Essay on Speech Outline on Organic Food

Every year, the average person in America consumes nearly a ton of food, and the majority of this consists of packaged and highly processed products. These foods also contain a substantial amount of unwanted fats and chemicals. The growing of organic versus nonorganic food has been a controversial issue for a long time among organic and nonorganic farmers and their customers. This is due to the myriad definitions of healthy eating and the stated benefits on both sides.

I. Before you eat a meal or snack do you ever actually think about where it comes from, what is in it, and how it will affect your body? Most people these days consider eating to be a mindless act, especially when they are so busy with school, work, and other things. They eat foods that

No industry has seen the level of dramatic, exponential growth and change over the past three decades as animal agriculture. The present day global society and its accompanying hunger for flesh and other animal derived products has forced the production and husbandry of animals to adapt in order to satisfy this high demand. Modern farming practices are far from the idealized, picturesque image that is frequently portrayed in American media and advertising. Animal production in the United States has been industrialized, and consequently the adverse effects of large scale production and industry are taking their toll in new and devastating ways. A nation which was once saturated with small farms and farmers who supplied to the local

By not using multiple chemicals to control crops, organic farming also ends up being better for the environment. Organic farmers use natural fertilizers such as manure so that they do not release artificial chemicals into the ground (“Organic Food”). In June of 1999 a report made by the U.S. Geologic Survey, found that most waterways and ground water supplies in both urban and rural areas contained enough pesticides to endanger aquatic life (“pesticides”). These chemicals can also leak into streams and encourage the growth of algae and intoxicate the water (“298 John P. Reganold et.al”). Furthermore studies have found that water contaminated with pesticides may accumulate in the

Organic foods can be found in almost any grocery store nowadays, claims of vitality, health, and prevention

Today, it is a known fact that nearly 100 percent of the population interacts with agriculture and products from the animal industry, while it is estimated that only less than one percent of the population is directly involved with agricultural production. Although most people aren’t farmers, it is still important that consumers in our society still understand where their food comes from and in the case of animal agriculture, those that provide it.

Nowadays, people are more concern about the healthy lifestyles as well as the environmental sustainability. “If people believe that the food is healthier and they are doing something good for themselves, they are willing to invest a bit more, particularly as they get older” – as Hollie Shaw said. It can be seen that the market for organic and natural foods is a potential market: Organic foods and beverages were available in nearly every food category in 2014 and were available in over 90 percent of U.S. retail food stores (is used to be 75% in 2008). Food labeled “organic” accounted for about $35 billion across North America in

From 1960 to 1981, pesticide use in the U.S. tripled. 1981 was the peak of pesticide use. That year, over 632 million pounds of pesticides were used. To put that in perspective, that’s equivalent to the weight of over 1,500 full-grown elephants.

Interest in organic food has been increasing over the past decade. The United States Department of Agriculture(USDA) defines the term organic as:“... a labeling term that indicates that the food or other agricultural product has been produced through approved methods ” (“Consumer Information,” 2014, para. 1). In fact, consumers have become aware about food quality, and this has increased the sales of organic foods. According to The Organic Trade Association (2011), organic food sales have been identified as the largest growth segment in U.S. agriculture, with sales increasing from $3.6 billion in 1997 to $26.7 billion in 2010. This increase is due to of many factors. One of them is the labels which influence people to buy organic food. The U.S. federal government utilizes informational product labeling (such as “organic” or “natural” labels) as a way to influence consumers’ knowledge and purchasing patterns. (Caswell & Mojduszka, 1996). There is no doubt that organic food labels motivate consumers to purchase these types of foods. It is therefore of interest to study the influence of these labels on consumers ' choices.

This agricultural study will examine the problem of the contamination of food products through pesticide usage in the United States. The United States is s global leader in the use of pesticides for large-scale industrial production of food products, which define the threat to the environment and the health of human beings. The necessity of producing more food for increasing human populations poses a threat in the use of pesticides to increase crop yields. However, pesticides cause inadvertent effects on human health through the toxicity of these chemicals in food products. This effect is counterintuitive to the well-being and nutritional standards of a health growing population in this type of industrial food production. In essence, an analysis of the contamination of industrial food products will be defined through pesticide usage in the United States.

In a September third, 2012 edition of The Stanford Medicine News Center in an article entitled “Little evidence of health benefits from organic foods, study finds” Michelle Brandt argues that certified organic fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy and other certified organic food goods, may not be worth the higher prices. Brandt states that certified organic is around 50% more expensive at most retailers. Opposing views of certified organic goods have often claimed that the higher prices are worth the health benefits. Brandt states that there have been multiple studies done on the various types of organic and certified organic goods and that they have been somewhat inconclusive. Despite the fact that they have found a bit higher percentages of vitamins in organic goods, the higher rates are only shown in vitamins that are rare in which to have a dietary deficiency. Brandt also states that the lower rates of pesticides found in organic foods is not worth the cost, due to the fact that the levels found in traditionally grown items were within the limits set by the government as healthy to consume. Lastly Brandt leads the reader to believe that eating healthier foods in general, such as a diet high in fruits and vegetables, is the most important way to be a healthier individual. The higher price of organic goods could lead people away from buying any produce due to believing that they must buy organic goods in order to truly be healthy.

Organic food is any product produced by a farming system which does not incorporate the use of human-made fertilizers and pesticides, livestock feed additives or growth regulators. According to Cooper, Leifert, and Ursula (45), organic food uses natural methods of agriculture which aim at giving a product which is environmentally friendly, economically viable and also socially healthy. For instance below are some of the practices which organic farmers engage in to ensure that they meet this objective (Harper and Aikaterini 290).

conventional produce. “several studies have compared aspects of quality of organically and conventionally grown plant-derived foods. However, as concluded in a recent review, only small and inconsistent differences were found. Only for nitrate and vitamin C were systematic tendencies apparent” (Brandt, Mølgaard, 2001).

Diet is a significant aspect of the prevention of various illnesses, and the prospect of leading a healthy lifestyle. To accommodate the high demand of healthy alternatives, the organic food industry is quickly expanding. The U.S. organic foods market has rapidly grown from $3.5 billion in 1996 to $28.6 billion in 2010 according to the clinical report of Organic Foods: Health and Environmental Advantages and Disadvantages written by Joel Forman and Janet Silverstein. But should we purchase and consume more organically grown produce, meats, dairy products, and grains than conventionally grown foods? As the organic food section in local food supermarkets continue to increase, understanding and determining the benefits of food labels can oftentimes be confusing. Hence, this analytical report will review the health and environmental concerns associated with organic food consumption and production. This report will assess the nutritional benefits of organic foods, and investigates the cost and environmental impact of organic production practices. By evaluating the benefits of consuming organic foods, will further our knowledge and make the decision making process of purchasing either organic or conventional products easier.

On Sunday, October 11, 2015, I visited the weekly Farmer’s Market held on Montrose St. In La Canada California from 9:00am until 2:00pm. This was a smaller Farmer’s Market and took up only one city block. This event was held on a busy street where it was surrounded by restaurants, coffee shops and other small mom and pop shops. My goal was to see the difficulty in distinguishing the difference between organic and non-organic products.