Organic? or Not!
Ok, so I haven't written in a month. Haven't felt I needed to. But today will not be a rant or rave. I want to discuss organic foods. Over the last 5 to 10 years we have seen the spread of organic foods. For those of you that have not delved into them and are not familiar with exactly how they are different from everyday food, it is pretty simple. The definition that the government provided the public in 2002 was this:
Abstain from the application of prohibited materials (including synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and sewage sludge) for 3 years prior to certification and then continually throughout their organic license.
Prohibit the use of genetically modified organisms and irradiation.
Employ positive soil building, conservation, manure management and crop rotation practices.
Provide outdoor access and pasture for livestock.
Refrain from antibiotic and hormone use in animals.
Sustain animals on 100% organic feed.
Avoid contamination during the processing of organic products.
Keep records of all operations.
This information and and more is provided at the organic consumers organization website. Now when I was younger, organic meant that it was either a plant, tree , or bush. I was not even aware that this other defiition existed. A few years ago I was at lunch with colleagues. Most of them have Doctorate degrees or at minimum their Masters. The subject of organic foods came up and none of us could actually define what an organic product was. Everyone had their thories, or stated what they had heard or read, so I didn't feel left out when I admitted that I had no clear idea what they were. Now that I do know, I have to ask this, How important are they? If I have history correct, we used pesticides to keep our crops from being ravaged by insects. That was all I knew when I was younger. When insects became "immune" to what farmers were using, more harsh chemicals were needed. But then we found that we were accidentally killing animals and pets. So the next wave of chemicals came and they were supposed to be non toxic. Soon enough the environmentalists got involved and the next generation came along which were environmentally friendly. Then ove rthe last few years we have leanred that companies were and still are using chemicals on animals to produce larger beasts of burden. I am sure everyone is familiar with the scandal involving KFC and their 'mutant' chickens.
So this is where we are now. We have products that are produced using all natural fertilizers and organic chemicals, and we have regular food that is produce using modern methods. which is better? Some could argue that with the current state of affairs in the world, our synthetic methods are warrented in order to produce enough food to feed the world. On the other side, is it possible that our own short-sightedness has produced some of the difficulties such as new diseases and allergies to certain foods (nut allergies for example)? What do you prefer? Can you tell the difference when you eat the food? How important is it for us to get back to a time when we didn't have to wash our food before we ate it? Which would you prefer, a glass of milk from a cow that has been unadulterated, or a glass from a cow that has been fed hormones to increase it's milk output. Would you really know the diference? Honestly, I do not know.
Abstain from the application of prohibited materials (including synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and sewage sludge) for 3 years prior to certification and then continually throughout their organic license.
Prohibit the use of genetically modified organisms and irradiation.
Employ positive soil building, conservation, manure management and crop rotation practices.
Provide outdoor access and pasture for livestock.
Refrain from antibiotic and hormone use in animals.
Sustain animals on 100% organic feed.
Avoid contamination during the processing of organic products.
Keep records of all operations.
This information and and more is provided at the organic consumers organization website. Now when I was younger, organic meant that it was either a plant, tree , or bush. I was not even aware that this other defiition existed. A few years ago I was at lunch with colleagues. Most of them have Doctorate degrees or at minimum their Masters. The subject of organic foods came up and none of us could actually define what an organic product was. Everyone had their thories, or stated what they had heard or read, so I didn't feel left out when I admitted that I had no clear idea what they were. Now that I do know, I have to ask this, How important are they? If I have history correct, we used pesticides to keep our crops from being ravaged by insects. That was all I knew when I was younger. When insects became "immune" to what farmers were using, more harsh chemicals were needed. But then we found that we were accidentally killing animals and pets. So the next wave of chemicals came and they were supposed to be non toxic. Soon enough the environmentalists got involved and the next generation came along which were environmentally friendly. Then ove rthe last few years we have leanred that companies were and still are using chemicals on animals to produce larger beasts of burden. I am sure everyone is familiar with the scandal involving KFC and their 'mutant' chickens.
So this is where we are now. We have products that are produced using all natural fertilizers and organic chemicals, and we have regular food that is produce using modern methods. which is better? Some could argue that with the current state of affairs in the world, our synthetic methods are warrented in order to produce enough food to feed the world. On the other side, is it possible that our own short-sightedness has produced some of the difficulties such as new diseases and allergies to certain foods (nut allergies for example)? What do you prefer? Can you tell the difference when you eat the food? How important is it for us to get back to a time when we didn't have to wash our food before we ate it? Which would you prefer, a glass of milk from a cow that has been unadulterated, or a glass from a cow that has been fed hormones to increase it's milk output. Would you really know the diference? Honestly, I do not know.
posted by mikesworld at 9:15 AM
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