Health Matters

Organic
Food
Is organic food more nutritious than conventional
food? Does organic food taste better? In this
lesson, you will learn 5 Facts About Organic
Food. These facts will help you make informed
decisions at the grocery store or farmers’ market.

Pre-Reading
A. Warm-Up Questions

1.  hat are the main differences

W Did you wash it first?
between organic and conventional food?
It’s important to wash fruits and vegetables whether
2. How do you know if a type of food is organic or not? they are organic or not. Even food with inedible rinds
(e.g., carrots, mangoes, oranges) should be washed,
3. A
 re you personally concerned because contaminants can seep into the produce
about chemicals in your food? when you cut into it.

4. W
 hat is a “health nut”? Do you think this Wash your hands before you wash your produce!
word has negative or positive connotations?

B. Quote C. Chemicals

Discuss the following quote: Review the following definitions.

“As for butter vs. margarine,

Pesticides Fertilizers
I trust cows more than chemists.”
A pesticide is a type A fertilizer is a
—Joan Gussow, food policy expert of chemical that type of chemical
keeps pests such that helps plants
as insects away or animals grow
from a crop. and reproduce.

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 Organic Food
Health Matters

Reading
5 Truths about Organic Food

1. Organic food standards differ by country. 4. Organic food differs from natural food.

Each country has its own requirements for To avoid paying for certification, some producers
organic certification. In countries where organic use other terms besides “organic” on their
laws exist, the government oversees certification. labelling. If you see “natural” or “authentic” on a
Farmers themselves can pay a fee to have their food product, it is not certified organic. The food
farms certified. may still be organic, but the producer is not legally
allowed to label it this way because a fee has not
2. Organic food benefits differ by product. been paid to a certification body, such as the
USDA Certified Organic program.
Some people say that organic food is healthier
than conventional food. Others feel that organic
5. O
 rganic food production differs
food tastes better. There is little scientific
from conventional food production.
proof that organic food in general has a higher
nutritional value, though some studies show In the US and some other countries, food that
that organic milk and organic tomatoes do have is legally organic is produced without the use of
more nutrients. Some conventional produce like chemical pesticides and fertilizers. This is better
potatoes, apples, and strawberries contain more for the earth and air and helps reduce the impact
chemicals than organic varieties, though organic of global warming. Those who feel strongly about
produce with a thick skin (e.g., avocados, onions, animal welfare also choose organic food. Livestock
and pineapples) have no known health benefits. on organic farms are fed, housed, and bred in a
humane way. Growth hormones aren’t used, and
3. O
 rganic food prices differ animals have access to outdoor spaces.
from conventional food prices.

Organic food comes with a higher price tag. This

is because it costs farmers much more money to Did you know?
produce organic food. Organic certification and The Environmental Protection Agency has not
organic farming methods are expensive. As a discovered any serious health risks associated
result, the consumer pays about 20–100% more with ingesting small amounts of pesticides found
for organic food at the market or grocery store. on conventional food. Scientists, however, believe
that future studies will link health problems with
long-term exposure to pesticides.

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 Organic Food
Health Matters

Comprehension
Read the statements below.
If the statement is true, write T beside the sentence.
If it is false, write F and correct the information on the line.

1. Organic tomatoes have no known health benefits compared to conventional tomatoes.

2. Consumers pay approximately 20-100% more for conventional food than organic food.

3. Livestock on organic farms have access to outdoor spaces.

4. By choosing organic food, consumers can help reduce the impact of global warming.

5. Other than the cost, natural food is the same thing as organic food.

Role-Play
ASK THE FARMER

Do you buy produce from a Questions:

farmers’ market or local food
• Are these certified organic?
stand? Here are some questions
• Is this all locally grown?
you may want to ask about the
• Are these in season?
food you are buying. Practise
• Are these ripe?
asking and answering these
• Do you use pesticides?
questions with a partner.
• How do you manage pests?
One of you will be the farmer
• What are the animals fed?
and the other will be a health
• Has the lettuce been washed?
nut who has many questions
• Is the corn genetically modified?
about the produce.

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 Organic Food
Health Matters

Vocabulary Review
A. Odd One Out

Choose the word or phrase that does NOT belong in each group.

1. )
a pesticide 3. a
) healthy 5. a
) kind
b) fertilizer b) conventional b) humane
c) vinegar c) good for you c) authentic
d) herbicide d) nutritious d) considerate

2. a
) eat 4. a
) monitor 6. a
) certified
b) ingest b) oversee b) guaranteed
c) consume c) regulate c) authentic
d) nutrient d) exposure d) costly

B. Complete the Sentences

Complete the sentence with a word from the word list to the right.
You may need to change the word form or ending.
Word List
1. There is no value in candy. • pesticide
• oversee
2. use contributes to global warming. • nutritional
• ingest
• certification
3. The process for organic farms is costly.
• conventional
• global warming
4. It is to keep so many chickens in this small space. • exposure
• inhumane
5. The USDA food safety in America.

6. Organic fruit and fruit need to be washed thoroughly.

7.  is an environmental problem that increases our to UV rays.

8. Wash the lettuce so that you don’t any bacteria or pesticides.

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 Organic Food
Health Matters

Grammar Practice
A. Prefer Vs. Rather

The words prefer and rather have similar functions. These words
help you identify which you like better out of two or more options.
Let’s review how to use both options correctly.

Prefer Rather

Meaning Prefer is a verb that means “to like better.” Rather is an adverb that means “preferably.”

Prefer can be used with a gerund or infinitive. Rather is usually used after the
modal would, followed by a verb.
• I prefer to eat organic food.
• I prefer paying less money • I would rather buy organic eggs.
for conventional food. • I would rather pay less for groceries.
• I prefer going to the farmers’ market. • Would you rather eat in
or go out for dinner?

Prefer can also be used before a noun.

In informal English, you may hear would
• I prefer organic food
Uses rather followed by a noun. This means that
to conventional food.
the speaker has omitted the verb have.
• I prefer beef to chicken.
• I prefer organic milk. Mike: Do you want salad for dinner?
Jesse: I would rather a hamburger.
(I would rather have a hamburger.)
Prefer can also be used in a question.

• Which do you prefer?

• What would you prefer?
• Why do you prefer organic tomatoes
to conventional tomatoes?

Common Errors
Here are some common errors with prefer / rather.
Be careful that you don’t use rather as a verb.

• I would rather to eat organic food.

• I rather organic food. (prefer)

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 Organic Food
Health Matters

Grammar Practice cont.

B. Practice

Choose which option belongs in the blank, rather or prefer.

1. I homegrown tomatoes to store-bought tomatoes.

( rather / prefer )

2. Would you use chemicals or not?

( rather / prefer )

3. Which do you , cow’s milk or goat’s milk?

( rather / prefer )

4. Why do you buying organic food?

(rather / prefer )

5. She would pay five extra dollars for the organic oranges.
( rather / prefer )

Writing
Use what you learned in this lesson and do a little research
of your own. Then write your own list. Use the title below,
or change it to 5 Reasons NOT to Buy Organic Food.

5 Reasons to Buy Organic Food

1. 4.

2. 5.

3.

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 Organic Food
Health Matters

Answer Key
LESSON DESCRIPTION: LEVEL: Int

In this lesson, students read some interesting facts about organic TIME: 1.5–2 hours
food. They practise asking a farmer questions and come up with
TAGS: 
health, food, organic, organic food, farm, produce,
their own reasons about why to buy organic food or conventional
fruit, vegetables, global warming, environment,
food. They also review how to express preferences using
animal welfare, preferences, prefer, rather
rather and prefer.

Pre-Reading Comprehension

A. WARM-UP QUESTIONS 1. F–S

 ome studies show that organic tomatoes do have
nutritional value over conventional tomatoes.
Discuss the questions as a class or in small groups. If your students
2. F–C
 onsumers pay approximately
don’t know the answer to question 1, explain that organic food is
20–100% more for organic food.
produced without chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Your students
3. T
will learn more information about certified organics in the reading.
4. T
5. F–A
 ny farmer or manufacturer can use the word natural food.
B. QUOTE
It is not certified organic, though it may be organic.
Discuss the quote and find out if your students prefer butter
or margarine. They will review how to use prefer / rather later Role-Play
in the lesson.

Place students in pairs for this activity. Invite your students to

C. CHEMICALS perform their skits. You can decide whether or not you want to

Review the definitions of pesticide and see a written dialogue. Encourage your students to use some

fertilizer before moving on to the reading. of the vocabulary that they learned in the reading.

(continued on the next page...)

Reading

Have students read the article together or silently. Ask them to

highlight any words that they are unfamiliar with. Give students
time to look up words in a dictionary after they read the article.

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 Organic Food
Health Matters

Answer Key cont.

Vocabulary

A. ODD ONE OUT

1. c 2. d 3. b 4. d 5. c 6. d

B. COMPLETE THE SENTENCES

1. nutritional 5. oversees
2. Pesticide 6. conventional
3. certification 7. Global warming, exposure
4. inhumane 8. ingest

Grammar Practice

A. R ATHER VS. PREFER

Review the grammar guidelines for using prefer and rather.

You can find more information on our blog:
http://blog.esllibrary.com/2015/09/17/prefer-vs-rather/

B. PR ACTICE

1. prefer 3. prefer 5. rather

2. rather 4. prefer

Writing

Have students do a little of their own research. Then have them

write a list using one of the topics provided. Alternatively, have
them choose a related topic using prefer or rather, such as
5 Reasons I Prefer Organic Food to Conventional Food or 5 Reasons
Why I Would Rather Shop at a Farmers’ Market. They can use the
space provided or their notebooks if more room is needed.

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