Environment Support

Organic Products

Food and materials that do not employ chemicals, synthetic fertilizers, insecticides, antibiotics, or stimulants are labeled organic. In a way, organic products minimize air, soil and water pollution. From clothing to beauty products, organic products are progressively reaching a market beyond environmentalists. Organic products however, must not be confused with "natural products."

Reflecting environmentally sustainable techniques, organic food does not use pesticide treatment, synthetic fertilization, biological engineering, radiation and sewage sludge among others. Meat, eggs, poultry and milk sourced from animals that were not exposed to antibiotics and growth stimulants are considered organic.

Before goods are branded "organic," an inspector surveys the farm at hand to check if they meet organic standards. This process also applies to the processors before the finished products are bound for the wholesalers and retailers. In America, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) developed the National Organic Program, designed to uphold only the strictest national standards. This way, consumers can be assured of an organic product's authenticity.

Americans can confirm if a product is organic by looking for labels when shopping. One must watch for the label "organic" along with a tiny sticker emblazoned with the USDA organic brand. Signs may also be displayed above the goods.

While the USDA does not really endorse them, organic products are esteemed by most as the healthier alternative to conventional food. By default, organic products lessen the risk of contamination with chemicals. As research shows, insecticides and other toxic residues are omnipresent in an average person's diet more than one thinks.

Scrupulous farm operators tend to supplement their animals' diets with growth hormones and antibiotics. Eating animals treated with these have negative consequences. To wit, the growth hormone rBGH multiplies IGF-1 hormones in animal milk. A significant dosage of this hormone could be carcinogenic.

Meanwhile, the rampant administering of antibiotics to animals has spurred bacteria to become increasingly resistant to antibiotics. Resistant bacteria can jump to humans via undercooked products and such.

More often than not, pesticides inadvertently affect the environment more than they do to pests, with wildlife imperiled. Even so, the pests' natural foes are endangered as well.

Toxicity becomes dangerously mobilized when animals at the bottom of the food chain ingest the chemicals. With every animal that ingests the smaller one, concentration of the toxic substance accumulates. As a result, the one at the top of the food chain gorges on an occasionally poisonous food.

In contrast, organic farming conserves the environment through crop rotation, soil enrichment, and other sustainable techniques. Organic foods are also more environmental due to the fact that conventional farming methods lay to waste water bodies.

Every entry of a major player into the organic market has the potential to change that market. Big players may flout recognized standards and still secure the organic label. Nominally, their products could be organic but their expenses might not live up to the namesake. Some well-known companies have even relentlessly attempted to weaken standards set by the USDA. One tried to persuade congress to sanction feeding non-organic food to animals and still brand its product as organic.

Resources on Organic Foods and Healthy Eating