Recently, many conscious shoppers have been trying to figure out if organic food really is better for them, or if the organic food movement is just a fad with no real substance behind it.
First off, let’s examine the word organic in its applied sense. To farm organically is to adhere to a set of rules regarding humans, animals, and the environment. Organic farming forgoes the use of chemical products in growing food. Farming organically is just one part of a larger emphasis on causing less harm to animals, the environment, and to human beings that eat the farmed food. Globally, the organic market is presently worth more than $27 billion, with the land area devoted to it equaling the size of Italy.
The Labels on Organic Products
Foods with the organic label attest to the following: that it comes from a farm, and that it uses processors and importers approved by a recognized certification process. If a food item is processed, then 95% of the farmed ingredients must be certified as organic. Regarding the remaining 5%, they do not have to be organic, but they do have to meet certain guidelines.
To receive certification that their food is organic, food producers have follow these rules: Nitrous oxide is present in fertilizers, so they can’t be used. Instead, farmers can alternate planted crops (known as crop rotation), as this leaves more natural nutrients behind, or they can use manure. They must not use pesticides. Instead, pests are controlled with other insects, and the act of weeding and planting other crops side-by-side as a way to control each other’s pests.
Most additives (like artificial coloring or preservatives) are forbidden. All animals need to have space and access to free range areas. The food these animals eat must also be organic. There are minimum slaughter ages and other humane considerations for animal treatment.
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