Source:  www.ifoam.org

Organic Agriculture mitigates climate change because it:

Reduces greenhouse gases, especially nitrous oxide, as no chemical nitrogen fertilizers are used and nutrient losses are minimized.

Stores carbon in soil and plant biomass by building organic matter,encouraging agro-forestry and forbidding the clearance of primary ecosystems.

Minimizes energy consumption by 30-70% per unit of land by eliminating the energy required to manufacture synthetic fertilizers, and by using internal farm inputs, thus reducing fuel used for transportation.

Organic Agriculture helps farmers adapt to climate change because it:

Prevents nutrient and water loss through high organic matter content and soil covers, thus making soils more resilient to floods, droughts and land degradation processes.

Preserves seed and crop diversity, which increases crop resistance to pests and disease. Maintenance of diversity also helps farmers evolve new cropping systems to adapt to climatic changes.

Minimizes risk as a result of stable agro-ecosystems and yields, and lower production costs.

Conventional agriculture contributes to climate change because it:

Uses synthetic fertilizers and pesticides that require significant amounts of energy to manufacture.

Applies excessive amounts of nitrogen fertilizer that is released as nitrous oxide.

Operates intensive livestock holdings that overproduce manure and methane.

Relies on external, soy-based animal feed that requires large amounts of fuel to travel thousands of kilometers to reach the farm.

Mines the earth of the nutrients needed to sustain production, thereby leading to the clearing of rainforest and “slash and burn” techniques that reduce carbon storage and release huge amounts of carbon dioxide from burning vegetation.

Although the basic definition of “organic” is “living”, the National Organic Standards Board defined “certified organic” at their meeting in April 1995 as follows:

“Organic” is a labeling term that denotes products produced under the authority of the Organic Foods Production Act. The principal guidelines for organic production are to use materials and practices that enhance the ecological balance of natural systems and that integrate the parts of the farming system into an ecological whole.

Organic agriculture practices cannot ensure that products are completely free of residues; however, methods are used to minimize pollution from air, soil and water. Organic food handlers, processors and retailers adhere to standards that maintain the integrity of organic agricultural products. The primary goal of organic agriculture is to optimize the health and productivity of interdependent communities of soil life, plants, animals and people.”

Visit the Organic Trading and Information Center for more information on federal and state organic standards.

How is organic produce certified?
Farmers must grow produce for three years without the application of synthetic pesticides or chemicals. The farm, its equipment, and any processing facilities are inspected by an independent agency unaffiliated with the grower, the processor or the vendor, and are then issued a certificate from that agency certifying the farm’s produce as “organic.”

www.cnn.com

By Sara Franklin
For starters, many people buy organic food in major supermarkets because it is better for their bodies, not the earth. A great deal of research has shown that pesticide residues on foods are retained in the human body. Further research, like that of scientist Michael Pollan, has documented the potential harms of pesticides, especially for young children and women who are, or may become, pregnant.

And those who consume pesticides are not the only ones exposed. Conventional agriculture requires a great deal of farm labor, and the workers who handle pesticides receive the bulk of pesticide exposure, which can lead to a plethora of health problems ranging from respiratory illness to cancer.

To make matters worse, many of these workers cannot afford healthcare because of political red tape and immigration policies, and are therefore hit by the double whammy of ingesting poisons and not being able to access health care when those poisons cause ill health.

Even those who buy organic, as Brown said, because it is purportedly “greener” than conventional agriculture are on to something. Conventional agriculture in this country goes hand in hand with the heavy use of chemical fertilizers, monocropping (growing the same crop year after year on the same plot of land without rotation) and centralized food production.

We are losing farmland at an alarming rate in this country as we rapidly degrade the biodiversity of our ecosystems. In the Midwest, the “breadbasket” of America, some of the richest soil on the planet is being continually weakened by pesticides and drained of nutrients by monocropping, despite the fact that crop rotation has long been accepted as the best method for preserving the nutrient content of soil.

Centralized agriculture means that we are eating foods that are shipped an average of 1,300 miles from source to mouth according to Michael Pollan in “The Omnivore’s Dilemma,” a distance that uses an extraordinary amount of fossil fuels, further contributing to climate change.

In addition, big agribusinesses are contributing to the loss of family farming in this country and worldwide, destroying the way of life of thousands of families who have been responsibly cultivating their land, making a living and contributing to local economies for generations.

As far as price goes, organically produced food costs more than conventionally grown food because conventionally produced food actually costs more than we pay. Government subsidies, which are currently under extreme scrutiny by proponents of major reforms in the 2007 Farm Bill, have allowed agribusiness owners, who primarily grow wheat, corn and soy, to get rich, while those who grow “specialty crops” (i.e. the fruits and vegetables we need to eat to have optimal health) are being denied federal aid.

That is why products that are made primarily of the commodity crops of corn, wheat and soy, like candy bars and soda, are so much cheaper in the supermarket than fruits and vegetables - the government in effect pays farmers to overproduce, thus falsely deflating their prices.

All this is only in defense of the “organic” label, however, which is not the ideal of proponents of sustainable agriculture. As a former grower on a small organic farm owned by a non-profit organization in Waltham, Mass., I can say that locally grown, organic food not only tastes better and is much fresher than anything you’ll find in a Shaw’s or even a Whole Foods, but that those who have dedicated their lives to preserving our land by using it in a sustainable and responsible way work incredibly hard and for very little money.

When you pay a bit more to buy from them, you are supporting a local economy and cutting out middlemen, thus contributing directly to the salary of a hard-working farmer. Additionally, supporting small and family-owned farms helps preserve green spaces, curb overdevelopment and protect biodiversity and local ecosystems.

Source:
www.tuftsdaily.com

www.revolutionhealth.com

The word “organic” refers to the way farmers grow and process agricultural products, such as fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy products and meat. Organic farming practices are designed to encourage soil and water conservation and reduce pollution. Farmers who grow organic produce and meat don’t use conventional methods to fertilize, control weeds or prevent livestock disease. For example, rather than using chemical weedkillers, organic farmers conduct sophisticated crop rotations and spread mulch or manure to keep weeds at bay.

Here are other differences between conventional farming and organic farming:

Conventional Farmers

• Apply chemical fertilizers to promote plant growth.   
• Spray insecticides to reduce pests and disease.    
• Use chemical herbicides to manage weeds.
• Give animals antibiotics, growth hormones and medications to prevent disease and spur growth.

Organic Farmers

• Apply natural fertilizers, such as manure or compost, to feed soil and plants.
• Use beneficial insects and birds, mating disruption or traps to reduce pest and disease.
• Rotate crops, till, hand weed or mulch to manage weeds.
• Give animals organic feed and allow them access to the outdoors.
• Use preventative measures – such as rotational grazing, a balanced diet and clean housing – to help minimize disease.

www.ifoam.org

Through its holistic nature, organic farming integrates wild biodiversity, agro-biodiversity and soil conservation, and takes low-intensity, extensive farming one step further by eliminating the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and genetically modified organisms (GMOs), which is not only an improvement for human health, but also for the fauna and flora associated with the farm and farm environment.

Organic farming enhances soil structures, conserves water and ensures the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.

Organic agriculture dramatically reduces external inputs by refraining from the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, genetically modified organisms and pharmaceuticals. Pests and diseases are controlled with naturally occurring means and substances according to both traditional as well as modern scientific knowledge, increasing both agricultural yields and disease resistance. Organic agriculture adheres to globally accepted principles, which are implemented within local socio-economic, climatic and cultural settings. As a logical consequence, IFOAM stresses and supports the development of self-supporting systems on local and regional levels.

Agricultural contaminants such as inorganic fertilizers, herbicides and insecticides from conventional agriculture are a major concern all over the world. Eutrophication, the suffocation of aquatic plants and animals due to rapid growth of algae, referred to as “algae blooms”, are literally killing lakes, rivers and other bodies of water. Persistent herbicides and insecticides can extend beyond target weeds and insects when introduced into aquatic environments. These chemicals have accumulated up the food chain whereby top predators  often consume toxic dosages. Organic agriculture restores the environmental balance and has none of these or other such deleterious effects on the environment.

Benefits of Organic Food
www.oohoi.com

You may be wondering what all the hype is about organic food. Well, organic food has many great health benefits.

For starters it is very healthy for you, it does meet the Quality Assurance International, which gives organic foods certification to be sold in stores or farm stands. The organic food is thoroughly tested for contamination and is given the seal of approval for resale

Organic food is grown with a different type of soil and that is the difference between regular foods and organics. Organics are better for you because there are no chemicals used on these fruits and vegetables at all. Each fruit has it’s own health benefit as well was each vegetable that is grown organically. The taste of the fruits are said it be better because they are naturally grown.

The health benefits of organic fruits and vegetables are they can prevent colds, flus, degenerative disorders, they act as antioxidants so they cleanse your blood. They can aid the body in preventing cancer and other diseases. They can help with building strong bones and teeth for unborn babies; organic foods are actually better for pregnant women than the pesticide sprayed fruits. Organics are better suited for your overall health.

Does Organic Food Have Health Benefits?

The benefits of conventionally grown produce over organic foods was the focus of a recent debate between food technologists with scientists warning it is too early to reach conclusions, despite new research that suggests some organic produce could have added health benefits.

Meeting at the Institute of Food Technologists annual meeting in Las Vegas, Alyson Mitchell, a food chemist at University of California at Davis reported that she had found organic tomatoes had higher levels of secondary plant metabolites and higher levels of vitamin C.

“In looking at the (California) supermarket varieties of broccoli, we also found significantly higher levels of the falconoid in organic broccoli,” said Mitchell, reported the IFT.

Falconoid, metabolites known to act in the body as antioxidants and found in a variety of plants, have been shown to promote several beneficial effects in the cardiovascular system, including decreasing oxidation of LDL cholesterol, inhibiting aggregation of blood platelets (which contributes to the risk of blood clots that produce stroke and heart attack); and decreasing the body’s inflammatory immune responses, which contribute to atherosclerosis.

According to the report, Mitchell added: “It is recognized that high-intensity agricultural practices can disrupt the natural production of secondary metabolites involved in plant defense mechanisms.”

The study author said her findings add to a small body of literature that suggests higher levels of antioxidants exist in some organic produce.

www.thefactsaboutfitness.com

New Studies Back Benefits of Organic Diet
By Stephen Leahy

TORONTO, Canada (IPS/GIN) - Organic foods protect children from the toxins in pesticides, while foods grown using modern, intensive agricultural techniques contain fewer nutrients and minerals than they did 60 years ago, according to two new scientific studies.

A U.S. research team from Emory University in Atlanta analyzed urine samples from children ages three to 11 who ate only organic foods, and found that they contained virtually no metabolites of two common pesticides, malathion and chlorpyrifos.

However, once the children returned to eating conventionally grown foods, concentrations of these pesticide metabolites quickly climbed as high as 263 parts per billion, says the study, which was published Feb. 21.

Organic crops are grown without the chemical pesticides and fertilizers that are common in intensive agriculture.

There was a “dramatic and immediate protective effect” against the pesticides while consuming organically grown foods, said Chensheng Lu, an assistant professor at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University.

These findings, along with the results of another study published in Britain earlier in March, have fueled the debate about the benefits of organically grown food versus conventional, mass-produced foods. According to the new British analysis of government nutrition data on meat and dairy products from the 1930s and 2002, the mineral content of milk, cheese and beef declined as much as 70 percent in that period.

“These declines are alarming,” Ian Tokelove, spokesman for The Food Commission that published the results of the study, told Tierramerica. The commission is a British non-governmental organization advocating healthier, safer food.

The research found that parmesan cheese had 70 percent less magnesium and calcium; beef steaks contained 55 percent less iron; chicken had 31 percent less calcium; and 69 percent less iron, while milk also showed a large drop in iron, along with a 21 percent decline in magnesium. Copper, an important trace mineral (an essential nutrient that is consumed in tiny quantities), also declined 60 percent in meats and 90 percent in dairy products.

Although controversial, a number of other studies have also found differences between conventionally produced foods and foods grown organically or under more natural conditions. Organic fruits and vegetables had significantly higher levels of cancer-fighting antioxidants, according to a 2003 study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. The organic plants produced these chemical compounds to help fight insects and competing plants, researchers said.

A 2001 report by Britain’s Soil Association looked at 400 nutritional research studies and came to similar conclusions: Foods grown organically had more minerals and vitamins.

“Modern plant breeding for quick growth and high yields could also be affecting the nutritional quality,” says Katherine Tucker, director of the nutritional epidemiology program at Tufts University in Boston.

Farmers in other parts of the world should not adopt the intensive farming practices of North America or Europe, says Ken Warren, a spokesman with The Land Institute, which is based in Kansas.

“It’s an unsustainable system that relies heavily on chemical fertilizers … to keep yields high and produces ‘hollow food,’” he told Tierramerica. “Hollow food” contains insufficient nutrition and is suspected in playing a role in the rapid rise in obesity, as people may be eating more to get the nutrition they need, he explained.

Crops take minerals, trace elements and other things from the soil every year. Modern agriculture only puts back into the land some chemical fertilizers, which do not replace all that has been lost, Mr. Warren noted.

Moreover, herbicides and insecticides kill microorganisms in the soil that play an important role in maintaining soil fertility and helping plants grow.

Pesticide residues in modern agriculture are another cause for concern. A 2003 University of Washington study found that children eating organic fruits and vegetables had concentrations of pesticide six times less than children eating conventional produce.

The Land Institute advocates what it calls “natural systems agriculture.” This involves the use of perennial crops in polycultures: planting several different crops together as has been practiced in traditional gardens and farm plots in many parts of the world.

“Farmers in other parts of the world should learn from American agriculture’s mistakes,” Mr. Warren maintained. “Looking to nature is a better model for farming.”

© Copyright 2007 FCN Publishing, FinalCall.com

Health Benefits of Organic Food: Lower Pesticide Residues
www.grinningplanet.com

Children’s immature and developing organs, brains, and detoxification and immune systems, plus their larger intake of food per kilo of body weight, combine to make them even more susceptible to toxins than adults. American toddlers eating mostly organic food have been found to have less than one sixth the pesticide residues in their urine compared to children eating conventional foods, lowering their exposure from above to below recognized safety levels. Children’s immature and developing organs, brains, and detoxification and immune systems, plus their larger intake of food per kilo of body weight, combine to make them even more susceptible to toxins than adults. American toddlers eating mostly organic food have been found to have less than one sixth the pesticide residues in their urine compared to children eating conventional foods, lowering their exposure from above to below recognized safety levels.

Elizabeth Gillette’s landmark 1998 paper in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives showed how a combination of low-level environmental, household and dietary exposures caused subtle yet measurable developmental deficits in children. Gillette compared children in two nearby isolated villages in Mexico, one in which pesticides were routinely used in their farming, and one in which they were not. Everything else was the same between these two villages—genes, diet, lifestyle, climate, culture, etc. The study found significant differences between the two groups in both mental and motor abilities (with the children who were exposed to pesticides scoring at a much lower level), as well as an increase in aggressive behavior.

In many Western countries, children and adults are similarly exposed to multiple sources of pesticides, and in 1995 an Australian study of breast milk found that infants are regularly exposed to several pesticides at levels greater than maximum recommended exposures. In Canada, a direct correlation has been observed between pesticide contamination of breast milk and increased risk of otitis media in Inuit infants.