(FT) Organic vs Non-Organic Lesson
Organic vs Non-Organic
Many foods today are produced using certified organic techniques. There is an official sticker designating a food as "organic" somewhere on the packaging when purchased, but what is the difference between an organically grown food and any other? What makes a food "certified organic?"
Organic food is grown naturally, with no chemicals or enhancers, but in today's society most of the farming is done with at least some sort of chemical. In a sense, everything is organic. Everything we consume comes from some source of our planet, make it organic. However, when discussing food, the term means that no extra chemical or ingredients were added to make it larger, brighter or tastier. Organic farming uses no chemical pesticides to kill excess weeds or insects and each fruit or vegetable has a chance of imperfection.
Organic can refer to more than just fruits, vegetables and meat. Farmers, processing plants, seed distributors and restaurants are among some of the entities that can obtain an organic certification. Organic certification is an important part of ensuring the consumers receive the best quality food raised under the best care. The strict laws and regulations separating certified from non-certified organic food keep our farming system accountable and reliable, allowing only the best companies and farmers the certified organic sticker on their products. It is a symbol of hard work and integrity and one of the highest standards in the U.S.
If you come across the USDA Certified Organic sticker on your groceries, you can have a sound mind knowing that those foods were raised, packaged and shipped following the specific guidelines required by the U.S. government.
Farmers growing organic produce do not use conventional methods of fertilizer or control weeds and insects.
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Conventional |
Organic |
|---|---|
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Apply chemical fertilizers to promote plant growth. |
Apply natural fertilizers, such as manure or compost, to feed soil and plants. |
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Spray insecticides to reduce pests and disease. |
Use insects and birds, mating disruption or traps to reduce pests and disease. |
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Use chemical herbicides to manage weeds. |
Rotate crops, till, hand weed or mulch to manage weeds. |
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Give animals antibiotics, growth hormones and medications to prevent disease. |
Give animals organic feed and allow access to the outdoors; use preventative methods such as rotational grazing to help minimize disease. |
So what are the differences between organic and non-organic? When purchasing organic produce, the physical differences between the two are almost instantaneously noticeable. Organic produce frequently comes in variable sizes and shapes that often look physically "imperfect," whereas non-organic produce all seems to look relatively the same. This is primarily because non-organic is unprocessed or minimally processed produce and is treated with a variety of growth enhancing substances while organic produce is not.
Perhaps the most substantial and tangible differences between organic products and non-organic products lie in the various substances used in non-organic food production that are not in organics. The use of certain modification methods, pesticides and other synthetic substances on food plants, as well as the use of food additives, fortifiers and substances that may be used as processing aids in organic products are strictly limited to legislation methods, substances and uses.
Although many people believe that organic products are nutritionally superior to non-organic products, some very recent studies have shown that the nutritional differences between organic products and non-organic products are generally minuscule; however, research on the topic is ongoing.
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