Organic Foods And Farming Vs. Conventional Foods

First of all, the counter argument needs to be addressed. Many argue that there is not a significant difference between organic and conventional foods. Disagreements often sound like, “There is very little scientific evidence to support any health benefits for organic products” (Andrei). Opponents of organic food have argued that it is too expensive and not at all worth the high price. They state that “Organic has become a synonym for luxury” (Andrei). Many are choosing to eat organic simply because they can afford it. Although organic food is supposedly healthier, “A 2009 meta-analysis…said there was no nutrient difference in organic versus conventional”

In a recent study done by Organic Farming Research Company, there are approximately 13,000 organic farms throughout the United States out of 2.1 million farms. In recent years more people are converting to buying strictly organic foods, but why? Steven Shapin answers this by writing “what are you buying when you buy organic?” In his article he explains the difference between organic foods and non-organic. People are becoming aware of the dangers and risk of non-organic produce and food and converting to strictly organic foods. Organic and non-organic foods can be compared by price, calories, how the produce is grown and even packaging. Location in the store is also a factor that can come into play.

Many people have heard about organic foods, however, not everyone understands the facts, benefits, or how it is grown. Organic food ingredients are grown without the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, genetically modified organisms, or ionizing radiation. Animals that produce meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products do not take antibiotics or growth hormones. In “Organic Food: Healthier for You and the Planet” Collin Dunn discusses organic food using some statistics, pictures, and his personal opinion to better inform people who eat organic foods why it is better to eat and how it is better for the planet. However, Lawrence Robinson, Jeanne Sega, and Robert Segal discuss organic food in:

​In the article entitled "Organic Foods Contain Higher Levels of Certain Nutrients, Lower Levels of Pesticides and May Provide Health Benefits for the Consumer" Walter J. Crinnion provides information about the health benefits of eating organic foods. To begin the article, Crinnion discusses the factors that can affect the nutritional value of foods. These include differences between growers/soil quality, weather conditions from year-to-year, and the length of time the grower has been using organic methods. The writer then compares the nutritional value of organic foods to the nutritional value of non organic foods. The studies showed that organic foods have a greater antioxidant activity as wells as higher levels of vitamin C, iron, magnesium,

As much as Americans always talk about getting fit and eating healthy, the majority are not able to afford those select foods. Many people see organic food as a big dollar sign. “For as long as I can remember, “organic” has been synonymous with affluence and conscious consumption”(McMillan).

Some people choose organic food because they prefer the taste. But there are many more factors that influence the decision to choose organic food. One of the factors include that: Organic foods are produced without the use of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). This entire topic of GMO’s is a rather important topic in of itself, but going on briefly about what it is, will help understand it better. GMO’s are living organisms whose genetic material has been artificially manipulated

166). Even though such studies might be compelling, these findings need further research to fully understand the effects of consumption. When the effects of consuming organic foods are examined, a different outcome is discovered. According to Huber, Rembialkowska, Srednicka, Vijver (2011), a large-scale study named PARSIFAL concluded: children which consumed organic foods (regularly) showed lower allergenic rates as well as lower body weights when compared to traditional or engineered foods (Huber, Rembialkowska, Srednicka, Vijver 2011). With further research, other positive results are discovered. Specifically, a study produced by Princeton reviled that consuming organic foods lowered risks from chemical contamination, supplemental hormones, and antibiotic risks (“Greening Princeton”, n.d.). In contrast to GMOs, consuming organic foods were directly linked to positive results, which helps solidify the argument that they are a safer and healthier option over engineered foods. This conclusion also aids in the point of discussion (which will be reviewed below) that stricter FDA guidelines need to be emplaced to protect American citizens from unknowingly consuming GMO products; which could have possibly dangerous, unknown long term side effects.

While grocery shopping many people are looking for products that taste and look the best, have the most nutritional value, and are cost efficient, but now there is one more factor to consider. Should you buy organic? For instance you are in the produce section and looking at the apples. The apples all have a vibrant red color and they have the same shape, but one section has a little sticker that says “organic”. Does this sticker make the apple taste better or have more nutrients? Will organic be worth the higher price? These factors and more have been studied and researched by experts, and the results are in. Organic is neither safer, nor healthier than conventional food.

Organic foods are defined as products “generally grown without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers and without the routine use of antibiotics or growth hormones” (Brandt). Health conscious consumers have driven up the demand for organically grown foods from a $3.6 billion industry in 1997 to over $24.4 billion in 2011. According to Consumer Reports, organic foods can cost anywhere from 47% more in price to 300% in some

The organic food industry has gained a great deal of customers over the past few years. Consumers commonly follow popular word of mouth marketing and the organic food industry has established a name for itself. Claiming to be better for overall health and wellness, the industry has made more people want to incorporate a variety of organic foods into their diets. Though claims may hold valuable truth, do organic groceries truly benefit people more than the conventional foods that many have grown up with? Consumers should be advised of the lack of benefits they receive when purchasing organic groceries in comparison to conventional groceries.

To get a real picture of a difference in a nutritional value of organic via conventional foods, a large quantity of different origin samples would need to be tested. Findings that take into account the listed above factors were published in a report “New Evidence Confirms the Nutritional Superiority of Plant-Based

As consumers, we see the label “organic” in most supermarkets that we shop at every day but do we know what makes certain food items obtain the label organic? There is much controversy on the topic organic foods and for good reason. There are many factors to take into account when decided if organic food is superior to conventionally grown foods. There is key components that all add to how nutritious your food is. It all comes down to the quality of the land that the food is grown on, the farming technique, the elimination of toxic chemicals, and the increase in certain beneficial nutrients. The only downside to being pro-organic food is the slightly increased price tag. Despite the increased cost, organic foods do provide a greater deal of health benefits over conventionally grown foods.

In today’s world, there is a lot of emphasis on the kind of food that we consume in daily routine. One such issue claims that eating organic food is much better than buying and eating the non – organic food (D. Mosbergen July 2014). Certain studies point to the fact that the organic food that is available in almost every market is the best healthy option available whereas others say that it is no good but a tactical business strategy for increasing the sales of products labelled as “Organic”.

Organic food has better ratings on health benefits than conventional food but conventional food costs less. Most people have a hard time making an educated decision on the better selection. Scientists and consumers have reviewed and theorized that the healthier option for the human body seems to be consuming organic food in comparison with traditional foods. Many people disagree about the legitimacy of the argument for organic food consumption, and whether it will result as the healthier choice. Organic food proves to be the healthier choice because of the way the crops get handled. As stated by Organic Agriculture professionals, “organic agriculture refers to the practice of cultivating crops or raising livestock with little or no use of

Organic products and non-organic foods have been a subject of interest for me for a great amount of time because I have often questioned whether there really was a difference between the two types of products. I always wondered what the nutritional, economic, laborious, and pollution differences were, if any, in the creation of the two types of products. . Through research, I have discovered a few sources from claiming data, which permits me to focus more than a physical distinction of the two. In this research paper, I will discuss how conventional foods and organic food differ in farming, the effects on the environment and the health and nutrition benefits.