Organic food versus non-organic food

What defines organic food?

The phrase "organic food" is used rather casually and often without concern for its true meaning. Some people automatically assume that anything related to organic food is always eco-friendly. Likewise, most individuals also assume that organic eating is guaranteed to be better for all humans.

Technically, to be defined as organic food, products must be made:

• Without conventional pesticides
  • Without synthetic or artificial fertilizers
  
• Without any waste contamination, human or industrial
  
• Without food additives of any kind, even those targeted only to food preservation

If the food is "raised" (e.g. livestock), organic certification means the animals have not had:

• Regular antibiotics
• Artificial or natural growth hormones
• Any synthetic or artificial food; only a naturally healthy diet
• Any genetic modification

Many national governments, including the U.S., require commercial food producers to qualify for and obtain special certification to market their products as organic. These standards are not applied to private gardens or those tiny farms that sell their harvest at farmers' markets or roadside stands. While they often could obtain certification, the process is time consuming and costly for those private gardeners for whom organic food production is more hobby than business.

As a general rule, produce and livestock must be grown and raised under natural conditions without the introduction of synthetic, toxic, or artificial substances or practices. Organic groceries are much more available now than in the past. In recent years, the organic food industry has grown at annual rates around 20%, much higher than the industry as a whole.

Debatable items with organic and non-organic food

Organic: Pros

• Almost totally natural products. To be certified as organic food in the U.S., 95% of the ingredients must be organic. If there is a small percentage of non-organic components, even these must meet specific requirements to be permitted in a certification.
  
  
• Packaging should be manufactured by energy efficient systems. Organic groceries should have non-food items that were made through verifiable energy saving machinery and techniques.
  
  
• Non- food items (labels, packaging, etc.) must be recyclable or biodegradable. This requirement does not require all organic food to be packaged in paper or another obviously biodegradable material. Many forms of plastic, while not biodegradable, are recyclable and can be re-manufactured and reused many times.
  
  
• Organic food definitions and standards were developed through feedback from farmers and direct observation of farming practices. Unlike some other government certifications (sometimes written by bureaucrats), organic food requirements were created from farmer interviews, surveys, and personal viewing of actual farm conditions and processes.

Organic: Cons

• Cost. Formerly somewhat expensive, the cost of organic eating is coming down. Yet, except at farmers' markets, you will still often have to pay a bit more for certified organic food products. Forsaking artificial means of stimulating production or eliminating pests and insects requires more "hands on" growing and raising of produce and livestock.
  
  
• Questions if food products are really organic. Foods that are marketed as organic but do not have government certification deliver no enforceable guarantees that they are truly organic. You may have to revert to the organic food "anthem" that was the standard some years ago: "Know your farmer and you'll know your food."

Non-Organic: Pros

• Lower cost. Scientific and artificial advancements have allowed producers to grow more produce, enhance the growth of livestock, and eliminate damaging pests and insects efficiently with synthetic products and processes. In many cases, this has allowed non-organic food producers to keep costs reasonable.
  
  
• Bountiful selection of food. Since non-organic food producers still out number organic farms, there is a plethora of all types of food available for consumption.

Non-Organic: Cons

• Artificial and synthetic methods used to produce food. While the government, through the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture), makes every attempt to permit only safe artificial ingredients and processes, food produced using these ingredients may or may not cause human health problems in the future.
  
  
• Possible negative environmental impact. Introducing artificial and synthetic components, even if they are non-toxic, to the Earth risks both short- and long-term unwanted consequences to the ecosystems.

There are two primary benefits enjoyed by organic eating:
1. You consume only natural food and substances.
2. You eliminate most potential negative environmental consequences.

Depending on the sophistication of your taste buds, you may decide that organic food is also more delicious than the alternatives. This potential third major benefit may be the most enjoyable of the advantages to eating organic foods.