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Organic foods are produced according to a certain production standard. crops, it means they were grown without the use of conventional pesticides, artificial fertilizers, human waste, or sewage sludge, and that they were processed without ionizing radiation or food additives.Organic Food Standards and Labels: The Facts. National Organic Program. Retrieved on 2006-06-06. For animals, it means they were reared without the routine use of antibiotics and without the use of growth hormones. In most countries, organic produce must not be genetically modified;.
Organic food production is legally regulated. Currently, the United States, the European Union, Japan and many other countries require producers to obtain organic certification in order to market food as organic.
Historically, organic farms have been relatively small family-run farmsFamily Farms. Local Harvest. Retrieved on 2006-06-06. — which is why organic food was once only available in small stores or farmers\' markets. However, since the early 1990s organic food has had growth rates of around 20% a year, far ahead of the rest of the food industry, in both developed and developing nations. As of today organic food accounts for 1-2% of food sales worldwide. Future growth is expected to range from 10-50% annually depending on the country. (see facts and statistics below)
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Mixed organic bean sprouts
Processed organic food usually contains only organic ingredients, or where there are a number of ingredients, at least a minimum percentage of the plant and animal ingredients must be organic (95% in the United Stateshttp://www.ams.usda.gov/nop/NOP/standards/LabelPre.html and Australia). Any non-organically produced ingredients must still meet requirements. It must be free of artificial food additives, and is often processed with fewer artificial methods, materials and conditions (no chemical ripening, no food irradiation, and no genetically modified ingredients, etc.).
They may also be required to be produced using energy-saving technologies and packaged using recyclable or biodegradable materials when possible.[citation needed]
Early consumers interested in organic food would look for non-chemically treated, fresh or minimally processed food. They mostly had to buy directly from growers: "Know your farmer, know your food" was the motto. Personal definitions of what constituted "organic" were developed through firsthand experience: by talking to farmers, seeing farm conditions, and farming activities. Small farms grew vegetables (and raised livestock) using organic farming practices, with or without certification, and the individual consumer monitored. As demand for organic foods continues to increase, high volume sales through mass outlets such as supermarkets are rapidly replacing the direct farmer connection. However, for supermarket consumers, food production is not easily observable, and product labelling, like "certified organic", is relied on. Government regulations and third-party inspectors are looked to for assurance. A "certified organic" label is usually the only way for consumers to know that a processed product is "organic".
The National Organic Program (run by the USDA) is in charge of the legal definition of organic in the United States and does organic certification. It administers the Organic Seal to products and producers that meet strict requirements.
To be certified organic, products must be grown and manufactured in a manner that adheres to standards set by the country they are sold in:
In the United States, the Organic Food Production Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C.A. § 6501-22) required that the USDA develop national standards for organic products. Background Information. USDA (October 2002). The regulations (7 C.F.R. Part 205) are enforced by the USDA through the National Organic Program under this act. A USDA Organic seal identifies products with at least 95% organic ingredients.
Several surveys and studies have attempted to examine and compare conventional and organic systems of farming. The general consensus across these surveysStolze, M.; Piorr, A.; Häring, A.M. and Dabbert, S. (2000) Environmental impacts of organic farming in Europe. Organic Farming in Europe: Economics and Policy Vol. 6. Universität Hohenheim, Stuttgart-Hohenheim.Hansen, Birgitte; Alrøe, H. J. & Kristensen, E. S. (January 2001). "Approaches to assess the environmental impact of organic farming with particular regard to Denmark". Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 83: 11-26. doi:doi:10.1016/S0167-8809(00)00257-7. is that organic farming is less damaging for the following reasons:
See "Organic FAQs" in the journal Nature for more details.Nelson et.al (April 2004). "Organic FAQs". Nature 428: 796-798. doi:10.1038/428796a.
One study found a 20% smaller yield from organic farms using 50% less fertilizer and 97% less pesticide.Mader, et.al. (2002). "Soil Fertility and Biodiversity in Organic Farming". Science 296: 1694–1697. Studies comparing yields have had mixed results.Welsh, Rick (1999). "Economics of Organic Grain and Soybean Production in the Midwestern United States". Henry A. Wallace Institute for Alternative Agriculture. Supporters claim that organically managed soil has a higher qualityJohnston, A. E. (1986). "Soil organic-matter, effects on soils and crops". Soil Use Management 2: 97-105. and higher water retention. This may help increase yields for organic farms in drought years. One study of two organic farming systems and one conventional found that, in one year\'s severe crop season drought, organic soybean yields were 52% and 96% higher than the conventional system and organic maize yields were 37% higher in one system, but 62% lower in the other.Lotter, D. W., Seidel, R. & Liebhardt W. (2003). "The performance of organic and conventional cropping systems in an extreme climate year". American Journal of Alternative Agriculture 18: 146-154. Some studies are also consistent in showing that organic farms are more energy efficient.Reganold et.al (April 2001). "Sustainability of three apple production systems". Nature 410: 926-930. However, alternative views hold that this may be deceptive, based on fossil fuel usage but ignoring energy costs of plowing and other laborious practices used on organic farms to maintain yields. Furthermore, Michael Pollan, author of “The Omnivore\'s Dilemma”, notes that in the whole chain of food production and distribution, only one-fifth of the energy is used on the farm. Yet a report published by DEFRA, Britain\'s environment and farming ministry, concluded that shifts toward a local food production and distribution system, as advocated by many organic food proponents, would actually increase the amount of energy being invested in food due to the a higher level of small-scale transport systems, which suffer from inefficiencies compared to standard large-scale supermarket systems.Voting with your trolley. The Economist. Retrieved on 2007-10-10.
As highlighted by a recent New York Times article, food supply is a global issue that will become increasingly prominent in the near future. "Everywhere, the cost of food is rising sharply. Whether the world is in for a long period of continued increases has become one of the most urgent issues in economics. ... Farmers the world over are producing flat-out. American agricultural exports are expected to increase 23 percent this year to $101 billion, a record. The world’s grain stockpiles have fallen to the lowest levels in decades. \'Everyone wants to eat like an American on this globe,\' said Daniel W. Basse of the AgResource Company, a Chicago consultancy. \'But if they do, we’re going to need another two or three globes to grow it all.\'"A Global Need for Grain That Farms Can’t Fill. The New York Times. Retrieved on 2008-03-08. Given the debate around Organic\'s ability to match the yields of conventional methods and the rising global demand for food, this debate is likely to see increased scrutiny in the future.
One study from the Danish Environmental Protection Agency found that, area-for-area, organic farms of potatoes, sugar beet and seed grass produce as little as half the output of conventional farming. The Bichel Committee. 1999. Report from the main committee. Danish Environmental Protection Agency. Conclusions and recommendations of the Committee: 8.7.1 Total phase-out. Report not available in print but posted online at: http://www.mst.dk/udgiv/Publications/1998/87-7909-445-7/html/kap08_eng.htm#8.7.1. [Excerpt] "A total abolition of pesticide use would result in an average drop in farming yields of between 10% and 25%, at the farm level; the smallest losses would occur in cattle farming. On farms that have a large proportion of special crops, such as potatoes, sugar beet and seed grass, the production losses in terms of quantity would be closer to 50%. These crops would probably be ousted by other crops." Findings like these, and the dependence of organic food on manure from low-yield cattle, has prompted criticism from many scientists that organic farming is environmentally unsound and incapable of feeding the world population.Bob Goldberg. The Hypocrisy of Organic Farmers. Retrieved on 2007-10-10. Among these critics are Norman Borlaug, father of the "green revolution," and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, who asserts that organic farming practices can at most feed 4 billion people, after expanding cropland dramatically and destroying ecosystems in the process.Andrew Leonard. Save the rain forest -- boycott organic?. How The World Works. Retrieved on 2007-10-10.
A little discussed negative side-effect of organic agriculture is a by-product of lower yields. As the population grows (and consequently, the global demand for food increases) farms have to either increase the yield of existing lands or increase the area under cultivation. Deforestation is often the result. Specific crops, such as Brazilian Soybeans which with beef production are amongst the leading causes of the rapid deforestation of the Amazon, affect forests more than others. According to Borlaug, "if all agriculture were organic, you would have to increase cropland area dramatically, spreading out into marginal areas and cutting down millions of acres of forests."Andrew Leonard. Save the rain forest -- boycott organic?. How The World Works. Retrieved on 2008-03-03. This issue is tied to genetically engineered crops and no-till farming which have significant potential to increase crop yield (especially in places like Africa and Australia) and are in many ways the opposite of organic farming methods. Organic farming shifts the techniques used to get good yields and can precipitate a regression in the sense that it rejects \'modern\' farming techniques. This is not an issue for operations that employ advanced techniques and have access to technology but can be problematic for farmers with limited means. As market demand for organic produce grows, farmers in developing countries who are at risk of employing slash and burn techniques would need to take over even greater amounts of forest to compensate for yield difference.
One of the most common and essential roles of fertilizer is to introduce nitrogen into the soil as plants can\'t extract it from the atmosphere independently (with some exceptions). According to Nobel Prize winner Norman Borlaug as interviewed in Reason Magazine, "at the present time, approximately 80 million tons of nitrogen nutrients are utilized each year. If you tried to produce this nitrogen organically, you would require an additional 5 or 6 billion head of cattle to supply the manure. How much wild land would you have to sacrifice just to produce the forage for these cows?"Ronald Bailey (04 2000). "Billions Served: Norman Borlaug interviewed by Ronald Bailey". Reason Magazine. Retrieved on 2008-03-03. Cattle are famously amongst the most energy intensive food products because of the amount of food each cow consumes.
There have been many studies on the health effects of pesticide exposure to those who work on farms.
Linda A. McCauley, et.al. (2006). "Studying Health Outcomes in Farmworker Populations Exposed to Pesticides". Environmental Health Perspectives 114. Even when pesticides are used correctly, they still end up in the air and bodies of farm workers. Through these studies, organophosphate pesticides have become associated with acute health problems such as abdominal pain, dizziness, headaches, nausea, vomiting, as well as skin and eye problems.Ecobichon DJ. 1996. Toxic effects of pesticides. In: Casarett and Doull\'s Toxicology: The Basic Science of Poisons (Klaassen CD, Doull J, eds). 5th ed. New York:MacMillan, 643–689. In addition, there have been many other studies that have found pesticide exposure is associated with more severe health problems such as respiratory problems, memory disorders, dermatologic conditions,
Arcury TA, Quandt SA, Mellen BG (2003). "An exploratory analysis of occupational skin disease among Latino migrant and seasonal farmworkers in North Carolina". Journal of Agricultural Safety and Health 9 (3): 221–32. O\'Malley MA (1997). "Skin reactions to pesticides". Occupational Medicine 12: 327–345. cancer,Daniels JL, Olshan AF, Savitz DA. (1997). "Pesticides and childhood cancers". Environmental Health Perspectives 105: 1068–1077. depression, neurologic deficits,Kamel F, et.al. (2003). "Neurobehavioral performance and work experience in Florida farmworkers". Environmental Health Perspectives 111: 1765-1772.
Firestone JA, Smith-Weller T, Franklin G, Swanson P, Longsteth WT, Checkoway H. (2005). "Pesticides and risk of Parkinson disease: a population-based case-control study". Archives of Neurology 62: 91-95. miscarriages, and birth defects.Engel LS, O\'Meara ES, Schwartz SM. (2000). "Maternal occupation in agriculture and risk of limb defects in Washington State, 1980–1993". Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health 26 (3): 193–198.
Cordes DH, Rea DF. (1988). "Health hazards of farming". American Family Physician 38: 233–243.
Das R, Steege A, Baron S, Beckman J, Harrison R (2001). "Pesticide-related illness among migrant farm workers in the United States". International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health 7: 303–312.
Eskenazi B, Bradman A, Castorina R. (1999). "Exposures of children to organophosphate pesticides and their potential adverse health effects". Environmental Health Perspectives 107: 409–419.
Garcia AM (2003). "Pesticide exposure and women\'s health". American Journal of Industrial Medicine 44 (6): 584–594.
Moses M. (1989). "Pesticide-related health problems and farmworkers". American Association of Occupational Health Nurses 37: 115–130.
Schwartz DA, Newsum LA, Heifetz RM. (1986). "Parental occupation and birth outcome in an agricultural community". Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health 12: 51-54.
Stallones L, Beseler C. (2002). "Pesticide illness, farm practices, and neurological symptoms among farm residents in Colorado". Environ Res 90: 89–97.
Strong, LL, Thompson B, Coronado GD, Griffith WC, Vigoren EM, Islas I. (2004). "Health symptoms and exposure to organophosphate pesticides in farmworkers". American Journal of Industrial Medicine 46: 599–606.
Van Maele-Fabry G, Willems JL. (2003). "Occupation related pesticide exposure and cancer of the prostate: a meta-analysis". Occupational and Environmental Medicine 60 (9): 634–642. Summaries of peer-reviewed research have examined the link between pesticide exposure and neurological outcomes and cancer in organophosphate-exposed workers.Alavanja MC, Hoppin JA, Kamel F. (2004). "Health effects of chronic pesticide exposure: cancer and neurotoxicity". Annual Review of Public Health 25: 155–197. Kamel F, Hoppin JA (2004). "Association of pesticide exposure with neurological dysfunction and disease". Environmental Health Perspectives 112: 950–958.
Certain genetic modifications can allow some non-organic food to avoid the usage of pesticides without losses in yield.[citation needed] However, genetically-modified crops are the subject of controversy on their own.
A study published in 2002 showed that "Organically grown foods consistently had about one-third as many residues as conventionally grown foods."Baker, Brian; Charles M. Benbrook, Edward Groth III, and Karen Lutz Benbrook. "Pesticide residues in conventional, IPM-grown and organic foods: Insights from three U.S. data sets.". Food Additives and Contaminants 19 (5): 427-446. Retrieved on 2007-01-28. Goldberg, Adam (2002-05-08). Consumers Union Research Team Shows: Organic Foods Really DO Have Less Pesticides. Consumers Union. Retrieved on 2007-01-27.
Monitoring of pesticide residues in the United States is carried out by the Pesticide Data Program (part of USDA, which was created in 1990. It has since tested over 60 different types of food for over 400 different types of pesticides - with samples collected close to the point of consumption. Their most recent results found in 2005 that:
| “ | These data indicate that 29.5 percent of all samples tested contained no detectable pesticides [parent compound and metabolite(s) combined], 30 percent contained 1 pesticide, and slightly over 40 percent contained more than 1 pesticide. | ” |
| —USDA, Pesticide Data ProgramPage 34 of | ||
Several studies corroborate this finding by having found that while 77 percent of conventional food carries synthetic pesticide residues, only about 25 percent of organic food does. Consumers Union. December 15, 1997. Are organic foods as good as they’re grown? A landmark consumer reports study. Consumers Union Press Release. “One-quarter of the organic produce samples that Consumer Reports tested had some pesticide residues on them, compared with 77 percent of the conventional samples.” Consumers Union. January, 1998. Greener Greens: The Truth About Organic Food. Consumer Reports 63(1): pages 12-18. Baker et al. May, 2002. Pesticide residues in conventional, IPM-grown and organic foods: Insights from three U.S. data sets. Summary: Analysis and Results: Frequency of Positive Samples. Food Additives and Contaminants: volume 19, No. 5, pages 427-446. “Frequency of Positive Samples: Organically grown samples consistently had far smaller percentages with residues: 23, 6.5 and 27 percent in the USDA, DPR and CU data, respectively.” Environmental Science & Technology Online. January 11, 2006. Organic vegetables not pesticide-free. Science News. COMPLIANCE SUMMARY FOR FRESH FRUIT AND VEGETABLE COMMODITIESMonitoring of imported processed fruit and vegetable products by specific commodity, country and testsFresh fruit and vegetables[http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/microchem/resid/2003-2004/plaveg_pte.shtml Report On Pesticides, Agricultural Chemicals, Environmental Pollutants and Other Impurities in Agri-Food Commodities of Plant Origin]Dairy products Canadian Food Inspection Agency. 2003. Report on Pesticides Residues in Baby Food 2002 – 2003. Infant and Junior Baby Food Chemical Residues Project.
A study published by the National Research Council in 1993 determined that for infants and children, the major source of exposure to pesticides is through diet.National Research Council (1993). Pesticides in the Diets of Infants and Children, 1st, National Academies Press. ISBN 0-309-04875-3. A recent study in 2006 measured the levels of organophosphorus pesticide exposure in 23 schoolchildren before and after replacing their diet with organic food. In this study it was found that levels of organophosphorus pesticide exposure dropped dramatically and immediately when the children switched to an organic diet.Lu, Chensheng, et al. (2006). "Organic Diets Significantly Lower Children’s Dietary Exposure to Organophosphorus Pesticides". Environmental Health Perspectives 114: 260-263. Food residue limits established by law are set specifically with children in mind and consider a child\'s lifetime ingestion of each pesticide.Raw Food (APA). Retrieved on 2008-03-06.
There are controversial data on the health implications of certain pesticides. For example, the herbicide Atrazine has been shown in some experiments to be a teratogen, causing demasculinization in male frogs exposed to small concentrations. Under the effects of Atrazine, male frogs were found to have greatly increased occurrencesof either malformed gonads, or testicular gonads which contain non-degenerate eggs.Tyrone Hayes, Kelly Haston, Mable Tsui, Anhthu Hoang, Cathryn Haeffele, and Aaron Vonk (2003). "Atrazine-Induced Hermaphroditism at 0.1 ppb in American Leopard Frogs". Environmental Health Perspectives 111. Effects were however significantly reduced in high concentrations, as is consistent with other teratogens affecting the endocrine system, such as estradiol.
Organic farming standards do not allow the use of synthetic pesticides, but they do allow the use of specific pesticides derived from plants. The most common organic pesticides, accepted for restricted use by most organic standards, include Bt, pyrethrum, and rotenone. Some organic pesticides, such as rotenone, have high toxicity to fish and aquatic creatures with some toxicity to mammals. It causes Parkinson\'s disease if injected into rats. Pesticide Information Profiles: Rotenone. June, 1996. Pesticide Information Project of Cooperative Extension Offices of Cornell University, Oregon State University, the University of Idaho, and the University of California at Davis and the Institute for Environmental Toxicology, Michigan State University. http://extoxnet.orst.edu/pips/rotenone.htm
The United States Environmental Protection Agency and state agencies periodically review the licensing of suspect pesticides, but the process of de-listing is slow. One example of this slow process is exemplified by the pesticide Dichlorvos, or DDVP, which as recently as the year 2006 the EPA proposed its continued sale. The EPA has almost banned this pesticide on several occasions since the 1970s, but it never did so despite considerable evidence that suggests DDVP is not only carcinogenic but dangerous to the human nervous system — especially in children.Raeburn, Paul (2006). "Slow-Acting: After 25 years the EPA still won\'t ban a risky pesticide". Scientific American 295: 26.
A 2001 study by researchers at Washington State University concluded, under judgement by a panel of tasters, that organic apples were sweeter. Along with taste and sweetness, the texture as well as firmness of the apples were also rated higher than those grown conventionally. These differences are attributed to the greater soil quality resulting from organic farming techniques compared to those of conventional farming.Green, Emily (2001). "Washington Apple Study Finds Organic Growing Is Best". Nature.
Some studies have shown higher nutrient levels in organic fruit and vegetables compared with conventionally grown products. However, due to the difficulty with designing such experiments, the evidence is not considered conclusive.Niggli, Urs et al. (2007).Improving Sustainability in Organic and Low Input Food Production Systems: Proceedings of the 3rd International Congress of the European Integrated Project Quality Low Input Food (QLIF).88.[3]Retrieved on 11 Nov 2007
A 2002 meta-analysis (a review of all past studies on the subject) found no proof that organic food offers greater nutritional values, more consumer safety or any distinguishable difference in taste. Bourn D, Prescott J. January 2002. A comparison of the nutritional value, sensory qualities, and food safety of organically and conventionally produced foods. Critical Reviews in Food Science Nutrition. 42(1): 1-34. Williams, C. M. February 2002. Nutritional quality of organic food: shades of grey or shades of green? Proceedings of the Nutrition Society. 61(1): 19-24 Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA). Organically Grown Produce: Does organic produce taste better? & Is organic produce more nutritious? Sir John Krebs. June 5, 2003. Is organic food better for you? Speech given by the then-chair of the Food Standards Agency (UK), Sir John Krebs, to the Cheltenham Science Fair on June 5, 2005. Posted on the Food Standards Agency website: http://www.food.gov.uk/news/newsarchive/2003/jun/cheltenham
Organic products typically cost 10 to 40% more than similar conventionally produced products.Winter, CK and SF Davis, 2006 "Organic Foods" Journal of Food Science 71(9):R117-R124. Processed organic foods vary in price when compared to their conventional counterparts. An Australian study by Choice magazine in 2004 found processed organic foods in supermarkets to be 65% more expensive, but noted this was not consistent. Prices may be higher because organic produce is produced on a smaller scale, and may need to be milled or processed separately. Furthermore, there is an increase in shipping costs from more centralized production in otherwise regional markets. In the case of dairy and eggs, the animal\'s requirements such as the number of animals that can be raised per acre, or the breed of animal and its feed conversion ratio affects the cost.
Various alternative organic standards are emerging. They generally bypass formal certification, which can be expensive and cumbersome, and provide their own definition of organic food. One such, the Authentic Food standard, proposed by leading US organic farmer Eliot Coleman, includes criteria that are incompatible with current agribusiness: =
Some are also implementing new approaches to defining and buying food. Community-supported agriculture (CSA) is one such approach, that cuts out all the middlemen by having consumers partner with local farmers. CSA members prepurchase "shares" in a season\'s harvest, and pick up their weekly portions from distribution sites. Thus, consumers provide direct financing for farms, participate in the risks and rewards of annual growing conditions, and participate with farmers in distribution networks.
CSA is one example of "buying locally," which is often valued by both the organic food consumer and producer. Generally speaking, locally-grown seasonal food can be brought to market more quickly than food that has to be transported long distances, and therefore can be better tasting and to some degree more nutritious by virtue of its freshness. Additionally, the act of buying foods that are locally-grown benefits local farmers and other employers. This local food approach is seen as a direct investment in one\'s own community and a way to reduce economic dependence.
Organic food is also often linked with the fair trade movement, based on the principle that social and environmental sustainability are inextricably interdependent.
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While organic food accounts for 1–2% of total food sales worldwide, the organic food market is growing rapidly, far ahead of the rest of the food industry, in both developed and developing nations.
In the European Union (EU25) 3.9% of the total utilized agricultural area is used for organic production. The countries with the highest proportion of organic land are Austria (11%) and Italy (8.4), followed by Czech Republic and Greece (both 7.2%). The lowest figures are shown for Malta (0.1%), Poland (0.6%) and Ireland (0.8%)European Commission - Eurostat. Eurostat press release 80/2007 1. Retrieved on 2007-10-07.
On Organics
On Conventional vs Organic Farming
Pesticides and food
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