What is organic farming? That being asked, organic food does not involve modern synthetic inputs, such as synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilisers. It is a form of agriculture that rather relies on techniques such as crop rotation, green manure, compost and biological pest control.
Conventional vs organic
Organic crops must be grown in safe soil, have no modifications, and must remain separate from conventional products. Organic livestock must have access to the outdoors and be given organic feed. They may not be given antibiotics, growth hormones, or any animal-by-products. Organic food production is a heavily regulated industry, distinct from private gardening. According to a few studies, organic foods, especially raw or non-processed, contain higher levels of beta carotene; vitamins C, D and E; health-promoting polyphenols; cancer-fighting antioxidants; flavonoids that help ward off heart disease; and essential minerals. On average, organic is 25% more nutritious in terms of vitamins and minerals than products derived from industrial agriculture.
On the average, the price of organic foods are only 20% higher than chemical foods. Levels of antioxidants in milk from organic cattle are between 50% and 80% higher than normal milk. Organic wheat, tomatoes, potatoes, cabbage, onions and lettuce have between 20% and 40% more nutrients than non-organic foods. Organic food contains qualitatively higher levels of essential minerals (such as calcium, magnesium, iron and chromium), that are severely depleted in chemical foods grown on pesticide and nitrate fertiliser-abused soil.
Under the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), both types of produced foods must meet a certain quality range so that the consumers are not consuming anything that could be hazardous to their health.
Check the label
But “safe” organic foods come at a price that can make numerous families reconsider. Products labeled “organic” may carry higher price tags at markets because the production process is often on a smaller scale with more labour- and management-intensive practices and stricter regulations, whereas conventional foods are a lot cheaper to make and thus are often available at prices preferred by most consumers. In addition, organic foods are not available everywhere except a few trusted outlets, whereas conventional produced foods are available almost everywhere from large supermarkets to the general store across the street.
Other considerations
Many factors influence the decision to choose organic food. Some people choose organic food because they prefer the taste. Yet others opt for organic because of concerns such as:
Organic food doesn’t contain food additives, flavour enhancers (like MSG), artificial sweeteners (like aspartame and high-fructose corn syrup), contaminants (like mercury) or preservatives (like sodium nitrate), that can cause health problems. Eating organic has the potential to lower the incidence of autism, learning disorders, diabetes, cancer, coronary heart disease, allergies, osteoporosis, migraines, dementia, and hyperactivity.
Organic food does not always guarantee a healthy lifestyle when the option is to eat processed food anyway whether it has any conventional additives or not. Other issues do involve that certain organic food packages do not provide consumers with the information where the item was refined or packaged which draws many critics to doubt about the item’s genuineness.
We can only come to the conclusion that neither organic nor conventional foods have any major positives or negatives over the other and they are very well-matched. It can just come down to one’s preference but it must be advised that the less the food is processed the more people can expect to stay healthy.