Oragnic Food

Many Americans around the United States have already begun to purchase organic food products. According to the Organic Trade Association (2002), thirty nine percent of the U.S. Population uses organic products. Out of this thirty nine percent, they can be separated into three different classes: Integrated, Middle, and Fringe. The organic Integrated Group consumes organic products more than once a day, The organic Middle group consumes organic products at least weekly, and the organic Fringe group eats organic products occasionally. I know that after reading this, the first thing that comes to mind is why are so many people eating organic? If that is not the first question that is on your mind, then most likely your next question is what is organic food?

According to Robin Brett Parnes (2007), Organic food is food that must be produced without the use of most synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, genetic engineering, growth hormones, irradiation and antibiotics. Many people are under the wrong assumption that organic means natural, but the truth is that there is no legal definition for a natural food. The food industry uses the term “natural” to indicate a food that has been minimally processed and is preservative- free. Natural foods can include organic foods, but not all natural foods are organic.

One very popular form of agriculture is Organic Farming. It is actually the oldest form of agriculture. These days, even more farmers are switching to organic agriculture once again. Although it’s a small industry, the number of organic farmers is growing by about twelve percent per year and now stands at more than twelve thousand worldwide (Parnes, 2007).According to the World of Organic Agriculture, organic farming is practiced in approximately one hundred countries throughout the world, with more than fifty nine million acres now under organic management. Australia leads with approximately 24.6 acres, and North America has nearly 3.7 million acres of organic farming.

Another question that may come to mind while reading all of this is what is the difference between organic and conventional farmers. Conventional farmers apply chemical fertilizers to soil to grow their crops, while organic farmers feed soil and build soil matter with natural fertilizer to grow their crops. Conventional farmers spray insecticides to protect crops from pests and disease, while organic farmers use traps and barriers to protect crops from pests and disease. (Parnes, 2007)

According to Walter J. Crinnion of the Organic Gardening Almanac (1995), there are a few nutrients found in higher levels in the organic foods. Chromium is a nutrient whose deficiency is associated with the onset of adult diabetes. It was found to be higher in organic foods by seventy eight percent. Calcium, which is needed for strong bones, averaged sixty three percent higher in organic products. Lithium, which has been shown to help depression, was one hundred and eighty eight percent higher. According to Chrys Ostrander (2007), children should especially eat organic foods. Children are more vulnerable to toxins than adults are. This is why children should be shown to eat organic products and to eliminate junk food from their diets. In the aftermath of the alar scare of the 1980’s, a study showed that a child is exposed to a cancer causing pesticide four times more than adults, based on the types of foods children are most likely to eat. Food choice can have a big effect on a child’s future health. Many people are under the assumption that organic products are bogus and they aren’t