| You see it in the grocery stores all the time, the high | | | | that transfers into the products, which end up in our |
| priced organic foods that are supposed to be free of | | | | bodies and can cause illnesses and diseases (think |
| residue and said to be made naturally without any | | | | e.coli). |
| pesticides. But is it worth it? Are organic products that | | | | In regards to meat, is there a difference with the meat |
| much better for your health than commercially farmed | | | | that is commercially made compared to organic? |
| foods? | | | | The short answer: Not really. |
| To begin lets take a look a look at what exactly an | | | | The difference is the use of hormones and antibiotics |
| Organic Farmer needs to have in place to become | | | | in meat. |
| "Organic" | | | | Hormones in meat have been a concern for many. |
| To be certified, organic produce must: | | | | This may surprise you but research from the WHO |
| Be free of commercial fertilizers for 3 years. | | | | concluded that your body wouldn't know if the product |
| Be free of herbicides for 3 years. | | | | had hormones or not and therefore has no risk to our |
| Not be from genetically modified seeds. | | | | bodies. |
| Include a buffer zone between organic and | | | | An antibiotic, on the other hand is an arguable situation. |
| non-organic plants. | | | | We worry that the antibiotics used to treat the animal |
| To be certified, organic animals must: | | | | can transfer into the meat and the meat can contain |
| Not be fed anything grown with toxic or synthetic | | | | the residue of the antibiotic. |
| fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides or fumigants. | | | | Moreover, because of the antibiotics the animal can |
| Be free of growth hormones, antibiotics, or genetically | | | | develop resistant bacteria to fight off the illness, and |
| engineered products. | | | | will stay in the meat that we end up consuming. |
| Be given more space and freedom to graze. | | | | Research on this is still being conducted so as of this |
| Have been conceived by organically raised animals. | | | | moment there's no research to back this up. |
| Be butchered following organic regulations. | | | | But why do farmers use hormones and antibiotics in |
| As you can see from the above lists there is quite as | | | | the first place? |
| bit of effort that goes into being an organic farmer. | | | | Well if they use hormones they're able to get the |
| Maybe this is why there's a huge trend for people to | | | | product out to the consumer faster, and make more |
| go organic. They simply know that the product has not | | | | money. Which are really big incentives. |
| been altered in any way. In addition, people are more | | | | So the question still remains should you go organic or |
| aware that there are waste products in the land, and | | | | not? |
