. Genetically modified to survive without the use of pesticides etc.
Does not last very long as no preservatives are used. Preservatives are used to keep the product “fresh” for longer. The product is genetically modified to remain fresh for a longer period of time without the use of preservatives.
The nutritional value is higher than that of conventional foods. Nutritional value could be affected by the use of pesticides. The nutrients in the product can be genetically modified, i.e. nutrients added or removed.
The crop yields are smaller as no pesticides are used to get rid of pests. Large crop yields since pests are dealt with using pesticides. Large crop yields as plants are genetically modified to survive against pests and sometimes other types of plants are formed
If everything went completely organic, there would be no possible way to sustain our growing society. A farmer from the film, Food Inc., which is a documentary on the take-over of chemically processed foods in the grocery stores today, had a similar exaggerated view to William Speed: “We have allowed ourselves to become so disconnected and ignorant about something that is as intimate as the food that we eat.” (Food Inc.) To an extent, as a people, America has lost
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.
Organic is always associated with chemical-free production. However, does the word “Organic” on a label mean the product is indeed organic? Eliot Coleman in his article, “Beyond Organic”, published in December/January 2002 in the “Mother Earth News” magazine, claims that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has become a threat to the organic farmers. Coleman starts to grab readers’ attention with his personal experience, providing strong facts about organic food, and applying some emotional appeals; however, his audience is only convincing for organic farmers but not strong enough to convince the ordinary organic consumers.
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.
Catherine tells the reader that organic food could produce plenty of food for the whole world. She says “when the same products are grown, organic yields are 8% to 19% lower on average than conventional farming yields... We currently grow far more food than is necessary.” (COFFtW).
Another example is of a genetically modified tomato called flavor saver. The tomato is larger, tastier, and stays fresher longer than commercial tomatoes on the market. Combining conventional tomato genes with the genes of an arctic trout produces the flavor savor. Nevertheless, questions such as “Will people with seafood allergies be able to consume the tomato?” and “Will the trout genes in the tomato enable new bacteria growth, and thereby make the tomato hazardous to eat?” have still not been answered.
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.
grown on large industrial farms but with only natural fertilizers, and natural bug and weed control.” as said on page 5 of The Omnivore’s Dilemma. Industrial Organic foods can come in many shapes and sizes, but a timeless example of a company that has been selling organic TV Dinners would be Cascadian which has been selling processed organic food for many years now. One of the foods they sell food is organic, but is still considered industrial are TV Dinners which do include organic foods, but are quick and easy to serve which is considered to be the food making process of Industrial food which prevent Industrial Organic foods from beings truly
The Industrial Organic Meal is good for you because it doesn’t use chemicals & contains more nutrients. In Michael Pollan’s book Omnivore's Dilemma on page 136 he says, “To grow the plants and animals that made up my meal, no pesticides found their way into any farmworker’s bloodstream, no nitrogen runoff seeped into the watershed, no soils were poisoned, no antibiotics were wasted, no government subsidy checks were written.” This quotes proves that the Industrial Organic meal is healthy for you & it’s healthy for you because no bad chemicals makes its way into the food you will be eating . The Industrial Organic meal is also healthy for you because it contains nutrients. In the Article Health Benefits of Organic Food the author writes, “Organic food growers & dairy farmers do not use any antibiotics in their process.”
Genetically modified foods, also known as genetically modified organisms are biologically altered foods. Scientists put a desired gene from one plant, animal, or organism into another plant, in the hope that more crops are grown and have resistance to disease, drought, and pesticides. You likely have several items in your kitchen that are genetically modified that you don’t even know about. According to Livestrong.com, more than 88% of all soy, corn, squash, and cotton plants grown in the U.S. are genetically modified. Animal products like eggs, meat, and milk contain genetically modified foods, because the food fed to livestock is usually genetically modified.
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
According to a State of Science Review done in 2008, organic food is more nutritious than inorganic as there are no chemicals or additives going into your body. This means less risk of disease and illness and overall better health, which will be cheaper in the long run as you will save money on health care costs. People with illnesses like Cancer and diabetes, claim that there is a definite improvement in their health after changing their diet to organic
What is also speaking for consumption of organic food is the fact that this kind of foods does not contain genetically modified organisms, which is nowadays an important concern for many people who would like to stay healthy for longer. The organic food appeared as a result of Green
Well, I have a good interest in food so that is why I chose to write about the agriculture and the history of organic foods. Most food today is organic. Bananas which are organic protects the rainforest. What is a organic banana. It’s followed by a couple of rules that a normal company
ADVANTAGES OF GM FOODS World population is increasing day by day which implies scarcity of food will be the major challenge that the world will be facing in the future. Genetically modified foods can meet this rising need. 1)STRONG GROWTH: GMO is typically designed to have a faster growth. It can be grown in any harsh environment; each seed is improved to be stronger and can withstand herbicides and pesticides.