Like other smart shoppers, you’ve probably asked yourself if organic food is better for your health, or if the so-called advantages are just a bunch of hype.
Let’s start by examining what the word organic means as it applies to food products. An organic farm is one that is dedicated to particular principles with regard to the environment, humans, and animals. Organic farms leave chemicals out of the equation and cultivate their food naturally. This is part of a wider concern that seeks to lessen damage to the environment and wildlife, as well as to humans who eat the food. Land roughly the size of Italy is used for organic pursuits, and the global organic market is valued at over $27 billion.
The Meaning of Organic Labels
If a food item has been grown on a farm, and if it utilizes processors and importers approved by a known certification process, then it can have an organic label. Nearly all agricultural ingredients of a processed food (95%) must be approved as organic. The remaining 5% don’t need to be organic, but the contents must be approved.
Organic food producers have to follow these guidelines to achieve organic certification: They must not use fertilizers as they contain nitrous oxide. The soil is kept fertile with manure and crop rotation that alternates the planted crops, leaving natural nutrients behind. Instead of using pesticides, farmers can weed and plant different crops side-by-side so that they keep both crops’ pests under control. They can also use particular insects to take out more harmful ones.
Colorings, preservatives, and most other additives cannot be used. Animals must be fed organically, and they also must be given open space and access to free range areas. In addition, minimum slaughter age rules exist. These and other guidelines for the humane treatment of animals must be followed.
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