Student 1
Englishea Student
AP English 11
25November 2009
Mr. Fleckenstein
Organic: The Healthiest Choice
‘You are what you eat’, an age-old saying, has recently gained much more meaning and importance. One does not only consume the food they eat, but any chemicals, hormones, antibiotics, or other treatments applied to the food as well. These additions to nonorganic food, found in all production stages, are possibly dangerous and can have serious consequences. However, by choosing an organic lifestyle one can avoid these dangers and ensure that they nourish themselves with wholesome, safe, and nutritious products. Understanding the numerous health benefits of eating organically grown food, realizing the environmental impact of farming, and identifying the many dangers associated with nonorganic food will help influence and encourage people to live an organic lifestyle.
Farming in the olden days was natural and pure. Then the Industrial Revolution transformed farming into a chemical-laden, big-business industry. The organic revolution emerged because of a desire to return to natural and wholesome methods, but the organic philosophy grew to encompass much more. This philosophy is concerned with every aspect involved in production from field to consumption. According to the environmentally focused Prince of Wales, “Organic farming delivers the highest quality, best-tasting food, produced without artificial chemicals or genetic modification, and with respect for animal welfare and the environment, while helping to maintain the landscape and rural communities” (Blatt 71). These unique characteristics draw consumers to organic products to ensure the most nutritious and environmentally-friendly products. Many people choose organic to support small, local farmers; to ensure superior nutrition, quality, and taste; and to avoid harmful pesticides (“Top 10 Reasons”). The demand for organic products continues to rise as more people discover the truth about what they eat and hence, the organic market is flourishing.
Numerous health benefits are associated with organic food. Organic farmers put great care into their farming and this yields superior products. Organic farmers use crop rotation, grow a variety of crops, and add compost to the ground to ensure the best and most nutrient-rich soil. This is critical because quality and healthy food starts with quality and healthy soil. In contrast, industrial farmers only seek high production and profit sacrificing nutrient-rich soil and products byexhausting the land and requiring chemical fertilizers and other additives. Thus organic food has“higher vitamin, mineral, and phytonutrient content” (Fromartz 28). Organic fruits and vegetables are, on average, 25 percent more nutrient dense than conventional counterparts (McCullum-Gomez, et al). Furthermore, according to Elisha Dunn-Georgiou’s book Everything You Need to Know About Organic Foods, organic products do not contain any artificial flavors, colors, preservatives, pesticides, or other chemicals (11). All these additives are unnecessary and possibly detrimental to human health. Nutrition directly relates to health and when you eat better, you are healthier. Not only can organic food contribute to good health, but it can also prevent ailments. An all organic food system“could bring down health-care costs by eliminating toxic lifestyles and the unnecessary disease and illness they cause” (Hirshberg 48). The abundant health benefits associated with organic food will encourage people to live an organic lifestyle.
Not only are organic products better for the consumer, but they are better for the environment as well. The aforementioned methods that increase the fertility of the soil and crops also protect and save the environment. Organic farms are sustainable and diverse because organic farmers emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water, thus enhancing environmental quality for future generations (Zevnik). On the other hand, industrial farms are unsustainable and deteriorate the natural landscape. The lack of quality agricultural practices requires industrial farmers to heavily use chemicals in an attempt to improve their products. However, these chemicals have many adverse effects on the environment: “the overload of chemical fertilizers and pesticides in the air, soil, and water also affects whole ecosystems, often poisoning natural habitats; harming or killing birds, wild animals, and beneficial insects; and destroying biodiversity” (Miller 67). Choosing organic products supports farms that save nature, not destroy it. “Organic farming used 30% less fossil energy, conserved more water in the soil, caused less erosion, maintained better soil quality, and conserved more biological resources than conventional farming” (Blatt 85). If the government and more people do not support a change in industrial farming methods, the world may soon face a huge environmental crisis. Supporting organic agriculture is a viable solution though. Organic farmer, Gary Hirshberg said that “Organic is a profound weapon in the fight against air pollution and global warming” (59). The environmental impact of farming is another reason why living an organic lifestyle is a healthier choice.
The advantages of organic food are abundant, but more eminent are the dangers of nonorganic food. Conventional food contains pesticides, chemical fertilizers, antibiotics, added hormones; may be genetically modified; and much more. These practices are unsafe and possibly dangerous because most are unregulated by the government and most do not have adequate or complete research. Scientists have found that most pesticides can be classified as carcinogens and are still legally used today (Miller 48 – 50). Consumers are unable to avoid these pesticides and are exposed to many of them every day. This exposure “increases the risk of neurobehavioral damage, cancer, and reproductive disorders” (Fromartz 1). Industrial agriculture not only harms the consumer, but everyone involved from field to consumption, thus affecting millions of people. Conventional farms overuse the land, which depletes the soil of nutrients and produces less nutritious food. Conventional products are also heavily and unnecessarily processed, further reducing their nutrient content. In the words of Andrew Kimbrell, director of the Center for Food Safety, “Industrial food is not safe. It is, in fact, becoming increasingly deadly and devoid of nutrition” (Miller 49). Despite common belief, conventional food is unhealthy and dangerous and is another reason why living an organic lifestyle is a healthier choice.
There are many benefits of living an organic lifestyle; ranging from consumer health to environmental health all while avoiding added dangers. Conventional foods may be cheaper at the checkout, but they are certainly more expensive in the long run for the health ofthe consumer, the farm worker, and the environment. With conventional farming“we’ve lost one third of America’s original topsoil; buried toxic waste everywhere; and polluted and depleted water systems, worsened global warming, and exacerbated ailments ranging from cancer to diabetes to obesity” (Hirshberg 48). Alternatively, choosing an organic lifestyle supports organic farms that care for the environment and nutrition. Everyone can do their own part to improve themselves and the environment buying choosing organic the next time at the checkout.
Works Cited
Blatt, Harvey. America's Food: What You Don't Know About What You Eat. Cambridge, MA: MIT, 2008. Print.
Dunn-Georgiou, Elisha. Everything You Need to Know About Organic Foods (Need to Know Library). New York: Rosen Group, 2002. Print.
Fromartz, Samuel. Organic, Inc. 1st ed. Orlando: Harcourt, 2006. Print.
Hirshberg, Gary. "Organics-Healthy Food, and So Much More." Food, INC. Ed. Karl Weber. 1st ed. New York: Public Affairs, 2009. 47-59. Print.
McCullum-Gomez, Christine, Charles Benbrook, and Richard Theuer. Critical Issue Report: That First Step. Rep. The Organic Center, Mar. 2009. Web. 13 Nov. 2009. <
Miller, Debra A. Organic Foods (Hot Topics). New York: Lucent Books, 2007. Print.
"Top 10 Reason to Support Organic." Organic.org. Foerstel Design, 2009. Web. 04 Dec. 2009. <
Zevnik, Neil "the ORGANIC CONUNDRUM." Better Nutrition 71.9 (2009): 44. MasterFILE Premier. EBSCO. Web. 10 Nov. 2009.