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Why Eat Organic?Organic Produce is Better for YouStudies have shown that organic fruits and vegetables have higher levels of vitamins, minerals, and cancer-fighting antioxidants than do conventionally grown varieties. Why is this? Soils rich in humus contain higher levels of nutrients, which plants incorporate. It's also believed that plants produce antioxidants to fight off pests. Without man-made chemicals to destroy pests, organic fruits and vegetables must produce more antioxidants in order to protect themselves. It's better for them and better for us! Organic fruits and vegetables are becoming more widely available, as more and more farmers realize that organic farming methods encourage biodiversity (a good thing), and that pollutants are kept out of our soil, air, and water. In fact, the Chairman of the Rodale Institute (whose grandfather coined the term "organic" in 1942) has called for 100,000 farmers to become certified organic by 2013. SOURCE: http://www.organic-nature-news.com/organic-fruits-and-vegetables.html Defining "Organic"Organic farming is a method of crop and livestock production that involves much more than choosing not to use certain pesticides, fertilizers, genetically modified organisms, antibiotics, and growth hormones that are not permitted by organic standards. The general principles of organic production, from Canada's Organic Standards, 2008, include the following:
Many organic farmers believe that a successful organic system begins with the soil - a healthy soil produces healthy plants and, in turn, healthy livestock and people. They regard soil as a living organism of inter-dependent processes and life forms. Organic farming promotes the use of crop rotations and cover crops, and encourages balanced host/predator relationships. Organic residues and nutrients produced on the farm are recycled back to the soil. Cover crops and composted manure are used to maintain soil organic matter and fertility. Preventative insect and disease control methods are practiced, including crop rotation, improved genetics and resistant varieties. Integrated pest and weed management, and soil conservation systems are valuable tools on an organic farm. Organically approved pesticides include "natural" or non-synthetic pesticides as indicated in the Permitted Substances List of the organic standards. These products must be registered for use in the specific crop-pest situation by federal and provincial regulations and approved for use by the organic certification body. All grains, forages and protein supplements fed to livestock must be organically grown. Organic food production prohibits using highly soluble or synthetically compounded mineral fertilizers, synthetically compounded pesticides, growth regulators, antibiotics, hormones, colouring or other artificial additives, ionizing radiation, and recombinant genetic engineered plants or animals (genetically engineered organisms - GEO). Prohibited products and practices must not be used on certified organic farms for at least three years prior to harvest of the certified organic products. Livestock must be raised organically and fed 100% organic feed ingredients. Organic farming presents many challenges. Some crops are more challenging than others to grow organically. However, nearly every commodity can be produced organically. There are successful organic farmers in every county in Ontario producing almost every commodity. Growth of OrganicThe world market for organic food has shown consistent growth for over 20 years. It is estimated that imported products make up over 85% of the organic food consumed in Canada. The majority of Canada's organically produced commodities are exported. This is especially true of soybean and grain crops. The Canadian Organic Growers association reported 680 certified organic farms in Ontario in 2008. This is only 1.18% of all Ontario farms. Why Farm Organically?The main reasons farmers grow organically are concerns about the effects of chemicals on health and the effects of conventional farming on soil quality and conservation. Organic farming is seen as a steady growth market with many opportunities. Farmers are concerned about the environment. They are also concerned about the amount of energy used in agriculture, since many farm chemicals have energy intensive manufacturing processes that rely heavily on fossil fuels. Some farmers view organic farming as part of the solution to meeting the challenges of modern day agriculture. Organic farmers find their method of farming to be profitable and personally rewarding. What Is "Certified Organic"?Certified organic is a term given to products produced according to the Canadian Organic Standards as certified by one of the certifying bodies. There are several certification bodies operating in Ontario all of which are overseen by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. A farmer wishing to be certified applies to a certification body requesting an independent inspection of the farm to validate that the organic farm meets their standards. Farmers, processors and traders are each required to maintain the organic integrity of the product and to maintain a document trail for auditing purposes. Products from certified organic farms are labelled and promoted as certified organic. Food products labelled as organic must contain at least 95% organic ingredients (not including water and salt). The organic ingredients can be listed on the label when at least 70% of the product ingredients are organic. |
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