Organic food is produced to a set of standards and principles concerning such issues as chemical pesticides/herbicides/insecticides etc; food additives; animal welfare; and sustainability.
When our food is organic it is produced in an organic farming system without the use of synthetic chemicals or genetically modified organisms. Emphasis is placed on the system and emphasises a holistic farm management approach, using rotations and ruminant animals as an integral part of the system. Organic systems recognise that our health is directly connected to the health of the food we eat and, ultimately, the health of the soil.In this system soil is central with soil health critical in producing wholesome products without the use of artificial fertilisers and pesticides/herbicides/fungicides etc.
Organic farmers aim to produce good food from a balanced, living soil. The goal of organic farming is to build biological diversity, replenish and maintain soil fertility, and reduce farm pollution. There is evolving science that continues to demonstrate the long-term benefits of organic farming on human and animal health and the environment.
Growing our foods organically has proven to be one of the hottest, fastest-growing movements of the 21st century. Already, more than 4 million acres of American farmland have been dedicated to raising our food more sustainably,1 with an eye toward our health and our future. That's four million acres farmed intelligently without the use of toxic pesticides or other toxic chemicals; four million acres nurtured with both ancient and modern techniques that are in balance with nature, helping to reduce the production of greenhouse gasses and reduce the threat of global warming.
As recently as 1990, when Congress passed the Organic Foods Production Act, there were fewer than one million acres of organic farmland. In just twelve years, by 2002, that amount had doubled. Then the pace of progress picked up. Within just three more years, the amount of organic farmland doubled again.
In 2005 for the first time, certified organic farmland in all 50 states in America. It's been exceptional progress, but we can do more.If organic cropland continues to double — and it is possible! — we can hope to see a revitalization and renewal of our streams and our soil as we build a smart, sustainable future.
People used to be drinking the stream water in National Parks, because it was so pure. They also could catching and eating fish from our local streams. Today, all of the streams surveyed by the USGS, and over 90 percent of fish tested in farming regions were polluted with pesticides.
We can reclaim our streams, our food, our future. Delicious, nutrient-packed, healthful organic food is becoming more available every day — and with a few, focused, strategic, simple purchases we can make a huge difference together.
What are the most important foods to buy organic?
" Every bite of food is either an investment in your body's vitality or a debt your body is taking out — or a combination of both”. To make your investments really count, for yourself, for your family, and for the planet, Dr. Greene's Organic Prescription — the top ten items (okay, 11) can make the biggest difference.
