Organic food in crisis
Organic farmers are in crisis. After spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to convert their conventional farms to organic in the past few years, they are now faced with the shrinking organic market and a mountain of debt. The middle class are looking for ways to cut expenses as they deal with job loss or job insecurity, and forgoing organic products has been an easy way to save a few dollars.
Organic dairy farms are perhaps the worst off. After a steady increase in organic milk consumption from 2005-2008, this year was a disaster and farmers have been advised to cut production for 2010 by twenty percent. In Vermont, 37 organic dairy farms have closed in the past year. They simply could not sell enough to make ends meet.
A recent British study by the FSA (Food Standards Agency) has contributed significantly to the organic decline. The study, based on 50 years of research, declared that organic food is “no healthier” than conventional food and after its release the sales of organic produce worldwide plummeted. Unfortunately the humane treatment of animals and the possible dangers of pesticides were not addressed in the study, two of the major factors that influence consumers of organic goods.
I generally buy some foods organic, but to me it is much more important to buy local and eat foods that are in season where you live. For example, when summer ends I no longer eat corn, berries, or tomatoes until next summer because I do not want to eat food that has been shipped to me from hundreds or thousands of miles away. I miss them, but it gives me something to look forward to.
The 12 most contaminated foods are the ones that I always buy organic (and the USDA recommends that you do so as well). They are:
Nectarines: 97 % of conventional nectarines contain pesticides.
Celery: 95 % of conventional celery contains pesticides.
Pears: 94 % of conventional pears contain pesticides.
Peaches: 94 % of conventional peaches contain pesticides.
Apples: 91 % of conventional apples contain pesticides.
Cherries: 91 % of conventional cherries contain pesticides.
Strawberries: 90 % of conventional strawberries contain pesticides.
Grapes: 86 % of conventional grapes contain pesticides.
Spinach: 83 % of conventional spinach contains pesticides.
Potatoes: 80 % of conventional potatoes contain pesticides.
Bell Peppers: 68 % of conventional bell peppers contain pesticides.
Raspberries: 60 % of conventional raspberries contain pesticides.
Conversely, there are quite a few foods that, when grown conventionally, rarely contain harmful additives. Therefore, these are the 12 foods that I do not find necessary to buy organic:
Broccoli
Asparagus
Avocado
Mangoes
Onions
Papaya
Pineapples
Peas
Cauliflower
Corn
Kiwi
Bananas
The best way to support your local farmers is to shop at farmers markets, even in the winter months when their offerings are less abundant. Many farmers sell meat and winter produce year round.
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Thank you for your thoughts on organic. The Organic Trade Association (OTA) would like to provide alternative perspectives on some of the issues you address here.
First, in thinking about which organic products to buy, consider this: instead of focusing your organic purchases on a particular group of items, choose organic versions of the products you buy most. Whether that is milk, produce, or personal care products, buying organic will not only help reduce your exposure to harmful synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, but also support a system of agricultural management that is great for the planet.
Second, it’s important to remember that local and organic are not in competition with one another. On the contrary, they embrace many of the same values. They both emphasize support for the farmers involved in food production. And they both encourage people to consider the environmental impacts of their purchasing decisions. Plus, as more and more local farms make the shift to organic, the choice between local and organic disappears: to buy one is to support and reap the benefits of both.
What should you do, then, if you are in the grocery store and the option to purchase locally grown, organic products does not exist? Which type of product should you choose?
When faced with such a choice, consider the following: organic offers a range of benefits that non-organic local products do not. Because they are regulated by the federal government, products bearing the organic label must meet a strict set of production/handling guidelines. They must be made without the use of toxic and persistent pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, and genetic engineering. Additionally, they must not undergo irradiation or contain ingredients made from cloned animals. Local products are not held to any such standards, and therefore cannot be counted on to meet any of the aforementioned criteria. And, because the term “local” is itself undefined, no guarantees can be made about whether a product is, indeed, local!
Does this mean you should abandon buying locally made products? Not at all. Instead, it means you should be thoughtful about the local products you choose to buy. If they are labeled organic, you can feel confident that they have been produced in a manner that not only supports personal and environmental health, but also helps to ensure product integrity from the farm to your family.
Indian organic foods r to be export to demanding countries with certification and transport is so clumsy and expensive for poor farmers in India.But considering nutrition it:s value r more becuse of traditional and chemical/pesticidal free being grown in vargin land due to defualt.The proven crops and organic farming is atraditional methodology based on vedic science from ancient time, and farmers r lacking in latest technology for fertilizers/pesticides for use.
U need to start a projects in these lands and give them resources , the results of foods market will flurish because their origine taste, nutrition, flavors on the processed foods.
To contact my website shown is to get information .Send e-mail- at shown this ID.
No shoratage of organic foods will arise any corner of world provided u follow my suggestion.Voice Awareness Centre
Ahmedabad-India