Is organic food better for your health? Is it better for the environment?
Or is it just another fancy marketing trend??
Organic food standards vary from one country to another, in general it requires:
· Using natural fertilizers like manure to improve plant growth.
· Animals raised organically without antibiotics or hormones.
· No Sewage sludge as fertilizer.
· No genetic engineering, used to improve disease or pest resistance or to improve crop yields.
· No synthetic (human-made) pesticides, however organic farmers may use natural pesticides approved for organic food production.
· No irradiation (a way to preserve food with radiation energy).
Health
Studies have found that organic food is not necessary more nutritious, although it may taste better than conventional produced food, and there’s no clear result whether it has less pesticide residue than non-organic food.
Environment
The fact that organic farming does not use chemical fertilizers is the main reason why it’s considered better for the Earth, the process also uses less energy.
However, organic food actually produces fewer crops from the same land as traditional forms of farming, meaning that organic farming could yield up to 70% less crops than conventional farming techniques, so in conclusion far more land must be taken up to produce the same results, that land could instead be used for forestation.
Expensive
In general, organic food may cost more money than non-organic food.
Bottom Line
Eating organic food is a personal preference.
People choose organic food for different reasons. Whether you choose organic or non-organic food, you can still eat healthy and balance your diet.
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