By Jessie Stoner and Becky Goodhew, Community Adventure Program Students, 3rd Quarter 2004
Why eat organic?
Organic foods are grown with few or minimal chemicals and fertilizers so they help to keep the natural soil conditions of the native land. When soil is enhanced with natural fertilizers, it prevents soil erosion and benefits the soil health in the future. In fact, an experiment conducted in Washington testing organic and inorganic fields concluded that the organic field had eight inches more topsoil than the chemically treated fields, and the soil had a large buildup of salt and pesticide in the chemically treated field.
Many people buy organic foods to avoid the risks that come with eating food grown with pesticides. Pesticides are found abundantly in chemically treated crops, but are virtually nonexistent in organic crops. Pesticides are often associated with many health problems; such as asthma and cancer. Kids are at especially high risk because they have higher metabolisms. It has also been discovered that at least 1 million kids ingest at least fifteen types of pesticides daily, and the average American has over seventy daily exposures to harmful pesticides.
There are also many nutritional benefits of eating organic foods. In over 41 studies published comparing nutrients in food, it was discovered that organic crops have 27% more vitamin C, 21.1% more iron, 29.3% more magnesium, and 13.6% more phosphorus than non-organic foods. Organics also contain 15.5% less nitrates than chemically treated food.
Benefits of buying organic food:
Pesticides have a bad impact on the environment. To improve the environmental conditions we need to buy organically or pesticide free foods. Although scientists are unclear about the full extent of damage that can be caused by pesticides, there have been studies that show plants, animals, and water sources are harmed by the pesticides.
Pesticides go in to the soil, effecting earthworm as well as other GOOD organisms.
Through evaporation during and after application, pesticides are absorbed in to the atmosphere, the are deposited elsewhere.
Transportation of pesticides can lead to the contamination the of non-target areas.
Non-target organisms are either effected by being directly sprayed or consuming other pesticide-contaminated organisms.
Fish can be affected orally, through skin, or through inhalation.
Contamination of ground water creates toxic ground water.
Local organic farms in Boulder County:
Guidestone Farm
Leave a Reply