Controversy: Organic Vs. Non Organic

Organic v/s Non Organic “Organic”. A word still shrouded in mystery for some, and just plain confusion for others. Sometimes branded as “hippie” food, the controversy continues to surround the decision to buy organic or conventional fruits, vegetables, grains, meats and dairy products. The reality is, organic foods are healthier for people, and better for the environment than non-organic foods. By choosing to by organic foods you can not only avoid dangerous chemicals and GMO’s, but also reduce pollution and protect water and soil, and preserve agricultural diversity. Organic food is a better choice because consumers can eliminate toxic pesticides and G.M.O.’s from your body, avoid hormones, antibiotics and drugs in the animal products …show more content…
Tens of millions of pounds of antibiotics are used in animal feed every year. The union of concerned scientists estimates that roughly 70% of antibiotics produced in the United States are fed to animals for nontherapeutic purposes.US farmers have been giving sex hormones and growth hormones to cattle to artificially increase the amount of meat and milk the cattle produce without requiring extra feed. The hormones fed to cows cannot be broken down, even at high temperatures. Therefore they remain in complete form and pass directly into the consumer's diet when meat is eaten. Growth hormones in milk are genetically modified and have been directly linked to cancer, especially in women. The major concerns when eating a non-organic diet include the early onset of puberty, growth of tumors, heightened cancer risks, and genetic …show more content…
There is sound reasoning behind this truth. Organic farms are typically smaller than conventional ones, they also, on average, take more time to produce crops because they refrain from using the chemicals and growth hormones used by conventional farmers. Conventional farmers use certain chemicals to reduce their loss of crops. For example, synthetic pesticides repel insects and antibiotics maintain the health of the livestock. Since organic farmers don’t use these, their losses are higher, which costs the farmer more and increases the cost to the consumer. Additionally, without all the chemical preservatives added to conventional foods, organic foods face a shorter storage time and shelf life. Conventional farmers use all of those chemicals and synthetic pesticides because they end up reducing the cost of production by getting the job done faster and more efficiently. Without them, organic farmers have to hire more workers for tasks like hand-weeding, cleanup of polluted water, and the remediation of pesticide contamination. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, organic feed for cattle and other livestock can cost twice as much as conventional feed. Higher standards for animal welfare means more costs for organic