Is Organic Food Better: Farming Practices Research (Research Paper Sample)

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Is Organic Food Better?
Organic foods are those that are produced through organic farming practices. These practices rely on crop husbandry techniques such as organic manure, rotation of crops, compost and biological control of pests. The practice uses fertilizers and natural pesticides inclusive of herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides. In general, organic farming is a system of production management that ecologically supports and advances biodiversity, biological cycles, and soil biological activity. It recommends minimal use of off-farm practices, and other crop husbandry practices that restore, maintain and enhance ecological balance. Organic farming practices strongly discourage the use of petrochemical fertilizers and pesticides, inputs that regulate plant growth, antibiotics in livestock and genetically modified organisms CITATION Sil12 \l 1033 (Silverstein). Organic foods are those processed without the use of irradiation, industrial solvents or synthetic food additives. Therefore, under the US food industry, organic means that foods are grown and processed without chemical toxins, artificial inputs, chemical preservatives and ionizing radiation. From the preceding dos-and –don’t literature on organic food production, the legal and scientific specifications of producing organic food must have proven beyond doubts that these foods are better than genetically modified ones.
Consumption of organic foods may reduce exposure to residues of pesticides and antibiotic-resistant bacteria CITATION Mat15 \l 1033 (Matthews). Exposure to pesticides can have adverse effects on human health. Such side effects include dermal and eye irritations, the nervous system, reproductive problems and cancerous complications. Other severe health problems include leukemia and neurobehavioral alterations. Other negative findings, though with scanty information include neurological problems, fetal deaths, and birth defects.
One of the primary goals of organic farming practices is an environmental concern. The recommendation to use organic foods has indirect benefits to human health. The strict control of pesticide use means that the process of pesticide drift is minimized CITATION All15 \l 1033 (Allan Greene). In so doing, soil contamination and water pollution are brought to manageable levels. In the absence of such controls, then biodiversity is reduced. The result will be a threat to the endangered species and destruction of habitats. This has an eventual cyclic effect on man’s survival. Chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticides dissolve in fats, yet they are not excreted. Their retention in the body means that they get more concentrated at each level of the food chain.
Some organic foods and products are more expensive than conventional ones. However, they indirectly prove cheaper in the sense that a consumer prevents ailments, whether major or minor. Such a move translates to lower health care costs.
The superiority of organic foods has been discounted by both FDA and USDA, where they have given equal health ties to the alternative foods. However, recent research findings suggest that organic milk and organic tomatoes are better-off than the alternative varieties. Since organic cows are pasture-grazed, researchers have shown that organic milk has more antioxidants, Omega-3 fatty acids, CLA and vitamins than nonorganic milk CITATION Org15 \l 1033 (Ltd). Excessive formation of antioxidants like quercetin and kaempferol has also been realized in the production of organic tomatoes. Health-wise, antioxidants are good for the reduction of cardiac problems and arresting chances of cancer development. They also reduce the chances of premature aging, cognitive malfunction, and vision problems.
Organic food is arguably tastier than the nonorganic ones. The reasoning behind this is the fact that since this food is produced locally, it is readily available in the market. As fresh food, it tastes better than frozen foods that have been shipped and transported for months.
The need for food certification was brought about by the production of nonorganic foods. With mass production of the latter, the consumer was unaware of what food he or she was using, neither was he too aware of the adverse effects. This consumer ignorance and the resultant health complications meant that the government had to do come in to protect the consumer against the otherwise profiteering producer. A critical examination of this scenario discloses that the practice of nonorganic farming has made the government incur unnecessary expenses in this procedure. The huge amount could otherwise have been put to other beneficial ways.
While making purchases for foodstuffs in the stores, some consumers have a high preference for quality standards to costs. For them, the cost of a commodity does not count as much as the quality. Observations made disclose that organic foods are comparatively deer than the nonorganic alternatives. But looking at this critically, this comparative advantage relates to the direct cost. What of the indirect costs. Of what benefit is it when one buys a commodity cheaply, only to nurse other indirect associated costs later? This can be avoided by considering the high quality of the organic foods, which would complement the high costs. The QAI Standards ensure compliance to standards of quality CITATION Ide14 \l 1033 (Bite).
The consumption of organic food helps in making merry of agricultural products. The issue of food is a ‘language’ that transcends in all spheres the world over. Talking organic helps to ensure that biodiversity is embraced. Though organic farming is not the most efficient farming practice, it ensures biological and cultural conservation through control of extinction of plant species. In an organic farm, animals, birds and insects supplement the natural habitat for flora species. While organic farms replicate a renewal of plant cover, industrial farms resonates with removal of the cover. This justifies why organic foods should be everyday meal. CITATION All15 \l 1033 (Allan Greene).
Organic farming helps in building healthy soils. David Pimental of Cornell University suggests that reliance on chemical fertilizer has cost the US an estimated $ 40 billion annually. In addition to these is degradation of mineral value in fruits and vegetables. Organic practices involve substituting synthetic fertilizers with organic matters. Recent studies reveal a rise of vitamins and minerals value in organic foods.
The frequent use of organic foods enables subsistence and commercial organic farmers financially. Statistics available disclose that the number of certified organic farmers is increasing. Certified organic family farms have a dual economic advantage: they are profitable and are also harmonious with their surrounding environment. Where we recommend consumption of organic food, the associated financial benefits stay within the community and strengthen ...