Go Organic for Health and Environment
By Cameron Woodworth
Americans are purchasing organic foods in record numbers. The organic food market has been exploding over the past decade, sustaining an astonishing 20 percent annual growth rate in that time.
So what's so great about organic food? And why has it become so
popular?
For one thing, people are becoming increasingly concerned about
pesticides in their food and in the environment, and the risks
associated with genetically engineered and irradiated foods. For
another, recent studies suggest that organic foods may be more
nutritious than their non-organic counterparts.
Above and beyond health concerns, many of the nation's top chefs
insist on using organic produce, because they say it tastes much
better than conventionally grown fruits and vegetables.
Organic: Going back to the natural way of doing things
In the past several decades, farming has increasingly become the
domain of huge agribusinesses that employ unsustainable practices
such as growing one crop repeatedly on the same piece of land,
or pouring huge amounts of chemicals on our food supply to fight
insects, weeds and to (supposedly) stimulate growth. Since the
1940s, the nutritional value of crops grown in the United States
has weakened as the quality of the soil has declined. Organic
agriculture, on the other hand, nourishes the land and strengthens
the soil.
Organic farmers are committed to caring for their land. They are
far less likely to engage in agricultural practices that result
in loss of topsoil, toxic runoff into the water supply, soil contamination
and poisoning, and death of birds, critters, insects and beneficial
soil organisms.
Farming was basically always organic before the 20th century,
and the rise of pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Pesticides
and chemical fertilizers didn't emerge until after chemical and
biological warfare research in the World Wars. Before the industrial
revolution (and the industrial agricultural revolution), farms
were mainly small, family-owned enterprises, growing their crops
without the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizer. But in
the past half-century or so, giant agribusinesses have drastically
changed the way farming is done. Commonly used non-organic farming
techniques today include the use of organophosphates (pesticides
EXTREMELY toxic to the human nervous system), antibiotics and
growth hormones in animals, fertilizers that contain cadmium,
lead, arsenic and toxic sewage sludge.
Organic agriculture means better soil, better food
Howard Lyman is a fourth-generation Montana family farmer who,
40 years ago, strayed from the organic techniques employed by
his forefathers.
Today he is vegan-vegetarian and travels around the country, giving
lectures about the importance of going organic and eating lower
on the food chain. He is the author of Mad Cowboy: The Cattle
Rancher Who Won't Eat Meat.
"I was involved in agriculture at a time when the message
was 'Get bigger and better or get out.' I was educated in modern
agriculture, and I can tell you from firsthand experience it is
not sustainable," Lyman says. "I followed all the modern
advice and turned a small organic family farm into a large corporate
chemical farm, including a thousand range cows, 5,000 head of
cattle in a factory feedlot, thousands of acres of crops, and
as many as 30 employees. I saw the organic soil go from a living
productive base to a sterile, chemical-saturated mono-cultural
ground because of my so-called modern methods."
John Reganold, lead scientist on a Washington State University
research team, released a study last year showing that organic
apple growing techniques are more profitable and produce better
tasting fruit than conventional farming methods, and has had similar
experience with the quality of organic soil.
"In the last 15 years, I have been on 150-200 organic farms,
and on about the same number of conventional farms. At every organic
farm, the farmer has always shown me the soil," Reganold
said. "They always say to me, 'Look at the earthworms and
look at the structure.' They realize the soil is an important
part of the system. I have never been shown the soil by a conventional
farmer."
Advocates say organic agriculture-because of its absence of pesticides
-is much better for our water resources than conventional agriculture.
According to US Environmental Protection Agency wastewater management
director Michael Cook, "[Conventional] farming is responsible
for 70 percent of waterway pollution, outstripping sewage treatment
plants and pollution deposited from the air."
"Organic practices prevent soil erosion, protect water quality,
save energy, keep chemicals off our plates, protect the health
of farmworkers, promote biodiversity, and provide food that tastes
better and, studies indicate, is more nutritious," says Jody
Aliesan, president of the PCC Natural Markets Farmland Fund, which
preserves organic farmland in Washington State. "The average
child suffers four times more exposure than an adult to cancer-causing
pesticides. The food choices we make have a wide ripple effect
into future generations."
EarthSave International founder John Robbins, author of Diet for
a New America and The Food Revolution: How Your Diet Can Help
Save Your Life and the World, strongly supports organic foods:
"To my eyes, the movement toward organic agriculture is one
of the most promising transitions currently occurring in our society,"
he says. "I believe that one day people will look back upon
these times with amazement that we ever sought to grow our food
with poisons."
Studies Indicate organic food more nutritious
Supporters of organic food have long believed that it is more
nutritious than non-organic food. Unfortunately, there have been
few comprehensive studies over the years to back up that claim.
However, two recent studies seem to do just that.
Virginia Worthington, Ph.D., a nutritionist with a degree from
Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, reviewed 41 studies from
around the world comparing nutrient levels of organic and non-organic
foods. Her findings, published in the Journal of Complementary
and Alternative Medicine, showed that organic foods have significantly
higher levels of vitamins and nutrients. She writes, "Overall,
organic crops had an equal or higher nutrient content about 85
percent of the time."
Worthington found that, on average, organic crops contain more
magnesium (29 percent), vitamin C (27 percent), iron (21 percent),
calcium (26 percent), manganese (42 percent) and phosphorous (14
percent). Additionally, Worthington discovered that organic produce
contains 372 percent more of the crucial antioxidant, selenium,
which scientists believe offers cells protection from free radical
damage thought to contribute to cancer.
Worthington's findings were confirmed in another study conducted
by the Soil Association, a United Kingdom research group that
promotes the organic movement. "On average, we found that
organic crops are not only higher in vitamin C and essential minerals,
but also in photo-nutrients-compounds that protect plants from
pests and disease and are often beneficial in the treatment of
cancer," says Patrick Holden, director of the Soil Association.
Organic food: Many great ways to find it
Fifteen or 20 years ago, organic food was much more difficult
to find than it is today. Just about the only place to get it
was in small, hard-to-find health food stores or roadside farm
stands. These days, even mainstream supermarkets such as QFC,
Fred Meyer and Albertson's offer a selection of organic produce
and convenience foods. Even better are natural food stores and
co-ops, which can be found throughout Seattle and the Puget Sound
region.
Along with extensive selections of organic fruits and vegetables,
many natural food stores offer endless aisles of organic convenience
foods, such as ice cream, frozen dinners and exotic world ingredients.
Another way to go is farmers' markets. There are several in the
Seattle area, and in towns around the region. Many of the farmers
at these markets feature organically grown food and shopping at
farmers' markets directly supports the local economy. Buying from
farmers' markets is a great way to get fresh, delicious produce.
For a comprehensive list of farmers' markets in Washington State,
visit www.ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets/states/washingt.htm.
Home delivery of fresh organic produce is also becoming popular.
Two companies in the Seattle area, New Roots Organics (http://www.newrootsorganics.com)
and Pioneer Organics (http://www.pioneerorganics.com)
deliver boxes of organic vegetables, fruits and herbs directly
to your home weekly or bi-weekly. Many times this produce is local
and seasonal which makes integrating healthy food extremely convenient.
Growing rapidly in popularity is a concept called Community Supported
Agriculture (or CSA). CSA's, (as the participating farms are
called), bring people into much closer contact with the food they
eat, and provide a steady stream of high-quality produce throughout
the growing season. Both customers and farmers find many advantages
in Community Supported Agriculture. By buying a share in a CSA
for $200 to $500, people enjoy a bag or two of fresh-picked organic
vegetables and herbs, and sometimes fruits, each week for the
entire growing season. Depending on the farm, people may pick
up the produce at the farm, or at a pre-arranged drop site.
"As a subscriber, you can see exactly how the land is being
treated," says Martha Goodlett, who runs Cultivating Communities
CSA in Seattle. "You know the people. And you're more in
touch with the cycles of the seasons."
Money raised by CSA subscriptions offers crucial capital for farmers,
helping them avoid taking out loans, which many small farms must
do in order to buy fertilizer, seed and equipment. CSA also takes
out the middleman, which means that more money goes back to local
farms.
You'll find a list of CSA farms in the region online at http://www.seattletilth.org/resources/csalist2002.html.
This guide, which was put together by Seattle Tilth, lists more
than 60 CSAs in Western Washington.
Of course, you can also grow your own organic produce, and there
are many great web sites that can help you along in your quest,
such as www.organicgardening.com and www.fourseasonfarm.com. If
you live in Seattle but don't have space for a garden, consider
joining a P-Patch garden. P-Patch, a nonprofit organization, offers
space for 4,500 gardeners in 40 Seattle neighborhoods. P-Patch
gardeners agree to practice organic growing techniques. To learn
more about P-Patch, visit http://www.cityofseattle.net/don/ppatch/default.htm.
Lyman, the former cattle-rancher-turned-activist, believes organic
agriculture is one of the most important foundations of a sustainable
future. It's something he talks about in nearly all of his speeches
across the country.
"The message is always the same: if there is to be a bright
future for our children and grandchildren, it will come from consumer
support of producers who work in concert with nature-organically,
sustainably and humanely."