Top ten organic food myths

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saluki
saluki Member Posts: 2,287
edited June 2014 in Recipe Swap for Healthy Living

There are only four here---the other 6 will follow next week
Top 10 Organic Myths
Part I

USDA Organic Seal

The hybrid may be optional, but to be green these days you MUST buy organic. At least that's how it seems.

Yet the number one green living trend—organic food is a $23 billion industry in the US—is still widely misunderstood.

That’s why we’re debunking the Top Ten Organic Myths in this two part series.

1. It’s not organic if it’s not certified.
To be labeled organic, food must come from a USDA certified farm. Organic farmers cannot use synthetic fertilizers, most chemical pesticides, bioengineered crops, or sewage sludge. For dairy or meat to be organic, it must be raised on organic feedstock and be free of growth hormones and antibiotics.

Some farmers who adhere to organic principles decide not to seek certification. The process may be too time consuming or they may disagree with USDA’s regulations. If you’re unsure whether or not a farmer is organic, ask about their pest control methods and animal treatment policies.

2. Organic is organic is organic.
One product bears the USDA seal, another says organic on the package, and a third lists organic ingredients in its nutrition label. They’re all the same, right?

Not exactly. Only products made with at least 95% certified organic ingredients can bear the USDA seal. If they contain over 70% organic ingredients, they can make organic claims on the front of their packaging. Products with less than 70%, however, are restricted to listing specific organic ingredients on the side panel.

3. Buying organic is always more expensive.
Organic produce is generally between 10% and 40% more expensive than conventional foods. However good deals can be found at local farmers markets and through CSAs. With WalMart entering the organic food market, expect to see some rolled back prices in major grocery chains.

4. All organic farming is small scale.
The organic movement started out on small farms with produce sold primarily through farmers markets and local food stores. Yet the rise in demand has skyrocketed several farms to industrial proportions. Earthbound Farm, for instance, has 34,000 acres of organic produce and sells its prepackaged salad mixes in 75% of supermarkets nationwide. Organic has gone big.

Next week, we’ll debunk the rest of our Top Ten Organic Myths! Stay tuned…

To read the USDA’s consumer brochure on its organic regulations, click here. Find a farmers market near you at localharvest.org.

Thoughts on today’s article? Post them below.


http://www.afreshsqueeze.com/articleDtl.php?id=4695b294c9f27
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  • Blundin2005
    Blundin2005 Member Posts: 1,167
    edited July 2007
    Boy does this post sound familiar?!

    I posted an article in the "Alternative....." thread under Bees, Seeds and Organic

    http://food.yahoo.com/blog/editorspicks/179/the-musts-and-myths-of-organic-and-locally-grown

    I don't know why, but the USDA certified "must" makes me a little uneasy. A little bit too much big brother from a very disfunctional "family".
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  • roseg
    roseg Member Posts: 3,133
    edited July 2007
    In Barbara Kingsolvers new book "Animal, Mineral, Miracle" she mentions that it costs a farmer about $750 to certify to be organic. Not to actually farm in an organic way, but to pay for the inspections, paperwork, etc.....

    Many local farmers, whose customers live nearby and KNOW what they're using in their farm, skip the official certification. So if you're buying locally, the whole "organic" certification thing means less than what you know about the farmer.
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  • Blundin2005
    Blundin2005 Member Posts: 1,167
    edited July 2007
    Hi Rose!

    I agree completely!!
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  • saluki
    saluki Member Posts: 2,287
    edited July 2007
    Top 10 Organic Myths - Part II


    USDA Organic Label

    Did you pour some organic milk into your coffee this morning? Or snack on some organic pretzels today at work? Americans are eating organic more than ever—but what does that really mean? And is it a good thing?

    Last week, we debunked four common misperceptions about organic foods. Today, we’re revealing the rest of our Top 10 Organic Myths.

    5. A peach is as safe as a pear.
    Pesticide residue is a popular reason to shop organic, and cost is a popular reason not to. But if you’re stuck deciding whether to splurge or save, check out the Environmental Working Group’s Shopper’s Guide to organics. Their list ranks the pesticide load of 43 common fruits and vegetables. Among the worst offenders: peaches, apples, and sweet bell peppers. The “cleanest” produce? Onions and avocados.

    The EWG suggests that buying organic for the 12 worst fruits and vegetables will reduce your pesticide intake by up to 90%. The list is helpful, but here’s a simple rule of thumb: You’re less likely to ingest pesticides from foods with an inedible shell or skin.

    6. If you buy organic, it’s local.
    The explosion in demand for organics has led major retailers, like Whole Foods and WalMart, to source their products from over seas. Already you can find organic milk from New Zealand, asparagus from Argentina and soy beans from China on the shelves.

    This means a larger selection and cheaper prices for consumers, but there are tradeoffs. Which leads us to Myth #7…

    7. Organics are better for global warming.
    You may have heard of a carbon footprint, the calculation of greenhouse gases (GHG) generated by a person, an action, or an organization. Now there’s a similar concept for food, known as food miles. It's a simple idea: the farther food travels, the more GHG it emits along the way.

    So organic strawberries from half-way around the world may be worse for global warming than conventional produce grown down the road. Major retailers are beginning to distinguish locally-grown produce as well as organics, so keep an eye out while you shop.

    8. If it says organic, it’s healthy.
    If only it was that easy! Unfortunately, the laws of good nutrition still hold true. Processed foods, saturated fats, and excess calories are still bad for you—whether or not they bear an organic seal.

    9. If it says natural, it's organic.
    Another common mistake! Natural refers to the product itself, meaning it doesn't include artificial ingredients and is minimally processed. It doesn't explain how the product was raised or farmed.

    Organic refers to a set of farming practices. The two terms are not interchangable. Neither should organic be confused with hormone-free or free-range.

    10. Organic = Sustainable
    Getting complicated isn’t it? Organic refers to a system of agriculture that focuses on non-synthetic inputs ( no chemical pesticides, no GMOs, etc.). The goal of organic farming is an environmentally and socially sustainable food system. However, not everyone is convinced it’s succeeding.

    Some argue that there should be greater emphasis on local production, others on stricter national standards. However there is good reason to believe that organic farming is a move in the right direction. It has been shown to support more diverse ecosystems, decrease pesticide run-off into lakes and rivers, and reduce pesticide exposure among farmers and consumers.

    As for tasting better? Well, that’s your call.

    The first part of this series is currently posted in our Article Archive. For the Environmental Working Group's Shopper's Guide, click here.
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  • wallycat
    wallycat Member Posts: 3,227
    edited July 2007
    I'd love to see the list of 43 if you have them handy to post!

    I inhale red peppers...and never bought organic...ouch!
    Maybe it was the pesticides and not the wine
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  • saluki
    saluki Member Posts: 2,287
    edited July 2007
    Here is your full list

    http://www.foodnews.org/walletguide.php

    http://www.foodnews.org/fulldataset.php

    Also a site you may be interested in
    http://www.ewg.org/

    ----------------------
    Susie
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  • Jorf
    Jorf Member Posts: 498
    edited July 2007

    The people I buy my veggies (whatever I don't grow) from were part of Kingsolver's book. They're the people that gave us free food the whole time I was in chemo - greens from their greenhouse since it was in the winter.

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  • biondi
    biondi Member Posts: 223
    edited August 2007
    I WOULD NEVER EVER TRUST WALMART'S ORGANIC FOOD OR BEVERAGES..!!I READ AN ARTICLE THAT STATED ALL THE WALMART PRODUCTS THAT WERE NOT NOT ORGANIC, ALTHOUGH THE LABLE (BROWN COW MILK FOR ONE) STATED THAT THEY WERE. TRUE ORGANIC FARMERS ARE OUTRAGED AT THIS LATEST -WALMART DUPING THE PUBLIC - THEY MIGHT ADD ONE TSP OF ORGANIC MILK POWDER, PRODUCED IN ANOTHER COUNTRY, USE COMERICALLY RAISED COWS AND THEIR MILK, AND THEN CALL THE PRODUCT ORGANIC.
    PLEASE BUY YOUR ORGANIC PRODUCTS, FROM A WELL KNOW ORGANIC SOURCE.. WALMART IS NOT ONE OF THEM!! I WILL TRY AND FIND THE ARTICLE, AND POST IT..
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  • biondi
    biondi Member Posts: 223
    edited August 2007
    JUST FOUND THE ARTICLE ON WALMART'S SO CALLED ORGANICS..

    Pesticide and Environmental Update

    Letter to Wal-Mart from the Organic Consumers Association

    In the June 12, 2006 Washington Post article "For Wal-Mart, Fair Trade May Be More Than a Hill of Beans," writer Ylan Q. Mui describes one of Wal-Mart's foreign suppliers of fair-trade coffee, a Brazilian co-op farm. The article paints a glowing picture of Wal-Mart's investment in a small coffee farmer, complete with a portrayal of how the company's never-ending quest to cut supplier costs led it to remote Poco Fundo.

    Unfortunately, this is only a small part of a larger picture. Wal-Mart's worldwide impact on fair trade and organic standards, farmers and consumers runs much deeper and has far more negative consequences than the article indicates. Wal-Mart has an opportunity to act responsibly and morally to address the issues of lower standards, misleading consumers and squeezing local family-scale farms. By investing significantly in American farmers' transition from conventional to organic production, Wal-Mart can make good on some of the hype its public relations department has produced in recent weeks.

    Wal-Mart's entry into the organic and fair trade food market has generated much fanfare and publicity, at great benefit to a company seeking to rebrand itself in the wake of broad-based criticism of its business practices. While seeking to improve both its reputation and bottom line by moving into the organic and fair trade market, Wal-Mart has systematically lowered standards for these products by squeezing suppliers and sourcing supplies from factory farms and overseas suppliers. Currently, the demand for organic products outweighs the supply, and Wal-Mart's entry into the market has only exacerbated the problem.

    The scale of Wal-Mart's procurement of organic products, along with its practice of squeezing suppliers to ensure lower costs, has led to a lowering of standards in its organic purchasing and retailing. Organic milk, for instance, is being purchased by Wal-Mart from large factory farms that, while certified as organic, are at best complying with the letter and not the spirit of organic regulations. Many of the cows on these farms have been imported from conventional dairies, where they were weaned on blood, injected with antibiotic and hormones, and fed genetically engineered grains. National USDA organic standards mandate that cows have access to pasture and that a good portion of their food comes from pasture forage. However, according to a 2006 study by the Cornucopia Institute, larger organic suppliers‹including those that supply Wal-Mart‹are raising their dairy cows in intensive confinement, with little or no access to pasture.

    The popularity of organics for consumers has in large part grown from the knowledge among purchasers that products they purchased were raised and produced in a safe, humane and environmentally friendly manner and in many cases were produced locally. The industrialization of organics by companies like Wal-Mart threatens the ability of consumers to be certain that products they are purchasing are indeed raised and produced according to true organic standards.

    Currently, certified organics and fair-trade products also provide a sustainable source of income for many American small-family farmers who are threatened by the industrialization of these industries. These small local producers source products according to traditional organic and fair trade standards and have historically received a healthy margin on their sales. Unfortunately Wal-Mart and other large retail chains are now buying products labeled as organic, such as soy milk and tofu made from cheap soybeans from China, where organic standards are dubious and farm labor exploitation is the norm. Wal-Mart's decision to enter the organic and fair-trade markets and source from industrialized producers threatens the livelihoods of America's organic family scale farmers.

    In spite of these problems that threaten to undermine organic standards and economic opportunities for American small farmers, Wal-Mart has an opportunity to act morally and responsibly by sourcing organics in a sustainable manner. As the world's largest and most financially successful company, Wal-Mart can treat its customers, suppliers and the earth fairly by sourcing organic and fair trade products from local and North American growers who meet the most stringent standards. Further, Wal-Mart can ensure a sustainable supply of organic and fair trade products by signing equitable, long-term contracts with American family farmers who wish to make the transition to organic practices.

    Wal-Mart has shown a commitment to sourcing seafood by pressuring suppliers of fish and shrimp to meet Marine Stewardship Council and Aquaculture Certification Council standards. By taking steps to source organic and fair trade products from local and regional smaller producers who are committed to meeting the most stringent standards, Wal-Mart can do the right thing by the environment, its suppliers and its customers.

    Ronnie Cummins, National Director, Organic Consumers Association




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    All rights reserved unless otherwise attributed

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  • Not_Me
    Not_Me Member Posts: 180
    edited August 2007

    Thanks for posting these articles...very interesting. We have turned organic about 8 monhts ago.

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  • biondi
    biondi Member Posts: 223
    edited August 2007
    HI GIRLS, THIS SITE GIVES YOU "EVERYTHING ABOUT ORGANICS" VERY INFORMATIVE SITE.

    http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=faq&dbid=17
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