Who cares about Hippie-Hypochondriac's and their "Organic" food!
Well...you
should, for starters. Read our Top 10 Reasons to Buy Organic and The
Top 10 Reasons Why Every Kid Needs Organic Food.
1. Organic products meet stringent standards.
Organic certification is the public?s assurance that
products have been grown and handled according to strict procedures
without persistent toxic chemical inputs. Cloned food, neurotoxic solvents, carcinogenic fumigants, rBGH and genetically engineered
organisms (GMO's) are strictly prohibited in organic food production. Interesting how swiftly GMO's were rushed to market, when organic fought for 13 years to
become federal law. Eleven years ago, genetically modified food was not
part of our food supply; today an astounding 30 percent of our cropland
is planted in GMOs.
2. Organic food tastes great!
It?s common sense ? well-balanced soils produce strong, healthy plants that become nourishing food for people and animals. Feeding the soil with organic matter instead of ammonia and other
synthetic fertilizers has proven to increase nutrients in produce, with
higher levels of vitamins and minerals found in organic food, according
to the 2005 study by the Organic Center State of Science Review (1.05)
3. Organic production reduces health risks.
Many EPA-approved pesticides were
registered long before extensive research linked these chemicals to
cancer and other diseases. Organic agriculture is one way to prevent any
more of these chemicals from getting into the air, earth and water that
sustain us. Numerous studies also show that pesticides can adversely affect the nervous
system, increase the risk of cancer, and decrease fertility. Studies also show that children who switch to
an organic diet dramatically reduce the level of pesticides in their
bodies.
4. Organic farms respect our water resources.
The elimination of polluting chemicals and
nitrogen leaching, done in combination with soil building, protects and
conserves water resources.
5. Organic farmers build healthy soil.
Soil is the foundation of the food chain. The primary focus of organic farming is to use practices that build healthy soils.
6. Organic farmers work in harmony with nature.
An organic
farm is the equivalent of reforestation. Industrial farms are the
equivalent of clear cutting of native habitat with a focus on high farm
yields. Visit an organic farm and you?ll notice something: a buzz of animal,
bird and insect activity. These organic oases are thriving, diverse
habitats. Native plants, birds and hawks return, usually after the first
season of organic practices; beneficial insects allow for a greater
balance, and indigenous animals find these farms a safe haven. Organic agricultural respects the balance
demanded of a healthy ecosystem: wildlife is encouraged by including
forage crops in rotation and by retaining fence rows, wetlands, and
other natural areas.
7. Organic producers are leaders in innovative research.
Organic farmers have led the way, largely
at their own expense, with innovative on-farm research aimed at reducing
pesticide use and minimizing agriculture?s impact on the environment.
8. Organic producers strive to preserve diversity.
The loss of a large variety of species
(biodiversity) is one of the most pressing environmental concerns. The
good news is that many organic farmers and gardeners have been
collecting and preserving seeds, and growing unusual varieties for
decades.
9. Organic farming helps keep rural communities healthy
USDA reported that in 1997, half of U.S.
farm production came from only 2% of farms. Organic agriculture can be a
lifeline for small farms because it offers an alternative market where
sellers can command fair prices for crops.
Organic can feed the world.
Scientists and civic leaders in 57 nations have agreed that
agroecological methods ? not biotechnology ? are the best hope for
feeding a growing population.
10. Organic abundance ? Foods and non-foods alike!
Now every food category has an organic
alternative. And non-food agricultural products are being grown
organically ? even cotton, which most experts felt could not be grown
this way.
Why Every Kid Needs Organic Food.
1. Fewer toxins will go straight into their bodies.
The recent Stanford study had some interesting findings: Organic foods, as you would
expect, have much fewer pesticide and other residues on them. (Kind of the point of Organic Foods) All those thousands of chemicals that
farmers put in foods, and now biotech companies put into the seeds
foods are grown from, are harmful to kids. The first studies on GMOs
coming out of Europe (Because American scientists have not been allowed to study them) show that GMOs are causing incredible health problems
in animals, from digestive distress to fertility problems and
miscarriages, as well as tumors and cancers. If your kids are not eating
organic foods, they are eating GMOs right now. Untested on humans. Oh,
yeah, your kids are the test. And by the way, this is what "less
government regulation" is all about.
2. Fewer antibiotics will be used, so the strength and power
of antibiotics won't be diluted when our kids they really, really need
them.
Antibiotics are used in factory animal farming because--lo and behold--it's cheaper to feed them than food, and they make the animals fat real fast!
Farmers can buy 50-pound bags of antibiotics at an Agway without a
prescription! And then what happens is both the animals and humans who eat those animals
become resistant to the very antibiotics that could save their lives.
The germs become resistant, leading to hard-to-treat
antibiotic-resistant infections like MRSA.
3. Fewer toxins will go into the environment surrounding your children.
There is only one truly definitive,
beyond-a-doubt-scientific-and-medical connection and known cause of
childhood leukemia: lawn chemicals. Seriously?! How much does it cost to
apply chemicals to your lawn? How much does organic food cost? How much
does it cost to treat a child and, for God's sake, hopefully, save the
child's life once he or she is diagnosed with leukemia?! These are the
economic connections we need to be making. Forget the price of a gallon
of milk or a dozen eggs (which are artificially subsidized by the
government and industry to make them appear much cheaper than organic).
It's the price of the health of your child.
4. Your kids will be more likely to grow up healthy and reproduce safely, providing you with grandkids!
Many of the chemicals in use in farming today are known to be endocrine and hormone disruptors. Both types of chemicals seriously affect both the reproductive systems and the sexual development of children.
The simplest way of saying it is that these chemicals have the
potential to make your boys into girls and make your girls sterile.
Endocrine disruptors also lead to obesity and diabetes.
5. Chemical foods lead to reductions in IQ in children.
While it may not be as definitive as the childhood leukemia and lawn chemical studies, I have seen quite a few studies that show a connection between pesticides and insecticides and reduced IQ.
Remember, many of these chemicals are neurotoxins to living creatures,
and our children are small living creatures. Let's keep them safe AND
smart!
Rather than only looking at behaviors
and the junk food we put into our bodies, we need to start also looking at how
that junk food is grown, and what's in it by default.
Sources: Organic Trade Association http://www.ota.com/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/maria-rodale/the-top-10-reasons-why-ev_b_1947892.html
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