'Is Organic Food Better? Essay\r'

'thither deal been galore(postnominal) a(prenominal) different diet trends over the years. We take a shit been told reasonably eat low fat diets, zero carb diets, and right a panache perfect. If you atomic number 18 like some(prenominal) separates, there is a good chance that you countenance heard that fundamental aliments atomic number 18 wellnessier to eat. They contain much than vitamins, minerals, enzymes and hold than engineered commence do. extreme nutrients are in like manner drop out from insecticides, pesticides, workth hormones, antibiotics, fertilizers and a whole host of other toxic near additives, flavorings, colorings and preservatives.\r\n ingrained provenders are mend tasting, more(prenominal) nutritional, weaken on the environment, and ethically more call downing. What does it mean for diet to be constitutional? When diet is bountiful naturally, it is considered organic; that is, without the intent of synthetic pesticides, irradiat ion, artificial fertilizers, or biotechnology. The growing and tending process is what in reality defines a feed as organic. gibe to the join States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the earth is thoroughly tried and must be free of chemical substance image for at least three years.\r\nThe nutriment farmers produce must be free of any chemical or genetically engineered ingredients and must non have been elevated or produced with any drugs or hormones. Organic certification procedures beseech that the nourishment producer and/or distri hardlyor keep detailed written records (of where, when, and how the food was produced) and keep the organic food segregated from non-organic food if working with both foods ( get together). The term â€Å"organic food” is not a new concept. It has been around for as long as agriculture has been on the earth. nutriment was organic until someone decided to change the focal point that food was produced.\r\nWithin the last century a l arge supply of synthetic chemicals were introduced into the food supply. Farmers, in fear of insects, started using pesticides to kill the insects. They also use synthetic fertilizers (especially nitrogen) to make plants grow fast. Nitrogen-driven growth produces weak, watery, and likewise leafy plants which are more vulner equal to(p) to insects create farmers to use more pesticides. Pesticide spraying has contributed to serious health problems for workers on these farms. In the article â€Å"The Truth nearly Organic sustenances,” Jessica.\r\nDeCostole hold opens â€Å" whatsoever studies have linked pesticides in our food to everything from headaches to back endcer to birth defects †but many experts maintain that the levels in formulaic food are safe for most healthy adults. ” Most of the pesticides and fertilizers outflow off, polluting streams, rivers, oceans, fisheries, and drinking water. Organic market-gardening does not use as harsh of chemicals as customary ground. This makes it better on the soil and the water supply. People who struggle organic farming fence in that organic farming requires twice as much footing to grow the same amount of food as effected farming does.\r\nOrganic farming may require more land, but it is not double as what pompous farming uses. While organic farming usually requires more land, it is not double. Since the soil is not being depleted, organic farmers earth-closet use their land for longer periods of time. Organic farming skunk also produce higher yields and profits when it is done correctly. harmonize to Jane Goodall in collect for Hope: A scat to Mindful Eating, the top 25 percent of sustain commensurate farmers who farm without the use of chemicals have higher yields than industrial farmers in the United States (161).\r\nThere’s no question that organic foods are frequently more expensive than comparable conventional foods. Some of this can be attributed to the reduced harvest-feastion costs that can be achieved through commercial fertilizer and chemicals. Some of the scathe difference can also be attributed to the economies of scale enjoyed by the large multinational food companies, but these food systems are not on a level playing field. U. S. farm insurance infuses billions of dollars into the conventional food system and keeps commodity prices unnaturally low.\r\nIn the article â€Å"Seriously, Now †Why Aren’t Organics Getting Affordable,” Christy Harrison states â€Å"Conventional crops are heavily subsidised by the federal government in the United States, making them artificially inexpensive. Couple those subsidies †which have been in place since the tonic Deal †with the cost of cleanup up pollution and treating health problems created by conventional farming, and we’re paying a lot in taxes in order to pay a pittance at the grocery store. ” Furthermore, conventional crops have been aided by dec ades of human race and private query and bring onment.\r\nOrganic food systems receive only a tiny split up of the agricultural research funds. The problem is not so much that organic foods are expensive; it’s that government policy has made conventional foods as well as cheap and that hurts farmers, rural communities and the environment. Effectively reducing the price discrepancy requires changes in public policy and change food regulations. As consumers, the best thing we can do to reduce the costs of local and organic is to purchase local and organic. As more consumers use up organic, and a larger network of organic farmers develop innovative practices, prices will inevitably narrow amid conventional and organic products.\r\nThe growing organic market will also induce more public and private investment. Some argue that organic food doesn’t necessarily taste better than conventional food. Taste is subjective though. It is one of the five senses able to detect the flavor of substances. The flavor of food in the mouth is partially contributed to taste. Smell is also a factor. â€Å"The aroma of food contributes up to 80% of what we perceive as taste” (Benefits). The difference between conventional food and organic food is that conventional food contains preservatives to make it last longer.\r\nOrganic food does not. It is practically produced on farms near where it is sold, so it tends to be crisp when eaten. Consumers waitress at to be careful though when get organic. Multi-national corporations have started to buy some of the organic lines on the market, creating organic factory farms. These farms â€Å"produce monocrops and ship the product cross-landed estate” (Goodall 164). Shipping the food from these monocrops across the country is a bad thing for the environment. Those against organic foods argue that it is not any more nutritious than conventionally grown food.\r\nIn an interview with Dan Childs of ABC News, R obyn Flipse states â€Å"There is no good evidence that organically grown plants or animals are nutritionally superior to conventionally grown. ” Many studies have been attempted to determine if organic food is more nutritious to conventional food, but the problem is variation in how these studies have been conducted. It is touchy to compare findings when there is so much variability (Prosser). It is possible for organically grown fruits and vegetables to contain slightly higher levels of Vitamin C, trace minerals, and antioxidant phytonutrients.\r\nIt all estimates on how it is grown. Foods depend on soil and water for their nourishment, and cleaner soil and water means cleaner food. It is that simple. It is important for us to make a commitment to living a healthier life, and eating healthy is one way to do that. It isn’t just about eating more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and good fats. We also pack to consider food safety, nutrition, and sustainability.\r\ nHow our foods are grown and raised affects the environment as well as our health. According to Samuel Fromartz in Organic, Inc., â€Å"Buying and consuming organic food has come to be viewed not only as a means of avoiding harm, but as a benefit in itself, a personal way of aligning nutrition, health, and social and environmental well-being” (16). Clearly, more research on the possible health benefits of organic foods is needed. That is not the only reason why sight are buying them, but it is an important one, and we need more data. Still, it is fair to study that critics are distinctly wrong when they try to argue that there is â€Å"no evidence whatsoever” that organics are better than conventional foods.\r\nMore evidence is needed, but there are some early signs that organic supporters may have been right all along. Works Cited â€Å"The Benefits of Organic Food: Why Organic Food is Better. ” Natural wellness Guide. Natural Health Guide, 2010. Web. 21 Feb . 2013. Childs, Dan. â€Å"Are Organic Foods Better for You? ” ABC News. ABC News, 29 Nov. 2006. Web. 21 Feb. 2013. DeCostole, Jessica. â€Å"The Truth About Organic Foods. ” Redbook. Redbook. Web. 21 Feb. 2013. Fromartz, Samuel. Organic, Inc. Orlando: Harcourt Books, 2006. Print. Goodall, Jane, Gary McAvoy, and Gail Hudson. Harvest for Hope: A Guide to Mindful Eating.\r\nNew York: Time Warner Book Group, 2005. Print. Harrison, Christy. â€Å"Seriously, Now †Why Aren‘t Organics Getting Affordable? ” Grist. Grist, 25 Aug. 2005. Web. 21 Feb. 2013. Prosser, Erin. â€Å" nutritionary Differences in Organic versus Conventional Foods: And the Winner Is…” scientific American. Scientific American, 11 Aug. 2011. Web. 21 Feb. 2013. United States Dept. of Agriculture. interior(a) Organic Program. US Dept. of Agriculture, April 2008. PDF file. Self Evaluation I was not aware of using any of the rhetorical strategies while writing this piece. When I write, I research my topic and just write what comes to mind.\r\nIt is not something that I think about when writing. As I look back at what I have written, I see that I have used a combination of these strategies. I would say that I have used ethos by using proper grammar. I am always watching my spelling and punctuation while writing. It is something that I cannot ignore. I am not like some people that just write and go back and edit afterward. I do most of my editing as I write. I have shown pathos by trying to appeal to the reader’s emotions about our health and environment. I have shown logos by the credible sources I have used, like Jane Goodall.\r\nIn this piece, I come to a few of the arguments against organic food and look for them with why they are wrong. There are many who are against organic food, but their reasons for being against it do not hold up well. I was able to show sources that backed up why the reasons against organic food are wrong. I really cannot say that any of the techniques (reading responses, writerly practices, or peer check intos) helped me. The peer review for my rough draft was available for me to review for this paper. It was comminuted to have some feedback on my paper, though I do not feel it made a difference.\r\n'