"USDA Organic."

Better? Safer? More Nutritious?

The Differences That Exist Between

Organic and Non-Organic Foods?

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According to the www.mayoclinic.com website (2008?), it states:

The word ‘organic’ refers to the way farmers grow and process agricultural products, such as fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy products and meat. Organic farming practices are designed to encourage soil and water conservation and reduce pollution. Farmers who grow organic produce and meat don't use conventional methods to fertilize, control weeds or prevent livestock disease.

04/11/23(www.mayoclinic.com, 2008, para 2)

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Conventional Farmers• Apply chemical fertilizers to promote plant growth.• Spray insecticides to reduce pests and disease.• Use chemical herbicides to manage weeds.• Give animals antibiotics, growth hormones and medications to prevent disease and spur growth.

Organic farmers• Apply natural fertilizers, such as manure or compost, to feed soil and plants. Use beneficial insects and birds, mating disruption or traps to reduce pests and disease.• Rotate crops, till, hand weed or mulch to manage weeds.• Give animals organic feed and allow them access to the outdoors. • Use preventive measures - such as rotational grazing, a balanced diet and clean housing - to help minimize disease.

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WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CONVENTIONAL FARMING AND ORGANIC FARMING

(www.mayoclinic.com, 2008, para 3)

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has established an organic certification program that requires all organic foods to meet government standards. These standards are:

• How such foods are grown, handled and processed.

Any farmer or food manufacturer who labels and sells a product as organic must be:

• USDA certified

Exception:

• Producers who sell less than $5,000 a year in organic foods are exempt from this certification, but they must follow the same government standards to label their foods as “organic.”

Food that bears the USDA Organic label denotes that:

• It is produced and processed according to the USDA standards and that at least 95 percent of the food's ingredients are organically produced.

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“The seal is voluntary, but many organic producers use it.”

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(www.mayoclinic.com, 2008, para 4)

• Products certified 95 percent or more organic can display the: “USDA Seal”

• Products that are completely organic - such as fruits, vegetables, eggs or other single• ingredient foods are labeled: “100 Percent Organic and Can Carry a Small USDA Seal.”

• Foods that have more than one ingredient, such as breakfast cereal can use the: • “USDA Organic Seal”

• Wording on their package labels - Depending on the number of organic ingredients: • “100 Percent Organic.”

• Products that are completely organic or made of all organic ingredients can use the: • “Organic Label”

• Products that are at least 95 percent organic can use the: “Made with Organic Ingredients”

• Products that contain at least 70 percent organic ingredients can use the: “Organic Seal” or can't be used on these packages.

• Foods containing less than 70 percent organic ingredients can't use the: “Organic Seal” or the word “Organic” on their product label - they can include the Organic Items in their Ingredient List.

Note:

You may see other terms on food labels, such as "all-natural," "free-range" or "hormone-free.“ These descriptions may be important to you, but don't confuse them with the term "organic.“ Only those foods that are grown and processed according to USDA organic standards can be labeled “organic.”

04/11/23 5(www.mayoclinic.com, 2008, para

5)

Nutrition

• No conclusive evidence shows that organic food is more nutritious than is conventionally grown food. • Nor does the USDA claim that these products are safer or more nutritious. Quality and Appearance - The difference lies in how the food is produced, processed and handled.

• Organic foods meet the same quality and safety standards as conventional foods. • Organic fruits and vegetables may spoil faster because they aren't treated with waxes or preservatives. • Expect the possible less-than-perfect appearances in some organic produce, and or odd shapes, varying colors and smaller sizes (most cases, however, organic foods look identical to conventional foods.) Taste.

• Taste is a subjective and personal consideration.

Pesticides

• Conventional growers use pesticides to protect their crops from molds, insects and diseases, which and can leave • residue on produce. • Organic food to limits exposure to toxin residues (most experts agree that the amount of pesticides found on fruits and vegetables poses a very small health risk.

Environment

• Organic food is often purchased for environmental reasons. • Organic farming practices are designed to benefit the environment by reducing pollution and conserving water and soil.

Cost $

• Organic food costs more than conventional food products because of the farming practices, tighter government regulations and lower crop yields. Organic farmers use weed and pest control that are labor intensive. 04/11/23

(www.mayoc.inic.com, 2008, para 6

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• Buy fruits and vegetables in season to ensure the highest quality.

• Read food labels carefully.

• Don't confuse natural foods with organic foods -> Only those products with the "USDA Organic" label have met USDA standards.

• Wash all fresh fruits and vegetables thoroughly with running water to reduce the amount of dirt and bacteria.

• Peel your fruits and vegetables and trim outer leaves of leafy vegetables.

• Remove fat from meat and the skin from poultry and fish.

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The following list is the cost comparison between conventional and organic foods from a local SafewayyTMTM supermarket, Rockville, Maryland.

Since Safeway now has a large selection of organic fresh fruits and vegetables in the middle of their produce aisle, it was not too difficult to locate this food. In addition, the produce was labeled with the USDA Organic Label.

The cost difference, between the total price of the conventional and the organic food was that of $ 2.13. However If you keep in mind, how much the cost of health care is, what is a few more dollars to spend? See Figure 1.

Figure 1: Cost Comparison Table

Food Cost Comparison Price Conventional Price Organic Difference

1. Apples 1.59 1.89 .302. Celery 2.99 3.59 .603. Lettuce 3.40 3.99 .59 4. Potatoes 1.49 2.00 .515. Bananas 0.88 0.89 .016. Avocados 0.77 1.79 .027. Onions 1.49 1.59 .10

-- Difference $ 2.13

www.safeway.com, 2010, para …

Based on the 2007 Organic Consumer Trends Report (OCTR), the House of Representatives version of the 2007 Farm Bill (HR2419) just passed by a vote of 231 to 191 - with significant appropriations - for the organic industry to now be reviewed in the U.S. Senate. This means that the future could hold:

• Possible increased organic transition support.• Research grants.• Certification costs. • Crop insurance program improvements and expanded USDA organic data collection.

Natural Marketing Institute (2000), states that: The primary objective of our report this year is to take a look at the future. We examined information across several sources including general market trends, scientific advances, government initiatives, supply issues, consumer insights, new product introductions and claims across each category within the organic marketplace. This in-depth analysis gave us a picture for the future which we present in our NMI predictions in Chapter One. What is the size of the opportunity and sustainability of each organic category?”

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(www.nmisolutions.com,2010, para 2

THE DAWN OF A NEW FRONTIER –

A SUSTAINABLE GLOBAL ORGANIC FARMING SYSTEM.

SHANGRI – LA!

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Organic foods: Are they safer? More nutritious? (2008). Retrieved January 19, 2010 from

http://www.mayoclinic.com/Health/organic-f ood/NU00255/METHOD=print

2007 Organic Consumer Trends Report. (2008). January 19, 2010 from

http://www.nmisolutions.com/r_organic.html

Safeway: Ingredients for life. (2008). Retrieved January 19, 2010 from

http://www.safeway.com/IFL/Grocery/Home

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