The new trend of going organic

There is a quickly growing trend spreading rapidly across the United States: going “natural”. Over the past 14 years the organic food industry in the US has transformed itself from a meager
1 billion dollar industry to a 17 billion dollar way of life. Organics are
currently the fastest growing sector in the United States’ food market,
increasing at a consistent annual rate of 17 to 20 percent over the past
several years.

This steady takeover is being fueled by Americans’ desire to improve their life styles, starting with the food they consume. Organic foods are found to be healthier than competing conventional
produce because they are not grown using non-organic pesticides.

During the 20^th century there was an increase in the use of insecticides and herbicides as the agriculture industry looked for new ways to increase crop yields. However, the
organic approach reverts back to more natural methods of farming in which these
harmful and even toxic chemicals are removed.yes""> 

This idea of organically grown produce is fairly new and has only been picking up speed for the past ten years. In was only eight years ago, in 2002, that the United States Department of Agriculture
established the National Organic Program (NOP). The NOP is the regulatory
framework of the US organic industry and sets standards for producers who wish
to use the word organic in reference to their products. 

In order to become organically certified in the US, farmers must completely omit the use of synthesized chemicals on their produce. Genetically modified foods (GMs) are also considered
synthesized and are therefore not organic and against NOP’s regulations.

Some farmers, however, don’t feel the need to be NOP certified in order to follow organic methods. Green Fence Farm, for example, is a local Virginia-based farm run by 11^th grader
Vivian Telgarsky’s family. Kate Sullivan Sparks, Vivian’s mother, says that in
addition to following many organic methods such as using non chemical
fertilizers and pesticides, Green Fence Farm follows additional methods not
included in the NOP’s guidelines, which they believe are just as important. For
instance the
farm sells to a local market, meaning additional resources are not used to
transport their food thousands of miles to non-neighboring markets. They also
allow anyone to visit the farm and see how they operate, for Mrs. Sparks claims
that “the best way to ensure food safety is to have educated buyers who know
and trust the farmers they buy from.”

Although we all wish the food industry were this conscientious, not all organic companies shoot for local consumers. In this
respect many organic products consume just as many natural resources as
conventional products in their journey to your grocery store.

yes""> Another issue that makes consumers hesitate at the aisle when choosing between organics and non-organics is price. It may seem only
logical that adding large amount of chemicals would increase the price of
conventional produce, however, the reality is the opposite. The fertilizers,
pesticides and antibiotics increase the yield of crops and livestock creating
products that can be sold for cheaper prices. By removing the use of these
chemicals, crop and livestock growth is more costly, meaning prices are 50 to
100 percent higher.

Some families believe that this is small price to pay for the benefits that an organic life is said to have. Many organically grown produce is proven to have more vitamins, (specifically D and
E) minerals, enzymes, healthy fats (Omega-3) and even better taste than
conventionally grown foods.  In
addition, the chemicals used on non-organic crops travel from the farm to your
plate, meaning consumers are ingesting chemicals used to suppress insect and
weed populations.

The health concerns associated with conventionally grown foods have also risen over the past few years due to outbreaks of salmonella which were proven to be the result of an increasing
careless food industry. The organic market has been benefiting greatly from
this increase in demand for produce consumers feel are safe and toxin-free.