Let's Talk About Organic Food
Organic foods are foods produced, grown, or farmed in accordance with standards set by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s National Organic Standards Board. In general, organic foods must be produced without the use of sewer-sludge, human waste, or synthetically produced fertilizers; growth hormones, antibiotics, artificial pesticides, or irradiation. This class of food also cannot be genetically modified or engineered.
Because of these restrictions, organic farmers use a variety of techniques to replace conventional farming methods. These techniques range from using predatory insects, such as lady bugs, as pest control, and manual weeding instead of herbicides, to using natural fertilizers instead of synthetic ones.
Tags: benefits of organic foods, conventional farming, food enthusiasts, national organic standards, natural ecosystem, natural fertilizers, predatory insects, production standpoint, sewer sludge, unnatural substancesRelated posts
What Is The Difference Between Locally Grown Food And Organic Food?
In the U.K., consumers are gobbling up organic food by the bushel. In fact, according to the Organic Centre Wales, “Direct sales of organic food through box schemes, farmers’ markets and farm shops grew by more than a third to L144 million during 2004.” And those numbers have continued to rise as consumers become increasingly concerned about the long-term effects of the chemical fertilizers and pesticides used on crops grown by non-organic farms. While most people agree that organic food is preferable over non-organic, a debate has begun about the source of organic foods. For example, is imported organic food as desirable as UK organic food?
Making the Case for Local Organic Food
Tags: bountiful variety, chemical fertilizers, farmers markets, fish farm, fruits and vegetables, organic centre, organic farm shop, organic fish, organic food delivery, seasonal foods