ORGANIC FOOD C1

Organic food is the umbrella term for agricultural, meat, and dairy products that are grown using
natural methods under controlled circumstances.

Organic foods are now commonly available in supermarkets or at farmers’ markets after its increase
in demand because of their health and environmental benefits. Organic farming is now being seen as
profitable as many farms are following suit and producing organically. Here the regulatory authority
provides certificates to farms based upon their production methods, which are checked against a set
standard.

The growth of the market for organic foods is due to its growing popularity among consumers who
believe in its superior health benefits and environmental benefits. To get that sense of security of
safe and healthy food, consumers are now willing to spend more money on it. The increased price
but then limits the affordability only. Also, the popularity of organic foods is higher among wealthy
individuals who can afford them easily.

Organic foods also translate to animal welfare, where they are subject to humane treatment. They
are not given any antibiotics or growth hormones but are instead grown naturally and in clean
conditions. Organic farming also has some environmental benefits. It prevents soil erosion, uses less
water, reduces pollution, increases soil fertility, and uses less energy.

According to studies, organically produced meat and milk has better nutritional value than
conventionally raised ones, due to their better feed and better living conditions. Also, organic
farming is free from any genetic modification or use of genetic engineering to make them resistant to
pesticides. Organic foods do not use preservatives to make them last longer as they are sold at a
nearby marketplace as quickly as possible while it is fresh. Conventional foods pose a significant
health risk, and organic food is free from almost all of them.

Organic foods are produced using a system of ecosystem management and not external agricultural
inputs. It considers the environmental impacts of the methods and therefore does not include the
use of any synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, veterinary drugs, genetically modified seeds, or
preservatives. Only natural fertilizers such as manure or compost are used in organic farming.Organic
foods are very often locally grown foods. Even though now organic food is available at supermarkets,
there is some additional benefit of buying it from your local markets. Directly buying from a small
scale farmer will help them financially. Also, you get fresh produce straight from the farms without
any added preservative or synthetic chemicals.

Some of the fruits with a higher pesticide level and should be brought organic are- apple, kale, bell
peppers, cucumbers, celery, peaches, potatoes, spinach, strawberries, and grapes, tomatoes, and hot
peppers. Consumers should try and buy organically grown meat if possible, due to the poor
conditions and methods of raising animals by feeding them corn, grains, antibiotics, growth
hormones, animal by-products, etc. These have a significant health risk for the animal and the person
consuming their milk, meat or egg. These artificial hormones lead to hormonal imbalance in the
body. This eventually will lead to body development problems such as interfering with reproductive
system worst leading to the development of colon, breast or prostrate cancer. Thus people are
advised to go for organic produced beef which is safer.

Conventional food causes heart diseases as opposed to organic foods. Heart diseases are mainly
caused by high level blood sugars. Conventional have excess blood sugars which when consumed
they cause heart diseases. These conventional foods also have heavy metals ions which are inform of
chemical residues. The consumption of these metal ions causes reaction with metal ions in the blood
and eventually causing heart diseases. Then it is healthier to take organic foods as compared to
conventional foods. Also, conventional foods cause mental disorders. Some conventional foods
contain toxic heavy metal residues such as lead and mercury. Consumption these ions cause
neurological damage human. 

Also, organic foods does not cause harm to human such as loss of fertility where as conventional
foods are responsible for causing. This is because chemicals from conventional foods cause
disruption to the endocrine system. This disruption of endocrine system eventually results to altered
development of reproductive tract. This then leads to decline in the sperms concentration and
abnormal sperm development in males. Thus organic foods are highly recommended as good for
human health.

Organic foods are priced higher than conventionally grown food due to the more labour-intensive
work, the cost of certification, and reduced crop yield as no chemical fertilizer is used to increase
production in the short term. Due to this price difference, only a few sections of society have access
to organic food. This is being improved slowly as the growth of the organic food industry has
increased as demand for organic foods is ever increasing.

The higher price of organic foods is often the point of debate because if the nutritional value of
organic food is not higher than that of conventionally produced food, then how can the increased
cost be justified. Studies do show that organic food is safer, but some also indicate that nutritional
value is less than that of genetically modified. Organic food products such as meat and dairy
products, on the other hand, have a higher nutritional value than that of the conventionally raised
ones.

Organic farming promotes sustainability over the long run. The aim is to maintain an ecological
balance, soil fertility, and prevent and pest problems. The approach taken is proactive. Using
methods such as crop rotation, inter-cropping, symbiotic associations, use of manure, and minimize
tillage which encourages the soil fauna and flora. The groundwater which often gets polluted due to
the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides is conserved. Organic farming can also act as a
restorative method of farming to promote the biodiversity of the region by improving the air quality
and reducing climate change.

The production of organic food has also brought about societal impact and changes. Due to the
increasing demand for organic food in developed nations, some lower-income countries produce
organic food just for exporting it to other nations. The people in these countries might not be able to
buy organic products, which lead to food insecurity. Also, food processing companies prefer to buy
from one big farming operation that limits the participation of small farmers in these markets.

Conclusion

Organic foods have both environmental and nutritional benefits backed up by studies. The system of
farming it follows is based upon maintaining a balance with nature. It uses agricultural practices such
as crop rotation, inter-crop farming to keep the soil enriched of its nutritional contents and prevent
soil erosion. It also reduces pollution as the chemical fertilizers and pesticides used in farming seep
down to pollute the groundwater. The demand for organic food is increasing, which will lead to an
increase in organic farming practices. The essays contain detailed information about the same.