organic foods

For Happiness

2011-06-14T03:38:00.000-07:00

In the recent times in the wake of the problems that farmers are facing on various counts including decreasing yields from their farms and increasing debts in the conventional mould of farming, there have been experiments and documented success with returning to traditional methods of farming.

Organic Farmers Work in Harmony with Nature. The commitment of organic farming to crop rotation, living soil, companion planting, rural enterprise, pure water and sustainable agriculture is, in itself, a critical step toward protecting our environment and our individual health. By buying organic, you provide a marketplace for growers who have made the future of our planet a top priority. It supports a better and more content social fabric where everyone is provided for and leads to happier lives for all.

For Harmony

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By using chemical fertilizers that enrich the soil with only the major minerals like Potassium, Phosphorus etc instead of more than fifteen that the soil really needs, we are in fact depleting the soil more than enriching it. Over a period of time, the soil is robbed of its fertility and is unable to yield the same crop for the same quantity of fertilizers. That sets off a vicious cycle of adding more and more fertilizer to the soil by the season and depleting it like never before.

Organic farming systems use a variety of natural processes to enhance the health of crops and the soil and reduce the incidence of pests, diseases and weeds, thereby minimizing the need for chemical inputs.

Sustainable Crop Rotations: Effective crop rotations are fundamental to both fertility and pest and disease control in organic farming. Rotations provide an obstacle to pest and disease life cycles by removing crops for prolonged periods of time.

Maintenance of Biodiversity: Crop rotation also creates a more diverse ecosystem which helps to build populations of a pest’s natural predators. The encouragement and enhancement of biological cycles within the farming system is one of the fundamental principles of organic agriculture. Avoiding biocides, maintaining diverse habitats and supporting microbiologically rich soils all encourage inherent biological protection within the system.

Optimum Crop Health and Vigour: Microbial activity within the soil is vital to provide the range and quantity of nutrients required by the crop, enabling the plant to maximize its ability to combat pest and pathogen attack. A number of studies have found pest densities to be higher on crops fed with inorganic nitrogen fertilizer compared to those fed with compost and manure.

Composting and Good Hygiene: Composting serves two important purposes: it builds and maintains organic matter levels in the soil (enhancing soil microbial communities) and removes pests, weed seeds and pathogens. The role of compost in suppressing disease is also becoming more apparent. Good crop hygiene, such as the removal and destruction of crop debris, is important to clear potential reservoirs of pests and diseases.

According to the Economic & Social Research Council, Global Environmental Change Programme, 1999, pollution of air and water is found to be reduced on organic farms, soil health improves, and the number and variety of wild species, such as plants, butterflies and spiders is enhanced.

Not just this, animal welfare is taken very seriously under organic standards. Going organic is the best way to live in harmony with nature and protect this planet.

No Exposure To Carcinogens

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The FDA approved many pesticides before research linked them to chemicals that cause cancer and other diseases. Now the EPA considers 60% of all herbicides, 90% of all fungicides, and 30% of all insecticides to be carcinogenic. The bottom line is that pesticides are poisons made to kill living creatures, and can also be harmful to humans. The average child is exposed to four times as many cancer-causing pesticides in their daily lives compared to an adult.

But Organic foods contain no such carcinogenic pesticides and hence should be the obvious choice when it comes to securing our health for the future.

Protecting The Coming Generations

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Because of the intrusive farming methods that we have used in the past years, today, exposure to chemicals begins in the womb itself. Cord blood brings not only nutrients and oxygen to the developing child, but also many potentially harmful chemicals including mercury, contaminants from flame retardants, Teflon, organochlorine pesticides, food wraps, wood preservatives and varnishes, by-products of plastic production, and industrial insulators and lubricants.

Pesticides also contain various persistent organic pollutants (POPs) that rather than being flushed out of our bodies, attach themselves to fatty tissues in humans and accumulate. Those fatty tissues are a source of nutrients for mother's milk, so as a mother's body calls on its reserves of fat for lactation, the pollutants go along for the ride, invading mother's milk, and in turn, the baby.

All this exposure to pesticides puts an entire generation ahead of us at serious health risk and switching to an organic diet significantly reduces this pre-natal and neonatal exposure to harmful chemicals.

No Chemical Pesticides

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Over 400 chemical pesticides are routinely used in conventional farming and residues are often present in non-organic food. The UK government has recently found high levels of pesticide residues in baby food, spinach, dried fruit, bread, apples, celery, and chips. The average conventionally-grown apple has 20-30 artificial poisons on its skin, even after rinsing.

Organic produce is not covered in a cocktail of such poisonous chemicals.

No GM

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Genetically modified (GM) crops and ingredients are not allowed under organic standards. Organic foods are grown as nature had meant for them to be grown and they bring the goodness of nature straight to your dining table.

No Additives, No Drugs

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Organic foods don’t contain food additives that can cause health problems such as heart disease, osteoporosis, migraines and hyperactivity. Amongst the additives banned by the Soil Association are hydrogenated fat, aspartame (artificial sweetener) and monosodium glutamate. Organic foods also address the growing concern about the high use of antibiotics on farm animals and the possible effects on human health since Soil Association standards prohibit the routine use of antibiotics.

Nutritional Value

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Organic foods are known to contain higher levels of vitamin C and essential minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron and chromium as well as cancer-fighting antioxidants. In fact, fresh organic produce contains on average 50% more vitamins, minerals, enzymes and other micronutrients than intensively farmed produce.

Not just that, organic food just tastes better and makes your eating experience so much richer than chemically grown food.

Organic farming finds a growing fan base

2011-06-08T02:52:00.000-07:00

Certification from international agencies is expensive and time consuming due to bureaucracy

On Thakur Das’ farm in northern India, rice fields stretch into the distance, creating a chartreuse sea of waist-high stalks. Das, 59, gazed out at the crops on his small farm, about 16 km from Dehra Dun, where he grows rice, wheat and corn in rotation, as well as turmeric and beans. It looked to be another plentiful harvest. “Too much growth,” he joked. The bounty was all the more fruitful because Das’s farm is organic. He has not used chemical pesticides or fertilisers since 2002, when he joined Navdanya, a nonprofit biodiversity centre and organic farm, a few kilometers away, to learn how to farm organically. Since he went organic, Das said, his crop yields, and his profit, have doubled. Before Das switched to organic one acre of land yielded 600 kg of rice; now it yields 1,200 kg. He practices crop rotation and intercropping, or growing different crops together in the same field, and uses natural pesticides and fertiliser, like compost produced by worms. “Organic is the best bet. Taste is different. Size of grain is bigger,” said Das. “Most farmers use chemicals. Soil is totally dead.” In India, certified organic farming accounts for only about 1 per cent of overall agriculture production, according to the Indian Agricultural Products Export Development Agency. Organic farming is still small worldwide, as well; it accounts for less than 2 per cent of global retail production, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation. But as food prices rise around the world, agriculture has moved to the top of the global agenda after decades of neglect from policy makers and investors. India’s Green Revolution of the 1960s and 1970s used high-yield seeds, chemical fertilisers and irrigation to significantly increase agricultural production. Yet over the years, chemical ‘inputs’ — namely, fertiliser and pesticides — have depleted soil, and inefficient irrigation has caused water tables to plunge in many parts of India. For many farmers, crop yields have fallen even as India’s food demand has increased. Now farmers and experts are looking for improved farming methods. In some cases, this means a back-to-basics approach. A paper submitted to the UN General Assembly last December highlighted the benefits of ‘agroecology’ — otherwise known as organic farming. “Agroecology delivers advantages that are complementary to better known conventional approaches such as breeding high-yielding varieties. And it strongly contributes to the broader economic development,” the UN’s Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food wrote. In India, agriculture has always been an important topic, even if methods remain largely outdated and manual. More than half of the country’s population of 1.2 billion relies on agriculture for a living. Hunger and food security are also pressing, perennial issues for hundreds of millions of poor Indians. Malnutrition rates of children under age 5 is higher in India than in sub-Saharan Africa. Suicides of struggling, indebted farmers claim newspaper headlines each year. In India, rising food prices are particularly politically sensitive; the affordability of onions, a staple food here, is an unofficial but critical barometer of public sentiment in election years. The vast majority of farms in India are small — three acres — and farmers can be burdened by the cost of fertiliser and pesticides, even though the government heavily subsidises them. For some small farmers like Das, organic farming makes sense if farmers are given training, support and linked to markets with affluent customers. Training Navdanya, which is leading the charge for organic farming and biodiversity in India, has trained 5,00,000 farmers in sustainable agriculture in 16 states across India since it was founded in 1987. It also set up the largest direct-marketing, fair-trade organic network in the country and has established seed banks to preserve indigenous seeds. Navdanya sells its products in stores in Delhi, Dehra Dun and Mumbai. The organisation says that “ecological agriculture is highly productive and the only lasting solution to hunger and poverty.” A new report from Navdanya, called ‘Health Per Acre,’ was released in New Delhi in March by Syeda Hameed, a member of the Indian Planning Commission. According to the report, “a shift to biodiverse organic farming and ecological intensification increases output of nutrition while reducing input costs.” Vandana Shiva, the Indian environmentalist and advocate who founded Navdanya, claims that organic farming produces more food and nutrition than conventional methods. Through intercropping, one organic farm could produce 900 kg of food per acre, including 400 kg of corn and 500 kg of beans and other crops, according to Navdanya’s studies of the farms of its members. A comparable conventional farm growing one crop would yield 500 kg of corn but would lose the other products. Organic farming produces “twice the amount of nutritional needs by intensifying biodiversity rather than monoculture and chemicals,” Vandana said. But some agriculture experts say that while organic farming has benefits, it cannot make a significant dent in total agricultural demand. Organic farming is an important niche market with big potential near major cities. But it is “not a general solution to malnutrition at all,” said Mark W Rosegrant of the International Food Policy Research Institute in Washington. “You have to put inputs in to get yields. To move fully to organic, you are going to lose productivity.” There are other barriers to the growth of organic farming in India. Organic certification from international agencies is expensive and bureaucratic. A shift to organic farming requires extensive training and support for farmers who are largely uneducated. Farmers must be connected to markets and shops that sell their goods, usually in cities with wealthy consumers -— no small feat in India where roads and infrastructure are poor. Organic food is at least 30 per cent more expensive than foods produced by conventional methods. In India, there is no financial support from the government for organic farming, while the majority of fertiliser and pesticide companies are subsidised. But if organic farming reached a greater scale, prices would fall, said Vinod Bhatt, a director of Navdanya. As he led a tour of Navdanya’s tranquil 45-acre farm near Dehra Dun, Bhatt walked past lush rice fields and explained how ginger and turmeric were grown between rows of corn to retain soil fertility and maximise yield per acre. A botanist by training, Bhatt said rice should not be grown in successive seasons but should be alternated with peas, wheat, corn and mustard over two years to keep the soil fertile. Marigolds planted on the edge of the field help keep pests away, as do lantana plants and neem trees, and mixtures made of cow urine and worm secretions, he said. Bhatt joined Navdanya in 1997, and he recalled that interest in organic farming was limited back then. Now, “farmers are coming to us because they can see the results,” he said. Source - DC

The Advantages of Organic Food

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Do you really know what goes into your food? Discover the advantages of organic food on this site and see exactly what producers have been adding to your fruit and vegetables to make it less healthy than a few years ago.

In the rush to produce more and more crops to satisfy growing demand producers have had to resort to using a lethal cocktail of pesticides to control disease and insect attack.

Good news for their bank balances perhaps but not good news for your health, this is why you need to be informed of the advantages of organic food.

Did you know that if you consumed an average apple you would be eating over 30 pesticides, even after you have washed it?

The quality of food has definitely gone down since the second world war. For instance, the levels of vitamin C in today's fruit bear no resemblance to the levels found in wartime fruit.

Organic food is known to contain 50% more nutrients, minerals and vitamins than produce that has been intensively farmed.

You will have to eat more fruit nowadays to make up the deficiency, but unfortunately that means eating more chemicals, more detrimental affects on your health eating something that should be good for you!

Also don't forget about the cocktail of anti-biotics and hormones that cattle and poultry are force fed.

What happens to those chemicals when the animal dies?

Digested and stored in human bodies is the answer, have you seen pictures of animals in severly cramped conditions in battery farms?

It just does not make sense to state that any animal kept in these conditions is healthy and produces high quality food.

If you are as worried as I am about the health of your family then you need to read the articles on this and seriously consider converting your family to the organic lifestyle within this site.

Trust me, once you try some organic produce and taste an apple the way it should be, and perhaps how you recall it tasting in your youth, you will never go back to mass produced fruit again.

Sure there are issues with availability and cost but with a bit of research you should be able to find local stores who stock organic produce.

Also, don't forget about your local farmer, I'm sure you will be able to find one that has seen the light and opened up a farm shop to supply local residents.

You should be able to get some very keen prices from these shops, why not take a look around and see who is offering produce in your area?

Some more startling facts now. Pesticides in food have been linked to many diseases including:

Cancer

Obesity

Altzheimer's

Some birth defects

Not a nice list is it? There are probably others but if you think about it, how can it be okay for you to eat chemicals and not expect some form of reaction in your body. Our bodies are delicately balanced wonderful machines. Any form of foreign chemical is bound to cause irritation at the least.

Please take advantage of the articles on this site and do consider taking a closer look at what you are eating. It's for your health after all!

Organic foods - what do they mean?

2011-06-03T09:03:00.001-07:00

You're in a bit of a dilemma standing in front of the produce section of your local supermarket. In one hand, you're holding a conventionally grown apple. In your other hand, you have one that's labeled organically grown. Both apples are firm, shiny and green. Both provide vitamins and fiber, and both are free of fat, sodium and cholesterol.

The conventionally grown apple costs less. But the organic apple has a label that says "USDA Organic." Does that mean it's better? Safer? More nutritious? Get informed and be better prepared for your next trip to the supermarket.

CONVENTIONAL VS. ORGANIC FARMING

The word "organic" refers to the way farmers grow and process agricultural products, such as fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy products and meat. Organic farming practices are designed to encourage soil and water conservation and reduce pollution. Farmers who grow organic produce and meat don't use conventional methods to fertilize, control weeds or prevent livestock disease. For example, rather than using chemical weedkillers, organic farmers may conduct sophisticated crop rotations and spread mulch or manure to keep weeds at bay.

Here are other differences between conventional farming and organic farming:

Conventional	Organic
Apply chemical fertilizers to promote plant growth.	Apply natural fertilizers, such as manure or compost, to feed soil and plants.
Spray insecticides to reduce pests and disease.	Use beneficial insects and birds, mating disruption or traps to reduce pests and disease.
Use chemical herbicides to manage weeds.	Rotate crops, till, hand weed or mulch to manage weeds.
Give animals antibiotics, growth hormones and medications to prevent disease and spur growth.	Give animals organic feed and allow them access to the outdoors. Use preventive measures — such as rotational grazing, a balanced diet and clean housing — to help minimize disease.

ORGANIC OR NOT? CHECK THE LABEL

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has established an organic certification program that requires all organic foods to meet strict government standards. These standards regulate how such foods are grown, handled and processed.

Any farmer or food manufacturer who labels and sells a product as organic must be USDA certified. Only producers who sell less than $5,000 a year in organic foods are exempt from this certification; however, they're still required to follow the USDA's standards for organic foods.

If a food bears a USDA Organic label, it means it's produced and processed according to the USDA standards. The seal is voluntary, but many organic producers use it.

Products certified 95 percent or more organic display this USDA seal.

Products that are completely organic — such as fruits, vegetables, eggs or other single-ingredient foods — are labeled 100 percent organic and can carry the USDA seal.

Foods that have more than one ingredient, such as breakfast cereal, can use the USDA organic seal and the following wording, depending on the number of organic ingredients:

100 percent organic. To use this phrase, products must be either completely organic or made of all organic ingredients.
Organic. Products must be at least 95 percent organic to use this term.

Products that contain at least 70 percent organic ingredients may say "made with organic ingredients" on the label but may not use the seal. Foods containing less than 70 percent organic ingredients can't use the seal or the word "organic" on their product labels. They can include the organic items in their ingredient list, however.

DO 'ORGANIC' AND 'NATURAL' MEAN THE SAME THING?

No, "natural" and "organic" are not interchangeable terms. You may see "natural" and other terms such as "all natural," "free-range" or "hormone-free" on food labels. These descriptions must be truthful, but don't confuse them with the term "organic." Only foods that are grown and processed according to USDA organic standards can be labeled organic.

Organic foods - they are Safer and more Nutritious

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ORGANIC FOOD: IS IT MORE NUTRITIOUS?

Probably not, but the answer isn't yet clear. A recent study examined the past 50 years' worth of scientific articles about the nutrient content of organic and conventional foods. The researchers concluded that organically and conventionally produced foodstuffs are comparable in their nutrient content.

ORGANIC FOOD: OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

Many factors influence the decision to choose organic food. Consider these common concerns:

Pesticides. Conventional growers use pesticides to protect their crops from molds, insects and diseases. When farmers spray pesticides, this can leave residue on produce. Some people buy organic food to limit their exposure to these residues. According to the USDA, organic produce carries significantly fewer pesticide residues than does conventional produce. However, residues on most products — both organic and nonorganic — don't exceed government safety thresholds.
Food additives. Organic regulations ban or severely restrict the use of food additives, processing aids (substances used during processing, but not added directly to food) and fortifying agents commonly used in nonorganic foods, including preservatives, artificial sweeteners, colorings and flavorings, and monosodium glutamate (MSG).
Environment. Some people buy organic food for environmental reasons. Organic farming practices are designed to benefit the environment by reducing pollution and conserving water and soil quality.
Taste. Some people say they can taste the difference between organic and nonorganic food. Others say they find no difference. Taste is a subjective and personal consideration, so decide for yourself.

ARE THERE DOWNSIDES TO BUYING ORGANIC?

One common concern with organic food is cost. Organic foods typically cost more than do their conventional counterparts. Higher prices are due, in part, to more expensive farming practices, tighter government regulations and lower crop yields.

Because organic fruits and vegetables aren't treated with waxes or preservatives, they may spoil faster. Also, some organic produce may look less than perfect — odd shapes, varying colors or smaller sizes. However, organic foods must meet the same quality and safety standards as those of conventional foods.

FOOD SAFETY TIPS

Whether you go totally organic or opt to mix conventional and organic foods, be sure to keep these tips in mind:

Select a variety of foods from a variety of sources. This will give you a better mix of nutrients and reduce your likelihood of exposure to a single pesticide.
Buy fruits and vegetables in season to ensure the highest quality. Also, try to buy your produce the day it's delivered to market to ensure that you're buying the freshest food possible. Ask your grocer what day new produce arrives.
Read food labels carefully. Just because a product says it's organic or contains organic ingredients doesn't necessarily mean it's a healthier alternative. Some organic products may still be high in sugar, salt, fat or calories.
Wash all fresh fruits and vegetables thoroughly with running water to reduce the amount of dirt and bacteria. If appropriate, use a small scrub brush — for example, before eating apples, potatoes, cucumbers or other produce in which you eat the outer skin.
If you're concerned about pesticides, choose your produce wisely. Domestically grown fruits and vegetables tend to have lower levels of pesticide residue than do the same imported foods. In addition, produce with thick skins or peels that aren't eaten, such as bananas, citrus fruits and onions, tends to pose less pesticide risk than does skinless or soft-skinned produce, such as strawberries, peaches and pears. You can also peel fruits and vegetables, but keep in mind that peeling generally means losing some fiber and nutrients.

Organic food - Global need

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The organic-food business is booming: About 70 percent of Americans buy organic food occasionally, and nearly one quarter buy it every week, according to the Hartman Group, a market research firm. For most of us, the reason is simple: We want natural food that's better for us and for the environment, says Samuel Fromartz, author of Organic, Inc. But buying organic can cost you — as much as 50 percent more — so read on to know when it's worth it.

What is organic food, anyway?

Though organic food can be produced with certain synthetic ingredients, it must adhere to specific standards regulated by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Crops are generally grown without synthetic pesticides, artificial fertilizers, irradiation (a form of radiation used to kill bacteria), or biotechnology. Animals on organic farms eat organically grown feed, aren't confined 100 percent of the time (as they sometimes are on conventional farms), and are raised without antibiotics or synthetic growth hormones.

Is organic food better for me?

Organic foods may have higher nutritional value than conventional food, according to some research. The reason: In the absence of pesticides and fertilizers, plants boost their production of the phytochemicals (vitamins and antioxidants) that strengthen their resistance to bugs and weeds. Some studies have linked pesticides in our food to everything from headaches to cancer to birth defects — but many experts maintain that the levels in conventional food are safe for most healthy adults. Even low-level pesticide exposure, however, can be significantly more toxic for fetuses and children (due to their less-developed immune systems) and for pregnant women (it puts added strain on their already taxed organs), according to a report by the National Academy of Sciences.

Pesticide contamination isn't as much of a concern in meats and dairy products (animals may consume some pesticides, depending on their diet), but many scientists are concerned about the antibiotics being given to most farm animals: Many are the same antibiotics humans rely on, and overuse of these drugs has already enabled bacteria to develop resistance to them, rendering them less effective in fighting infection, says Chuck Benbrook, Ph.D., chief scientist at the Organic Center, a nonprofit research organization.

Is buying organic better for the environment?

Organic farming reduces pollutants in groundwater and creates richer soil that aids plant growth while reducing erosion, according to the Organic Trade Association. It also decreases pesticides that can end up in your drinking glass; in some cities, pesticides in tap water have been measured at unsafe levels for weeks at a time, according to an analysis performed by the Environmental Working Group (EWG). (To find out about the safety of your tap water, visit the EWG website at ewg.org/tapwater/yourwater.) Plus, organic farming used 50 percent less energy than conventional farming methods in one 15-year study.

Organic garden - Basics

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The short answer is that organic gardening means not using synthetic products, including pesticides and fertilizers. Ideally, organic gardening replenishes the resources as it makes use of them. Like feeding depleted soil with composted plants, or planting legumes to add nitrogen to an area that had been planted with heavy feeder. The bigger picture involves working in cooperation with nature, viewing your garden as a small part of all the natural system.

Organic Matter

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Organic matter is decaying plant and animal waste. It includes everything from compost, grass clipping, dried leaves and kitchen scraps to manures and fish heads. Organic matter is used as a soil amendment or conditioner. It can be worked into the soil of a new garden or used as a top dressing or mulch in an existing garden.

How To Control Pests and Diseases without Chemicals?

2011-06-03T09:02:00.000-07:00

Organic gardening doesn't mean you have to share your apples with the worms, but you will probably have less than pristine looking plants and produce. Since you are trying to garden in cooperation with nature, sometimes you have to accept the occasional pest in the garden. Your first line of defense should be vigilance. Inspect your plants regularly for signs of a problem and take action quickly. Keep in mind that not every insect is a foe and that action doesn't necessarily mean pesticide.

· There are many organic pesticides available, but first make certain that there is a problem and that you know what it is. You can live with a little damage. Some insects, like the 4-lined plant bug, do their damage and then move on for the season.

· Consider if you are having a pest problem because your plants are stressed and don't have the resources to defend themselves.

· Interplanting and diversity will protect you from losing an entire crop to an infestation. Large swaths of a single plant are pretty, but are also a landing strip for interested insects.

· Many insects and larger animals are considered beneficial, preying on the insect pests. Reaching for the spray can every time you see a pest, you will be killing of the beneficials too. Lady bugs and parasitic wasps enjoy an aphid banquet. Birds will munch on grubs. Frogs, lizards and even snakes all contribute to the balance in your garden and prevent a pest population from becoming a problem.

· Barriers prevent problems. Floating row covers prevent moths from landing and laying eggs. Yellow sticky traps can easily catch dozens of flying pests. Foil collars around the base of plants will foil cut worms and many borers.

· There will probably come a time when you will need to apply a pesticide or lose your plants. Organic or natural pesticides can be very effective and are usually less toxic to wildlife, pets and humans than synthetic pesticides. Many organic controls can target specific problems, such as using Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), a type of bacteria, that kills caterpillars, but not much else. Just be sure that you know what the problem is before you treat it and that you always follow the label instructions.

Pest control approaches

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Differing approaches to pest control are equally notable. In chemical horticulture, a specific insecticide may be applied to quickly kill off a particular insect pest. Chemical controls can dramatically reduce pest populations in the short term, yet by unavoidably killing (or starving) natural control insects and animals, cause an increase in the pest population in the long term, thereby creating an ever increasing problem. Repeated use of insecticides and herbicides also encourages rapid natural selection of resistant insects, plants and other organisms, necessitating increased use, or requiring new, more powerful controls.

In contrast, organic horticulture tends to tolerate some pest populations while taking the long view. Organic pest control requires a thorough understanding of pest life cycles and interactions, and involves the cumulative effect of many techniques, including:

• Allowing for an acceptable level of pest damage

• Encouraging predatory beneficial insects to flourish and eat pests

• Encouraging beneficial microorganisms

• Careful plant selection, choosing disease-resistant varieties

• Planting companion crops that discourage or divert pests

• Using row covers to protect crop plants during pest migration periods

• Rotating crops to different locations from year to year to interrupt pest reproduction cycles

• Using insect traps to monitor and control insect populations

Each of these techniques also provides other benefits, such as soil protection and improvement, fertilization, pollination, water conservation and season extension. These benefits are both complementary and cumulative in overall effect on site health. Organic pest control and biological pest control can be used as part of integrated pest management (IPM). However, IPM can include the use of chemical pesticides that are not part of organic or biological techniques.

Fears or Facts? A Viewpoint on GM Crops

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In 1977, Steven Lindow, a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, discovered that a mutant strain of the bacterium Pseudomonas syringae altered ice nucleation on leaves in a way that enabled plants to resist frost. He continued the work at the University of California, Berkeley, and a decade later, with the blessing of the appropriate federal agencies and the townfolk of Tulelake, Calif., Lindow planted 3,000 potato seedlings coated with "ice-minus" bacteria. By the next morning, vandals had ripped out half the plants. Lindow repeated the experiment, successfully.

Similar experiments did not set loose giant carnivorous rutabagas on the world, and while the Flavr Saver tomato was controversial, hoopla surrounding genetically modified (GM) plants largely died down in the United States. But that appears to be changing. In response to anti-GM decisions by foreign and domestic customers, U.S. grain processing giant Archer Daniels Midland recently asked its suppliers to segregate GM crops.

So-called GM "Frankenfoods" elicit objection that seems way out of proportion to the scientific evidence that they are dangerous, which is minimal, at least so far. Why is the "what if" or "triple-headed purple monster" mentality that predominated the earliest attempts at genetic engineering in the United States and rages today in the United Kingdom resurfacing? The answer is a combination of media-catalyzed fear of the unknown and global sociopolitics.

The British tabloid attack is typically overt, with headlines linking use of antibiotic resistance markers to epidemics of encephalitis, for example. Other media take a more subtle anti-GM stance. Consider "Seeds of Change" in the September issue of Consumer Reports. It begins with a scenario of a woman in a supermarket being deceived by lack of labels indicating GM food. A reader can almost hear Rod Serling growling, "She doesn't know that the tortilla chips she just put in her shopping cart may have been made from corn whose genes were manipulated to kill insects." Paragraph two retells the infamous monarch-on-tainted- milkweed tail of woe, and paragraph three asks about the long-term environmental and health effects of GM crops, implying that these in fact exist. It isn't until the 18th paragraph that "potential benefits" appear, before the next paragraph returns to the litany of potential problems. A sidebar identifies GM foods in supermarket fare, with the disclaimer that "we're not suggesting that eating these foods isn't safe." A double negative and doublespeak.

Much of the hubbub over transgenic food has a decidedly political flavor. Some scientists wonder whether transgene hysteria is symptomatic of larger issues.¹ In England, "they do not like the way GM is in the hands of large, multinational corporations," says David Cove, a professor of genetics at the University of Leeds who monitors anti-GM sentiment. According to the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, some Europeans "may be against genetic modification in food production on socioeconomic or marketing grounds because they wish to promote organic farming or object to multinational companies having such a strong control on the food sector.

When Greenpeace issued a Web alert about GM ingredients in Nestlé baby food, it asked people to "get involved in the fight for our families ...." When its magazine cover showed a space-suited somebody holding a handful of soybeans at arm's length, and mentioned corporations, industrial farming, and U.S. Department of Agriculture royalties in the accompanying article, a wider gripe with modern society appeared to be the subtext.³ Activists concerned about the safety of GM foods often say that they require more testing. If that's the case, why vandalize test plots that would establish danger, or safety?

Jeremy Rifkin, another opponent of GM foods, is planning to sue Monsanto, DuPont, Novartis, and other biotech companies for antitrust violations. On Sept. 13, London's Financial Times quoted Michael Hausfeld, a lawyer in one of the firms cooperating with Rifkin, as saying that "by the early part of the next century, less than a handful of corporations will possess control over the entire agricultural foundation for every society." Said Rifkin, "In a few years' time, no farmer in the world is ever going to own seeds again--if that's not a case for antitrust, I don't know what is."

It's strange that while Europe frets over multinational corporations, much of the rest of the world is trying to figure out how to feed a growing population. Says University of Illinois microbiologist Abigail Salyers, "What are we going to do in 2020 and 2030? Transgenic crops are the answer." GM crops that resist infection, use nutrients more efficiently, are easier to cultivate, and produce higher yields may be the harbinger of a sustainable agriculture that's friendlier to the environment, according to Peter Raven, director of the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis. And developing nations want to be part of the debate and discussion now. In a plea to let Africa use biotech as it sees fit, Florence Wambugu, head of the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications in Nairobi, recognized the social agenda in Europe's anti-GM movement, protesting that "no evidence so far justifies the opinion of some in Europe that Africa should be excluded from transgenic crops. Africans can speak for themselves.

Marine ecologist Rita Colwell, director of the National Science Foundation, isn't surprised that today's fear of biotech in the United Kingdom seems to echo U.S. sentiment of more than a decade ago. "There's a sense of déjà vu, a 'been there, done that' feel," she says. Colwell credits the International Conference on Recombinant DNA Molecules held in Asilomar, Calif., in 1975 with the comparative lack of panic over transgenic technology in the United States. (See also Commentary, page 12.) "The conference was convened for the express purpose of confronting concerns about the safety of the research and making recommendations for action," she recalls.

The guidelines for recombinant DNA research proved to be appropriate and even conservative, and suited to the transgene technology that evolved when the technique segued to multicellular organisms. "Asilomar convinced people that we'd tested this technology. In Europe, there was no such experience, so the people don't trust the government as a vetting agency," says Raven. That's borne out in a recent study comparing U.S. and U.K. attitudes toward biotechnology,⁵ which showed that trust in the judgment of government agencies over biotech is stronger on this side of the Atlantic.

The mid-'90s BSE scare and the British government's downplaying of it severely violated public confidence. Failure to consider these differences in attitude among U.S. and U.K. citizens may explain the current early signs of anti-GM fever crossing the Atlantic. "The distrust has boomeranged back to the U.S. because companies stupidly went to Europe with GM foods and expected the public there to accept them without the Asilomar background that we have," Raven adds.

For Colwell, the lesson is clear: "Scientists must be at the forefront of discussion of GM crops. Understanding science will allow the public to ask better questions. They will need a general grasp of the territory to separate the scientists from the charlatans." Several speakers at the Sixteenth International Botanical Congress in St. Louis in August echoed Colwell's view. "Explain, explain, explain, until they understand. We should take public concerns seriously, even if we know they're uninformed," advised Iain Taylor, a professor of botany at the University of British Columbia. And John A. Bryant, a geneticist at the University of Exeter's Washington Singer Laboratory in Exeter, United Kingdom, who claims to have spent some of the most unpleasant moments of his life in public debate with "green" organizations, agrees. "I talk to school, church, and retiree groups. I explain that GM means just another tool of the plant breeder--it is not the work of the devil."

When scientists participate in the debate, they also show the public that they share its concerns. More than one scientist at the recent International Botanical Congress called for clearer labeling of GM foods. Says Cove, "The public was arrogantly ignored in not labeling. It's lack of information that's led to trouble."

Industry is also trying to figure out ways to please and retain consumers while educating them. Novartis contributes to the American Society of Plant Physiologists' education foundation to increase public awareness of plant research. Gerber's Relford mentions an ad hoc group the company is forming. "All the data say these products are safe--how do we communicate this? We are relying on a panel of activists and scientists to investigate how to make statements so that they will be understood. But the ad hoc committee will not talk about the science, safety, or environmental merits of biotechnology. Most activist groups agree that genetically enhanced foods are safe."

Will all the emphasis on education help? Maybe not. According to a study on public attitudes about GM foods,⁵ science literacy, as measured by minimal textbook knowledge, is greater in Europe than in the United States, yet anti-GM feeling is stronger overseas. The study also showed that the quantity of press coverage was more important than the quality in forming public opinion.

So Greenpeace continues to call for bans on releasing GM organisms to the environment, the fear and fervor in Europe and here continues to mount, more countries and companies are turning away GM crops, and farmers are wondering what to do. The technology, it seems, is being judged guilty despite evidence to the contrary. Perhaps when new traits offer obvious nutritional advantages, such as rice high in beta carotene and iron,⁶ consumers will accept GM foods more freely. Lower prices will also help. Meanwhile, Cove places the matter into historical perspective: "Every new scientific discovery has been met with public opposition. When vaccines were introduced, cartoons depicted horns on babies. If the public is told in a nonevangelical way more about genetic engineering, the barriers will break down. Putting the brake on GM foods would be an enormous disservice to the vast majority of people in the world who are starving."

Source- the-scientist.com

Five reasons why it pays to buy organic

2011-06-03T09:01:00.001-07:00

In a perfect world, all the food we bought would be organic. Unfortunately, we live in a world where we have to pay a premium price to buy organic food. In recent years, the organic versus non-organic debate has become one of the liveliest in the food world: Is organic food worth paying more for? In this article, we will review 5 reasons why it pays to go organic. In a nutshell, organic food is good: good for the environment, good for you and good for the small-scale family farms that grow it.

Eco-friendly

Organic food is produced based on a system of farming that has, at its heart, a fundamental commitment to human health, animal welfare and a sustainable environment. Organic farming methods are tailored to maintain and replenish soil fertility without the use of any toxic or persistent chemical inputs. According to the National Organic Standards Board, it is geared toward restoring and enhancing biological cycles and ecological harmony.

Non-GMO

Organic food is GMO-free. It is real, natural food, unlike the synthetic, genetically-engineered "Frankenfood" that is created in a laboratory for profit. Based on US federal requirements, organically-raised animals cannot have their genes modified or be fed any genetically engineered foods. These animals cannot be administered any antibiotics, bovine human growth hormone (rbGH) or other synthetic drugs.

Uncontaminated

Organic food does not contain toxic chemical residues such as pesticides, heavy metals and synthetic fertilizers. Tests conducted by the USDA show that most non-organic fruit and vegetables have residual pesticides, even after they are scrubbed or peeled. When systemic pesticides are used, they are absorbed into the entire fruit, and as such are impossible to remove. Peaches, apples, celery, pears and strawberries were found to carry the heaviest pesticide load.

With its zero tolerance for synthetic chemicals, organic farming helps protect essential water resources from contamination. According to estimates by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), run off of pesticides from industrial agriculture has contaminated the groundwater in 38 states, polluting the main source of drinking water for over half of the country's population. The Environmental Working Group reports that the levels of herbicide contamination in some cities' tap water exceeds federal lifetime standards for months at a time.

A Healthier Choice

There is growing evidence that organic food has a higher nutrient density than commercially produced food. This is because organically-raised animals, such as free range chickens and grass-fed cattle, live in a healthier, natural environment and usually eat a much wider variety of nutrients than their factory-raised counterparts. These animals have been shown to be significantly healthier than those that are raised on factory farms.

Furthermore, organic foods undergo minimal processing, so as to maintain the food's integrity. The addition of synthetic industrial ingredients such as preservatives, artificial flavors, food coloring or irradiation is strictly prohibited.

Support Organic Farmers

By buying organic, you support the small-scale family farms that produce organic foods, which not only supports their livelihood but also benefits local economies. Organic methods, which are more labor-intensive than conventional farming, create job opportunities for rural communities. This in turn increases tax revenues, which can be invested in funding schools, hospitals and other public works.

Researchers have also found that by practicing organic farming methods, these farmers reduce their production costs by more than 25%. This is as a result of eliminating the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, and increasing their crop yields up to five-fold in less than 5 years. This explains why organic farms have consistently been found to be more profitable than conventional farms.

References
http://www.ams.usda.gov/science/pdp
http://www.ota.com/organic/faq.html
http://www.organic-center.org/scien...
http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/org...
http://www.yelmworms.com/organic-fa...
http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories...
http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Pu...

Local and organic food, farming: Here's the standard

2011-06-03T09:00:00.007-07:00

More and more consumers and corporations are touting the benefits of "local" foods, often described as "sustainable," "healthy," or "natural." According to the trade publication, Sustainable Food News, "local" as a marketing claim, has grown by 15 percent from 2009 to 2010, and it's likely that number will increase in the coming year. (1) Even supermarket giant and junk food purveyor Wal-Mart, with total sales in 2009 of $405 billion, has jumped on the bandwagon. It has pledged to reduce food miles and increase its purchase of "local" fruits and vegetables to include 9 percent of its produce by 2015. (2)

Those who espouse local food are now called "locavores." But, beyond the greenwashing and co-opting of the term by Wal-Mart, the supermarket chains, and factory farms and feedlots, what does "local" food and farming really mean? What is the impact of non-organic local food and farming on public health, nutrition, soil, water, marine life, biodiversity, and climate?

Jessica Prentice coined the term "locavore" for World Environment Day in 2005 to promote local eating, and local consumption in general. Her goal was to challenge people to obtain as much food as possible from within a one hundred mile radius. Her success was more than she imagined. In 2007 the New Oxford American Dictionary selected "locavore" as its word of the year. Local had arrived!

Then, highly respected author Barbara Kingsolver published Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, emphasizing the value of eating locally, and the concept spread like wildfire. (3) While the eat local/buy local concept is increasingly popular, looking beyond the label or the marketing claims, it is obvious that "local" is a rather fuzzy concept, lacking in most cases a concrete definition or a set of principles and guidelines.

By contrast, the organic system of food production has legal definitions, a handbook of rules, permitted and prohibited substances, acceptable practices, an inspection process, and labels to guide consumers. Local has none of these guidelines, rules, inspections or protections. It has the cachet of popularity without any guarantee of safety or sustainability.

Some chemical farmers, and even poultry, egg, pork, dairy, or beef operators feeding their animals genetically modified (GMO) grains, claim that local is better than organic, because it stimulates the local economy and reduces the distance (food miles) that food travels between the farm or feedlot and your table. But does so-called local farming, utilizing toxic pesticides, GMO seeds and feed, chemical fertilizers, and animal drugs mean that the food is safe and sustainable? Obviously not. We believe that there shouldn't have to be a choice between local and safe organic; but rather that consumers should look for food that is not only local or regionally produced, but food that is also organic and therefore safe and sustainable. Local and chemical, or local using GMO seeds and feed, is nothing more than greenwashing. Organic and local is the new gold standard!

The locavore phenomenon brings up several important concerns including: food miles, chemically grown food, greenhouse gas emissions, factory farming, genetically engineered animal feed, and the value of organic labeling. All of these crucial issues relate to the central question: what should be in your market basket

Source - Natural news

"Pesticide Free" Mean Safe or Sustainable?

2011-06-03T09:00:00.005-07:00

Often, growers at farmers markets will say, "I don't use pesticides, I only use chemical fertilizers." Sadly, what many people do not realize is that chemical fertilizers are extremely hazardous. A high percentage of these fertilizers seep into our wells and municipal drinking water, or else run off into our streams, rivers, and finally end up in the ocean. Two-thirds of the nation's drinking water is contaminated with hazardous levels of nitrogen fertilizer. Non-organic farmers and feedlot operators are literally poisoning us and our children with the collateral damage of chemical fertilizers. High nitrogen and phosphorous levels in rivers and oceans kill fish and other marine wildlife. When this enormous amount of excess nitrogen enters the ocean it causes dead zones and oceanic acidification.

Some "pesticide free" growers will argue that since they only use chemical fertilizers, their produce is cleaner. Their food may not have high pesticide residues. But, remind them that "cleaner" isn't clean! And inform your local chemical farmer that their toxic fertilizer is polluting our drinking water, trashing the oceans, killing the soil's ability to sequester greenhouse gases, destabilizing the nitrogen cycle of plants, and emitting billions of pounds of deadly greenhouse gases every year.

Synthetic nitrogen fertilizer is perhaps the most potent greenhouse gas emitter in the U.S. To produce each pound of fertilizer, 6.6 pounds of nitrous oxide (N2O) are emitted. Nitrous oxide accounts for a full ten percent of all climate-destabilizing greenhouse gases.

Nitrous oxide is extremely hazardous. It depletes the ozone layer in the upper atmosphere (thereby increasing skin cancer for humans). It increases ozone pollution levels at the ground level (fueling the current epidemic of asthma and respiratory diseases). Poisonous nitrate fertilizers leaching into our rural wells and municipal drinking water supplies (where it combines into a super-toxic brew with pesticides) are a biological time bomb, a major cause of cancer, infertility, hormone disruption, and birth defects.

Perhaps most deadly of all, nitrate fertilizer kills our living soils and soil microorganisms, decreasing their ability to sequester (through plant photosynthesis) excess greenhouse gases in the soil. Even after a century of industrial farmers dumping hundreds of billions of pounds of chemical fertilizers on farmlands, our living soils still contain two to three times as much carbon as the atmosphere, with the practical capacity to clean and safely sequester a considerable amount of greenhouse gases over the next 40 years. In other words, our living soils can save us - but only if we stop the widespread use of nitrate fertilizers, GMO crops, and pesticides, and replace these deadly chemicals and mutant organisms with organic compost, compost tea, and cover crops, augmented by the biological power and fertility generated by organic, carefully planned, high-density rotational grazing of animals.

The energy-intensive manufacturing of nitrate fertilizers requires the use of massive amounts of natural gas, a resource in short supply, that will increasingly be needed to take us through the transition from fossil fuels to alternative energy. We can no longer afford to waste natural gas in order to uphold the profits of Cargill, Monsanto, and Food Inc. We can no longer afford to have chemical-intensive food and farming greenwashed as "local."

U.S. non-organic farmers used an average of 24 billion, 661 million pounds of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer per year from 1998 to 2007. That means that more than 162 billion, 762 million pounds of nitrous oxide (N2O) are released each year in the process of manufacturing that fertilizer. ( 5) Also released is the CO2 from transporting the fertilizer. Since 70% of synthetic nitrogen is imported, the transportation cost is increasingly higher each year. Beyond production and transportation emissions, enormous quantities of N2O get released when the 24.66 billion pounds of synthetic nitrogen is applied to farmland every year. Nitrous oxide is 310 times more damaging as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. Every year, U.S. farmers use enough synthetic nitrogen to fill more than 12,330 railroad boxcars with a capacity of 200,000 pounds each.

Consequently, farmers and supermarkets that tout their products as local and pesticide-free while still using synthetic fertilizers are engaged in greenwashing. Non-organic farms poisoning the environment with chemical fertilizers are a far cry from safe or environmentally friendly, even though they promote themselves as pesticide-free and local.

Source - Natural news

Chemical and Local versus Organic and Local

2011-06-03T09:00:00.003-07:00

Some growers and brokers argue that local, chemically grown is better than fresh organic, because so much that is organic travels long distances from the two coasts. If they are talking about comparing supermarket fresh organic with fresh chemically grown local, we should still choose supermarket organic, because, whether they are used locally or nationally, pesticides and fertilizers are more dangerous and deadly to your health and the health of the environment than chemically-free organic foods transported from outside your local region.

Chemical farmers are not inspected or reprimanded by the federal or state governments as to their use or abuse of pesticides or fertilizers unless there is an accident, whether they are local farmers or factory farmers from California, Florida, or China. The only way the abusers are caught is when there is a fish kill, a labor poisoning, a recall after multiple poisonings, or some other notable injury as a result of a spill, overuse, or carelessness.

By contrast, organic growers are inspected every year and can be inspected at any time the certifying agency or the federal government (USDA) deems it appropriate. These are the rules in California, Vermont, Chile, and all countries that grow and market certified organic products. Because organic farms are inspected (at least once a year), and their soil and water checked for toxins, consumers can be secure that organic products are the safest on the market. Consumers can be confident that organic food does not contain poisonous pesticide residues, did not poison farmworkers, and was not grown with a fertilizer that trashed the soil, the water, the atmosphere, and the oceans.

Organic farming is a set of techniques and strategies that encourage life to come back into the soil and into our food. Chemical fertilizers kill soil life and inhibit the accumulation of organic matter (plant residues in the soil). Organic matter is critical to organic farmers because nutrients cling to organic matter, so the plant roots can efficiently find and mine nutrients and water at those spots.

Organic farmers add nutrients such as lime, rock phosphate, potash, and sulfur in an effort to get the soil balanced so that the maximum amount of all nutrients and water are available to foraging plant roots. This soil-balancing act is a constant process. On light and sandy soils, organic matter must be replaced every year by growing a fertilizer crop and by adding small amounts of compost, which has billions of soil microorganisms. These critters go to work breaking down organic matter and making it available to plant roots while constantly adding to the fertility by defecating the digested organic matter (and they work 24-7, not 9 to 5).

To control pests, organic farmers rotate their crops, so that pests do not build up from continuous monocropping. Instead of toxic pesticides, organic growers use beneficial insects as predators and parasites on pests. They use bacterial sprays for certain worms and beetles. They spray clay on their apples and other fruits. They use insect traps and lures. And they use trap crops that the insects like better than the main crop. They use disease resistant crops that are immune or less prone to disease. And they monitor their fields often so that they can spot problems early.

Source - Natural news

How to avoid eating Genetically Modified Foods

2011-06-03T09:00:00.001-07:00

Concern about eating genetically modified foods alarms many health conscious consumers. Mike Adams has likened these genetically altered foods to the Frankenstein monster and has raised concerns about the FDA's approval of a genetically altered salmon for human consumption. He has called the GM salmon a "Frankenfish." Concern that the GM salmon will destroy fish populations, such as the Atlantic salmon already on the endangered species list, is added to concerns about the health effects from eating this fish. There are a few steps consumers can follow to help avoid GMOs in their food.

Avoiding genetically modified foods is not easy because the foods are not labeled as such. Some organizations, like Whole Foods Market, the Center for Food Safety and the Non-GMO Project, are now working to support organic agriculture, to source products not containing any GMOs and to help consumers identify non-GM foods.

Buy Organic Foods to Avoid GMOs

Food that is labeled as organic, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), must be produced without the use of any chemical fertilizers or GMOS. Feed for animals that is sold as organic must contain only 100% organic feed. Foods labeled as "organic" are not allowed to contain ANY ingredients sourced from GMOs. Foods labeled "100% organic" must have only 100% organic food sources. Foods labeled as "organic" may be 95 to 100 percent organic, but the other five percent may not be from GMOs. Foods and products labeled as "made with organic ingredients" are only required to contain 70 percent organic food, but all of the ingredients, 100 percent, must be from non-GMO sources. This means that buying organic foods or foods "made from organic ingredient" will protect consumers from GMOs in their food.

Avoid GM Soy, Corn and Canola

The most commonly modified crops are soy, corn, beet sugar and canola oil. To avoid corn and soy means avoiding soy oil and corn syrup, which are added to many foods. Read labels to verify food contents of any prepared or packaged foods.

Eliminate Sugar from the Diet

Sugar from beets is commonly added to prepared foods, desserts and candies. Aside from the GMO aspect, white sugar contains no nutritional value. Instead, use sorghum, honey or molasses to sweeten foods.

Avoid GM Artificial Sugars

Artificial sweeteners are known to be carcinogenic. In addition, some are created from a GM derivative. These synthetic sugars are commonly added to candy, soda pop, diet coffee drinks, and even chewable vitamins and oral prescription drugs like antibiotics. Use fruit and fruit syrups to sweeten foods, or honey and molasses. Even if they don't add calories, the artificial sweeteners increase the toxic load to the body.

- Natural news

Say No to GMO Food

2011-06-03T08:59:00.005-07:00

Organic food is gaining in popularity as consumers learn about the dangers of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). In fact, recent polls show that an overwhelming majority of Americans would actively choose to avoid eating genetically modified foods.

Despite these findings, the FDA does not require food manufacturers to disclose to the buyer that their food product contains GM content. However, there is one reliable way to avoid these GM brands: buy products that bear the USDA Certified Organic seal.

The USDA Certified Organic Seal

If a product bears the "USDA Certified Organic" seal on its package, it is a safe bet that it is free of GMOs, according to the Organic Consumers Association. It is the only federally-regulated product label that specifically prohibits the use of genetic engineering.

This seal certifies that the product is at least 95% organic, and that no genetically modified ingredients or derivatives were used in the manufacture of the food product: the remaining 5% of the ingredients are legally required to be non-GMO. To earn the USDA seal, a food product undergoes an extensive certification process that goes from field to fork.

Certified Organic Labeling

*Single-Ingredient Foods

A product that is completely organic, such as fruit, eggs, vegetables or other single-ingredient product, is labeled 100% organic and can bear the USDA organic seal. You may also find the seal and the word "organic" on packages of meat, cartons of milk and cheese.

*Multiple-Ingredient Foods

A multiple-ingredient product, such as a breakfast cereal, beverage or snack, can only bear the USDA seal if at least 95% of its ingredients are organic. The following classification system is used to indicate varying proportions of organic ingredients.

1.100% Organic.A product that is completely organic or made entirely from organic ingredients

2.Organic.A product that contains at least 95% organic ingredients (by weight).

3.Made with organic ingredients.A product that contains at least 70% organic ingredients

4.Contains organic ingredients.A product that contains less than 70% organic ingredients. This product cannot use the USDA organic seal or use the word "organic" on its product label. However, it can include organic items on its ingredient list.

Organic vs. Natural

It is important to keep in mind that the terms "organic" and "natural" on a product label arenotinterchangeable. Since a product that contains less than 70% organic ingredients cannot use the USDA organic seal, marketers use the terms "natural" or "all-natural" instead. However, these are mere marketing terms that have no actual legal meaning and may be applied to food products that contain GMOs.

- Natural news

Organic Food is Far Healthier Than Conventional

2011-06-03T08:59:00.003-07:00

Organic produce is nutritionally superior to so-called "conventional" produce, according to a comprehensive review conducted by researchers from the University of Aix-Marseille for the French food agency (AFSSA) and published in the journalAgronomy for Sustainable Development.

"This critical literature review indicates that organic agriculture, as developed until now, has the potential to produce high-quality products with some relevant improvements in terms of anti-oxidant phytomicronutrients, nitrate accumulation invegetablesand toxic residue levels," the researchers wrote.

To be recognized as "organic," a food product must be produced without the use of genetic modification or chemical fertilizers or pesticides, and must promote sustainable cropping methods. In the United States, organically produced meat and dairy must be raised without the use of synthetic growth hormones orantibiotics. Hormones and antibiotics are banned in animal production across the board in the European Union.

Recently the United Kingdom's Food Standards Agency (FSA) reviewed existingresearchon the nutritional content oforganic produceconcluded that there was no difference, nutritionally, between organic and non-organic produce. The FSA study did not examine the reasons most often given by consumers of organic produce, namely benefits to the environment, farm workers, and consumerhealthdue to lower chemical use.

Yet the AFSSAreviewcalls the FSA's conclusions into question. After conducting an "up-to-date exhaustive and critical evaluation of the nutritional and sanitary quality oforganic food," French researchers concluded that organic produce is clearly nutritionally superior.

Organic produce contains more minerals, such asironand magnesium, than non-organic produce, and higher levels of antioxidants such as phenols and salicylic acid.

"Organic plantfoodoverall contain double the amount of phenolic compounds," the researchers wrote.

Animal foods produced organically contained significantly more polyunsaturated fat than non-organic animalproducts. In addition, organic vegetables contained 50 percent less nitrates than non-organic produce. No more than 6 percent of organic produce tested contained pesticide residue.

- Natural news

Top Six Reasons to Eat Only Organic Fruits and Vegetables

2011-06-03T08:59:00.001-07:00

When you eat organic foods, you provide your body with vitamins, minerals, filtered water, and much more. These provide us with vital foundations for health. Most food sold in stores is grown with pesticides or other toxins. These chemicals have been proven to adversely affect health. In some cases they cause death. They also pollute the Earth and have been associated with mass animal deaths. Your choices make a huge difference in the quality of your life. What you eat builds and maintains your body. Also, supporting organics supports a healthy Earth. You help to improve the quality of water, soil, and air. Animals, plants, birds, worms, and other living beings also benefit when you choose organic foods.

1. You Are What You Eat

In 1826, Anthelme Brillat-Savarin originated the ever-famous "You are what you eat" in his bookMeditations on Transcendent Gastronomy. We have heard this truism throughout our lives. Have you considered the depths of its wisdom? Eat an apple, and you eat life: vitamins, minerals, water, and more. Eat pesticide residue, and you fill your body with poisons. These toxins accumulate in your muscle and fat tissues. Some of them are nearly impossible to ever remove from your body. Mothers who breast-feed children illustrate an example of these danger potentials, because poisons are passed to the baby. TheJournal for Pesticide Reformreports that "pesticides such as chlordane, heptachlor, DDT, DDE and other organohalogen compounds do not biodegrade in the environment. Instead they bioconcentrate and are stored in the fat of human beings, who feed at the top of the food chain." Also, a 1999 Consumers Union report determined that "pesticide residues found in foods children eat every day often exceed safe levels".

Organic foods are grown with no poisons. They are natural foods that have been grown with more conscious care for the health of the soil, the plants, and the people who will eat them. Over 100 studies have found that the nutritional quality of organic foods far surpasses that of conventional produce [8-10]. Why take a chance and risk exposing yourself, your children, or your friends to chemicals that could destroy their health? Why make this even a negotiable point for yourself? Choose organic, choose natural, and you choose health.

2. Food is your best medicine.

In the 5th century BC, Hippocrates taught that "let food be your medicine and medicine be your food." He was highly respected during his lifetime, and he has been famous ever since. His words have stood the test of time and remain deep wisdoms that we can live by. All medical doctors to this day recite the Hippocratic Oath. In this vow, doctors promise to try never to harm their patient and also to work for their patient's highest good.

We can all make similar choices. We can all seek to bring about our highest good. We can all seek not to harm ourselves. We can live by that oath and also by Hippocrates' other famous teaching: Food is your Best Medicine. If this is true, then it makes sense that we should choose foods that are known to bring us health, energy, and peace of mind. Scientists have proven in many studies that organic food choices have far superior nutritional quality than conventional food choices. Also, they have proven that foods grown with pesticides are definitely linked with diseases and deaths for humans and animals.

With all that in mind, the choice seems clear: Choose Organic.

3. Pay now or pay later.

Cost is the number one reason that people choose for not buying or eating organic foods. When you eat food that may contain poisons, however, the cost is far higher than simply the price tag. This cost also includes the impact that this food choice has upon your body and the world. Studies have proven that pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, and other poisons accumulate in the body and lead to illness, disease, and death.

Next time you feel hesitant to pay a couple of extra dollars for an organic item, simply remember: Pay now for delicious, healing food or pay later for medical bills, illness, and suffering. When you pay for organic food, you pay for energy, health, and the wellbeing of the Earth.

4. We prefer life over death.

Humans innately desire life. We desire health, energy, well-being, happiness, and wellness. Thus, we should choose that which will bring us greatest energy, happiness, and health. Conversely, we should not choose that which will bring us fatigue, depression or anxiety, ailments, illnesses, diseases, or death.

Pesticide is designed to kill, and it does not know when to stop killing. This is all that it does. Organic, naturally-prepared foods, on the other hand, provide beneficial nutritional and healing qualities for us.

With all this in mind, again, the choice seems clear: Choose Organic.

5. Earth needs your help.

We live amidst the newest mass extinction on our planet. Typically in a mass extinction, more than 50% of species on Earth die off, and over 70% diminish greatly. A recent study published inTrends in Ecology and Evolution(TREE) states that "most species [on Earth] are declining as a result of human activities and...the result will be a more homogenized biosphere with lower diversity at regional and global scales". The study also reports that "humans have not yet fully impacted some remaining ecosystems (and their endemic species) so that the total number of declining species will probably grow." We are hurting animals and plants worldwide. We are also harming the quality of our air, our water, and our soil. The result of this is that we hurt ourselves, also. Every level of life is being affected by our lifestyle and our choices.

Every choice we make has an impact on environment. When we buy food (or anything), we support every level of production that has gone into this product. We support the farmer or rancher or logger who grew our primary resources. We support whatever pesticides or natural methods that they choose. We support also the manufacturing processes that produce our goods. This means that we also support any use of chemicals or packaging that manufacturers choose to use. At the next level, we also support the distribution of these foods or goods to our stores. We support the stores at which we purchase items. Finally, we support the gasoline, bicycle, and shoe companies that provide our means of reaching the store to buy food.

Every time we make a choice we have a large impact. We affect ourselves, multiple other people, resources, surrounding lands and animals, the carbon footprint (air, water, soil) of distribution and production, and the gasoline/automobile/bicycle companies that give us movement.

Your choices make a difference. The Earth needs your help. Therefore, choose organic.

6. Healthy plants mean healthier soil, water, birds, worms, animals, plants, air, and you.

Since the 5th century BC, people have been telling us a healthy way to live. The way is natural. The way is organic. The natural path honors nature and works in harmony with Earth. As a result, we achieve harmonious health. We feel energy, peace of mind, wellness, and health. Also, the plants and animals benefit. The air, water, and soil benefit. Organic food is a choice that makes a lot of sense. Again, you pay now or pay later. Make organic food a non-negotiable choice. Choose life.

- Natural news

The term "Natural" has no real meaning

2011-06-03T08:58:00.003-07:00

The parameters of the word "organic" are fairly well defined and specified. Many other food producers wish to gain the appeal and higher price tag of organic foods without going through the rigors to obtain organic certification. Instead, they label their food products as "natural". This term does not in any way mean that the product meets the criteria met by organic products.

If it seems like there are more products labeled as natural, it is not your imagination. Almost everyone who is not an organic producer wants to cash in on American`s desire to eat healthier. One-third of all new U.S. food and beverage products in 2008 highlighted claims of being "natural" or otherwise healthy. But terms like these have nothing to do with the nutritive value of the final product. Even the term "organic" simply refers to how the product was grown or raised, and does not refer to the nutritional value of the product.

The USDA, the regulating body for meat and poultry, says those products can be labeled as "natural" if they do not contain any artificial ingredients or added color, and are only minimally processed (a vague requirement). But if the term is used, the label must also give an additional explanation, such as "no added colorings or artificial ingredients".

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allows the term "natural" to be used on food labels when the food contains no added colors, artificial flavors or synthetic substances. This leaves a large gray area. When asked in 2005 to be more specific in its definition of "natural", the FDA declined. Soon after, the Center for Science in the Public Interest sued Kraft Foods because of an "all natural" claim for its Capri Sun drinks. The suit was dropped when Kraft agreed to take the claim off the label. The makers of 7 Up tried to make the same claim but removed the term from its label under threat of court action.

Why does organic food cost so much?

2011-06-03T08:58:00.001-07:00

Prices for organic foods reflect many of the same costs as conventional items in terms of growing, harvesting, transportation and storage. Organically produced foods must also meet stricter regulations governing all of these steps, resulting in a more labor and management intensive process. Organic farming is usually on a smaller scale. Mounting evidence shows that if all the indirect costs of conventional food production, like the cleanup of polluted water, replacement of eroded soils, costs of health care to farmers and farm workers, were factored into the price of food, organic foods would cost the same or even less than conventionally grown foods.

A July, 2008 survey found that among customers who reported buying organic products, 56 percent had household incomes of more than $100,000, and 36 percent had incomes of less than $25,000. This data shows that the decision to shop organically is a matter of priorities.

Although the organic industry is predicted to grow at 18 percent a year through 2010, the sagging economy may tempt some Americans to cut back on organic purchases they perceive as costing more. But in the long run this choice is clearly not cost effective considering the damage to health and productivity losses associated with a conventionally grown diet, as well as the hidden costs of buying conventional. And then, there`s the taste to think about.

Organic farming offers a difference

2011-06-03T08:57:00.001-07:00

In the U.S. alone, more than one billion pounds of pesticides are released into the environment as a result of non-organic practices. Some of these are very persistent and remain in the environment long after application. Extensive pesticide residue testing by the USDA found that conventionally produced fruits and vegetables are three to over four times more likely to contain pesticide residues than organic produce, and these are eight to eleven times more likely to contain multiple residues and residues at levels three to ten times higher than corresponding residues found in organic samples.

A recent study reported inEnvironmental Health Perspectivesfound that by substituting organic fresh fruits and vegetables for corresponding conventional food items, the median urinary metabolite concentrations of malathion and chlorpyrifos pesticides could be reduced from a high level to a level of non-detected or close to non-detected.

Conventional agricultural methods can cause water contamination. Beginning in 1995, a network of environmental organizations, including the Environmental Working Group, began testing tap water for herbicides across the Corn Belt, and in Louisiana and Maryland. The results revealed widespread contamination of tap water with many different pesticides at levels that present serious health risks. In some cities, herbicides in tap water exceeded federal lifetime health standards for weeks or months at a time. The elimination of polluting chemicals and nitrogen leaching by the use of organic farming methods, in combination with soil building, works to prevent contamination and to protect and conserve water resources.

Organic foods will help to reduce the weight

2011-05-29T08:22:00.000-07:00

Organically-grown foods are a controversial topic. They do produce foods with less pesticides however there exists much debate as to whether or not they are nutritionally superior.
One thing about organics is clear, however - they are a marketers dream. Somehow being grown without the use of commercial pesticides has been interpreted by a disturbing amount of people as being "less caloric".
That's right - according to this paper in the journal Judgment and Decision Making, Norbert Schwarz, professor of marketing at the U-M Ross School of Business found that Americans believe that organic foods contain fewer calories than do conventional foods. This is true despite both having the same calories labelled.

The researchers showed more than 100 subjects nutrition information for a regular Oreo cookie and for one that was made with organic flour and sugar.

The label clearly showed a serving size (two cookies) of 160 calories for both Oreos.

38% of the participants thought that the organic cookie had fewer calories than non-organic brands.

Apparently eating organic can also negate the need for exercise according to some.
Schwarz's research team asked more than 200 study participants whether a female college student trying to lose weight could forgo her daily post-dinner, three-mile run if;

She ate an organic dessert

She ate a conventional non-organic dessert (in both cases, a small bowl of ice cream or a chocolate chip cookie)

She skipped the dessert altogether.

Given the results of the previous study, it should come as no surprise that participants were more favorable towards the organic desert and skipping the desert than eating the conventional desert.What WAS surprising is that slightly more participants thought that eating the organic dessert would be more favorable than skipping the dessert. Wrap your head around that one.
If ever there were a study that underscores both the level of nutritional confusion and the power of food marketing - this would be it.

Organic Farming: Vermicomposting

2008-12-30T07:29:00.000-08:00

Organic farming requires only the inputs from bio wastes and eco-friendly wastes.....
The very most thing that is been used as a fertilizer for the production of organic food is Vermicompost....
There are very many ways the vermicompost can be prepared in a high cost effective manner....

Coir Pith waste:

coir pith waste is found abundantly and they are fired to destroy them....
they contain high lignin and cellulose content. they harm the crops and land... so prior applying they should be composted properly. these can be composted by various methods and used effectively..

1. By the use of EFFECTIVE MICROORGANISMS (EM), they can be efectively used upon these and allowed to stand still for a period of 2 months. By the end of this yime period these would be ready for feeding the earthworm along with cow dung or poultry waste.

GMO crops…! A serious warning….!

2008-12-30T07:15:00.001-08:00

GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) crops have taken their way in to the globe because of the evolution of Recent Advances in Biotechnology. They pose serious threat to our environment and consumers. They are evolved with the help of Genetic Engineering, which includes the incorporation of genes from any bacterium (Bacillus thureingenesis) in to the host plant. These genes are target specific and are mostly against the pests. When the plant grows these genes are expressed, and if any pest feeds on this plant, due to water loss and many other biochemical reactions mortality takes place.

GMO (genetically Modified) death to pest BUT threat to humans…….

2008-12-30T07:13:00.000-08:00

As they are genetically engineered and a desired gene is expressed, the crop yield may also contain the modified gene which may result in many health problems to the livings.

Bt cotton was the very first to get popularized around the world as genetically modified crop. As it was the period for the farmers where they were worried with low yield, low price, water scarcity, weed management, pest control and many more, the Bt crop reached every one as a very easier way with good advertisement by the seed company. Even though they had invested huge amount in the seeds their yield was low but had a little control against pests.

As the expected yield was not attained many farmers in Andhra Pradesh, India lost their living (as reported). Also many cattle which entered inside the farm lands of Bt cotton died. This led to the high evidence of GMO crops having serious threat to to environment and living hood.

Guidelines for obtaining Organic Certification

2008-12-21T03:27:00.001-08:00

IFOAM

1.Initially , a farm is inspected and a report is lodged with the certification review committee(CRC).If CRC recommends the farm enter the certification system , it will be placed "Under Supervision" for the first 12
months.During this time ,produce or products cannot be sold as 'Cerified Organic" or as 'IN CONVERSION TO Organic".

2.After 12 months , the farm may be upgraded to "In Conversion" if the second inspection is satisfactory.The farm must then complete two years "In Conversion" before it is considered for certifying as "Organic"(otherwise known as "A GRADE Organic")

3.The"In conversion"period may be rteduced - but only where it can be demonstrated a farm had , during the years immediately preceeding conversion , used techniques closely allied to those of organic agriculture and which meet all testing and inspection requirements .Whatever the length of the conversion period , product may not be sold as "In conversion to Organic" until a farm has been under an inspection system for 12 months.

4.In the case of other farm activities not being certified , those activiies must be clearly seperated and the products must be of a different nature from the certified produces or products. There can not be organic and non -organic growing (parallel production)of the same species on the same property-or on any other property under the same grower's management or control.

5.When a defined area is certified , the remainder of the farm must be converted to organic within 10 years.

SKAL INTERNATIONAL

Step 1: Documentation
You contact Skal and ask for the necessary information. After reading this you can decide to an official application.

Step 2: Application
You return the completed application form with a copy of your registration at the Chamber of Commerce, and you pay the application fee.

Step 3: Registration as licensee
After receipt of the application form and the application fee Skal will send you a confirmation of the registration as licensee. As from that moment you are officially registered and you can start the conversion to the organic production method.
Note: you do not yet have the right to use indications referring to the organic production method. After being officially registered within five working days an appointment will be made for the first inspection of your company.

Step 4: Inspection
An inspector will visit your company and make a local survey. The inspector will see to it that the activity applied for does harmonise with the necessary conditions.
If necessary, the inspector will inform you about changes needed in order to comply with these conditions.
The result of the inspection will be registered in an inspection report.

Step 5: Judgement and certification
The inspection report will be judged at Skal. Farmers will receive a letter mentioning the starting date of the conversion period and the expected date of first marketing of organic products. When your company complies with all necessary conditions the activity applied for will be certified by Skal.

Step 6: Rights resulting from certification
Only after certification you are allowed to perform the activities involved. These activities are producing, processing, importing and marketing of products carrying the indication “from organic production” and / or the EKO Quality symbol or the indication “produced during conversion to organic agriculture”.

Organic Certification Process and Guidelines

2008-12-21T02:50:00.000-08:00

The organic certification is essential when a consumer purchases an Organic product. This is essential nowadays due to increased demand in the market for Organic produce. The product doesn't have any major differences visually so it is easy to cheat and consumers mistaking a normal for organic produce. There are many certification agencies who provides organic certification when the farmer meets all the stringent procedure mentioned in their list. This certification is valid for certain period of time (mostly one year), and again there will be an inspection from the agencies and extend for a desired time period.

* Study the organic standards, which cover in specific detail what is and is not allowed for every aspect of farming, including storage, transport and sale.
* Compliance - farm facilities and production methods must comply with the standards, which may involve modifying facilities, sourcing and changing suppliers, etc.
* Documentation - extensive paperwork is required, detailing farm history and current set-up, and usually including results of soil and water tests.
* Planning - a written annual production plan monthwise must be submitted, detailing everything from seed to sale: seed sources, field and crop locations, fertilization and pest control activities, harvest methods, storage locations, etc.
* Inspection - annual on-farm inspections are required, with a physical tour, examination of records, and an oral interview.
* Fee - Depends upon the certification agency.
* Record-keeping - written, day-to-day farming and marketing records, covering all activities, must be available for inspection at any time.

The term ORGANIC.....?

2008-12-21T02:38:00.000-08:00

Organic foods are defined as those foods that are grown without the use of synthetic fertilizers or pesticides. Pesticides are chemical or control agents made to kill insects, weeds and fungal pests that damage crops. In large amounts these have been found to cause different illnesses including cancer. Organic foods do not necessarily mean toxin-free, as plants produce their own natural toxins and these can contaminate organic products. Also, farmers can use natural pesticides, such as sulfur, nicotine and copper, which can also be found on the foods. Organically raised animals are those raised with organic feed and kept free from growth hormones and antibiotics.

If you wanted to know more about organic foods and Organic farm practices....

Go to the site>>>

GENERAL OVERVIEW ABOUT ORGANIC FARMING AND PRODUCTS

2008-12-21T02:31:00.000-08:00

Organic food

Organic foods are produced under certain conditions which does not harm land, Cultiver, Ecosystem and the yield. They are grown with out the application of synthetic pesticides and artificial fertilizers which will harm the complete ecosystem.

Food is very important for our life which provides energy to do any task and be active. But nowadays with the high modern technologies and scientific improvement, we have produced fertilizers and Growth promoters synthetically to grow the food crops which in turn increases the yield and decreases the life of the soil (microbial load, Earthworm, essential minerals) finally this land becomes unfit for cultivation.

Organic Farming

Organic food is cultivated with the use of Biopesticides, Beneficial microorganisms (Pseudomonas sp., Azospirillum sp., Azotobacter sp., Bacillus subtilis, Trichoderma sp., Rhizobium, Phospobacteria, etc.,), Vermicompost, Farm Yard Manure (FYM), Poultry waste, Cowdung, Coirpith compost, etc.

Effects of Pesticides

There are some studies supporting the effects and side effects of the synthetic pesticides upon the health of farm workers. These studies confirms the health problems like, headache, nausea, skin allergy, irritaion in eye, dizziness and in some cases abdominal pain. Also some studies had confirmed with major health problems like, memory disorders, cancer, depression, miscarriages, birth defects and respiratory problems. The cancer disease occurs majorly with the Organophosphate exposed workers.

Depletion in Avi fauna

Avi fauna is majorly disturbed by the use of pesticides. Many birds in the farm side enters to the crop land in search of their food, which finally leads to disturbed life cycle of some birds due to intake of pesticide sprayed food.

Migratory birds, such as Swainson's hawks, have wintering grounds in Argentina where thousands of them were found dead from monocrotophos insecticide poisoning.

Later there was a high decline in many species of birds and studies found that due to the consumption of feed with pesticidal load, they lost the capability of laying eggs and if layed, the egg shell were very thin and breaks up easily and the next generation failed. Due to this reason many species entered near threatened.

Cost of Organic food

Organic food products typically costs more when compared to conventionally produced food products. This is because they are produced in low quantities, high care is taken to cultivate, risk from pests, initially conversion of conventional to organic land involves high work and initial loss in the productivity. Their cost hikes around 10 to 30% compared to conventional products.

Environmental benefit

Compared to conventional farming techniques, organic farm
Do not release synthetic pesticides
Do not harm land
Do not affect water bodies
Do not harm Animal husbandry/Aquatic life

They produce less waste and recyclable

Organic farming yield

The yield with organic farming is found to be in varying ratios in different parts of the world. They usually produce less yield, about 20 to 30% lesser than its normal yield and by repeated use of organic fertilizers their yield will increases. But initially in the start of conventional to organic farming there should be high input of Organic fertilizers like Vermicompost, FYM, beneficial microbes, etc.,

Organic statistics

Only about 1% to 2% grow organic food crops worldwide. There is a gradual increase in the farming sector for growing Organic food. This has highly reached to the Agriculturists only because of its high demand and cost and not due to the health concern. Only about 30% of the Organic growers are really concerned with the health, ecosystem, green house gases, etc.,

Problems of Conventionally grown crops over organically grown foods

2008-12-21T01:35:00.000-08:00

Crops grown using synthetic pesticides provide crude protein in higher amount due to the application of Nitrogen fertilizers but with poorer quality.
A study by Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi has found that - For a 60 kg adult in India:
• Of the 8 pesticides considered, TMDI (theoritcal maximum daily intake) was 149 per cent to an unimaginable 7,218 per cent of US Environmental Protection Agency ADI (Acceptable Daily Intake);
• DDT and Monocrothophos intake was 5,663 per cent and 5,034 per cent of ADI, respectively;
• Chlorpyrifos and Malathion intake were now 2,309 per cent and 204 per cent of their respective ADIs

For a 10 kg child in India:

Of the 8 pesticides considered, TMDI of 7 pesticides were 214 per cent to 7,218 per cent of the USEPA safety limit.

It is important to note that the three segments of the population that are most susceptible to the ill effects of pesticide exposure are infants, childern and expectant mothers. Childern below five years are more susceptible to pesticidal residues in the mother feed and the food provided to them and they are highly vulnerable to endocrine disruptors and developmental neurotoxins.

Compared to the grains and cereals, fresh fruits and vegetables consumed contains more pesticidal residues because they are reaching consumers fastly from the farm. These residue accumulation can be minimized bu washing thoroughly in running water or by peeling the outer skin. But peeling the outer skin also minimizes the B-complex vitamins and minerals because they are present just under the skin of the vegetables and fruits. The only better way is to consume organically grown foods.

CONVENTIONAL FARMING VS ORGANIC FARMING

2008-12-21T01:14:00.000-08:00

Conventional farming	Organic farming
Apply chemical fertilizers to promote plant growth.	Apply natural fertilizers, such as manure or compost, to feed soil and plants.
Spray insecticides to reduce pests and disease.	Use beneficial insects and birds, mating disruption or traps to reduce pests and disease.
Use chemical herbicides to manage weeds.	Rotate crops, till, hand weed or mulch to manage weeds.
Give animals antibiotics, growth hormones and medications to prevent disease and spur growth.	Give animals organic feed and allow them access to the outdoors. Use preventive measures — such as rotational grazing, a balanced diet and clean housing — to help minimize disease.

ORGANIC FOODS & NUTRITIONAL QUALITY

2008-12-21T01:11:00.001-08:00

A nutrient decline study by US Department of Agriculture in 43 garden crops found that there has been a statistically significant decline in nutritional levels between 1950 and 1993 with regard to Protein, Calcium, iron, phosphorus, riboflavin and ascorbic acid. The decline ranged from 6% in protein to 38% in riboflavin. The decline could be attributed to modern farming methods involving high yielding hybrid varieties, poor soil fertility, depletion of soil micronutrients, loss of soil microorganisms. The nutritional quality of Organic food is much better because of emphasis on creating a natural ecosystem, soil fertility & conservation and non use of fertilizers, pesticides and using appropriate varities.

There are many specific ingredients present in vegetables and fruits which helps in promoting health and provides micro and macro nutrients. They are highly rich in fiber content and antioxidants. In organic food the concentration of antioxidant is found to be higher and they are helpful in neutralizing cell damage caused by free radicals and dioxygen or peroxide molecules also called reactive oxygen or nitrogen species. The total supply of antioxidants circulating in the body is the sum of antioxidant enzymes and acids manufactured by the body plus antioxidants consumed in foods.

Flavonol (which acts as antioxidants ) concentrations are highest in or near the peel of fruits since their biosynthesis is stimulated by light. In green leafy vegetables, the outer leaves often contain flavonol concentrations more than 10 times the concentrations found in inner leaves. As a result of this pattern of concentration in fruits and vegetables, consuming the outer portions of produce is a key strategy in increasing flavonol intake. Consuming organically grown fruits and vegetables can help prevent the loss of peel or outer covering thereby preserving flavonol and other vitamins and minerals working as antioxidants. Organically grown fruits had higher levels of flavonoids.

Why buy organic products……?

2008-12-21T01:08:00.000-08:00

They meet stringent standards.

They tastes great.

They reduces health risks.

Increases the life time.

Organic farming respects our water sources.

Organic farming builds soil.

They work in hormony with nature

Organic producers strive to preserve diversity.

Organic farming helps keep rural communities healthy.

Health Benefits of Organic Food - Scientific evidence

2008-12-21T00:58:00.000-08:00

HIGHER NUTRIENT LEVELS
Official food composition tables, including data compiled by the US Department of Agriculture, reveal that since the 1940s the mineral levels in fruits, vegetables, meat and dairy have declined substantially in conventional foods. Combine this with earlier (pre-ripened) picking, longer storage, and more processing of crops, and it's not surprising that we may be getting fewer nutrients in our food than we were 60 years ago.
We can expect also that phytonutrients, many of which are antioxidants involved in the plant's own defense system, will be higher in organic produce because crops rely more on their own defenses in the absence of regular applications of chemical pesticides. Evidence is emerging that confirms this expectation. Higher levels have so far been found of lycopene in organic tomatoes, polyphenols in organic potatoes, flavonols in organic apples, and resveratrol in organic red wine. A recent review of the subject estimated that organic produce will tend to contain 10-50% higher phytonutrients than conventional produce.

LOWER PESTICIDE RESIDUES
Most pesticide-residue safety levels are set for individual pesticides, but many samples of fresh produce carry multiple pesticide residues. Rules often do not take into account the "cocktail effect" of combinations of pesticides in and on foods. Research is emerging confirming the potential for such synergistic increases in toxicity of up to 100-fold, resulting in reproductive, immune and nervous system effects not expected from the individual compounds acting alone.
Israeli researchers have linked symptoms such as headaches, tremor, lack of energy, depression, anxiety, poor memory, dermatitis, convulsions, nausea, indigestion and diarrhoea with dietary intakes of pesticides. Belgian research has found that women diagnosed with breast cancer are six to nine times more likely to have the pesticides DDT or hexachlorobenzene in their bloodstreams compared to women who did not have breast cancer. Hawaiian researchers following 8,000 people for 34 years have found that increasing consumption of conventional fruit and juice (and the pesticide residues they carry) raises the risk of Parkinson's disease.

Dr. Vyvyan Howard, toxico-pathologist at the University of Liverpool, UK, comments on the trend towards organic food on the part of health-minded consumers:
"People are applying the precautionary principle to their own lives by purchasing food that has not been produced by industrial methods. From the simple stance of hazard avoidance, organically produced food is the best option that we have."

The British Medical Association appears to agree:
"Until we have a more complete understanding of pesticide toxicity, the benefit of the doubt should be awarded to protecting the environment, the worker, and the consumer—this precautionary approach is necessary because the data on risk to human health from exposure to pesticides are incomplete."

Elizabeth Gillette's landmark 1998 paper in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives showed how a combination of low-level environmental, household and dietary exposures caused subtle yet measurable developmental deficits in children. Gillette research study had comparison of children in two nearby isolated villages in Mexico, one in which pesticides were routinely used in their farming, and one in which they were not. Everything else was the same between these two villages—genes, diet, lifestyle, climate, culture, etc. The study found significant differences between the two groups in both mental and motor abilities (with the children who were exposed to pesticides scoring at a much lower level), as well as an increase in aggressive behavior.

In 1995 an Australian study of breast milk found that infants are regularly exposed to several pesticides at levels greater than maximum recommended exposures. In Canada, a direct correlation has been observed between pesticide contamination of breast milk and increased risk of otitis media in Inuit infants.

University of Queensland marine biologist Dr Simon Costanzo reported in the March 2005 issue of Marine Pollution Bulletin that antibiotics and antibiotic-resistant bacteria are common in the sewage and waterways of the state capital Brisbane, potentially posing a threat to human health and the environment. The British Medical Association has warned that antibiotic resistance is "one of the major public health threats that will be faced in the 21st century," while the World Health Organization has called for a reduction in the use of antibiotics in agriculture.

The research study on the amount of the heavy metals aluminum, cadmium, lead and mercury provided, Aluminum have implicated for years in the development of Alzheimer's disease. It's content in organic food averaged 40% less that in commercial foods. Lead toxicity can adversely affect our children's' IQ. It averaged 29% lower in organic foods. Mercury, which can cause neurologic damage, averaged 25% lower in organic foods.

NUTRIENTS FOUND HIGHER IN ORGANIC FOOD:

* Chromium is a micronutrient that is low in Western diets. Its deficiency is associated with the onset of adult diabetes and atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). Chromium (heavy metal) was found to be higher in organic foods by an average of 78%.
* Selenium is one of the antioxidant nutrients that protects us from damage by environmental chemicals. It is protective against cancers and heart disease. It was found to be an average of 390% higher in organic foods.
* Calcium, needed for strong bones, averaged 63% higher in organics.
* Boron, which has been shown to help prevent osteoporosis (along with calcium), averaged 70% more.
* Lithium, which is used to treat certain types of depression, was 188% higher.
* Magnesium, which reduces mortality from heart attacks, keeps muscles from spasming, and eases the symptoms of PMS, averaged 138% more.

Organic farming - Eco-friendly

2008-12-21T00:54:00.000-08:00

Environmental benefits of Organic farming
The Rodale Institute has reported that organic farming systems use 30% less fossil fuels than other farming systems. They have also found that organic farming tends to hold more carbon in the soil, reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Carbon dioxide is an important greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change.

“No food has higher amounts of beneficial minerals, essential amino acids and vitamins than organic food”. Research from around the world has supported this statement. There is not always a difference between organic food and other food, but when there is a difference, organic foods do have higher amounts of these beneficial substances.

Eco-friendly Organic farming

    * Topsoil erosion: One-third of our nation's topsoil has eroded due to modern industrialized farming practices. Not only does each lost inch cause a 6% drop in farm yields, but it also leads to increased flood exposure as a result of siltation.
    * Toxic runoff: Pesticide-heavy runoff from farmland into rivers, lakes, and streams takes a toll on wildlife. Riparian habitats within watersheds are destroyed by chemical contamination. Additionally, the conversion of wild habitat to agricultural land significantly reduces fish and wildlife populations through erosion and sedimentation, the effects of pesticides, removal of riparian plants, and the diversion of water.
    * Decreased biodiversity: With its emphasis on yield, uniformity, market acceptability and pest resistance, present-day agricultural norm sacrifices variety of species. Before the advent of modern industrialized agriculture, farmers produced roughly 80,000 species of plants; today farmers rely on about 150. The increasing reliance on a small number of crop species means declining nutritional variety for consumers as well as increased strain on overburdened farmland.
    * Health risks: Heavy reliance on pesticides by conventional farmers is suspected of leading to increased rates of cancer and reproductive problems in humans. More than 80% of the most commonly-used pesticides today have been classified by National Academy of Sciences researchers as potentially carcinogenic -- and are routinely found in mothers' milk.