Blog Archive

Sunday, October 7, 2012

Are you an organic shopper or non-organic regular food shopper?



Day 68

Price Comparison
Ironically recently I had read an article that said poor people had to walk miles to buy their food on the other hand the wealthy had to walk miles to digest their food. Talking about food recently in this decade we have observed a growing trend of customers that are interested in the organic market in comparison to the inorganic foods. The prices of the organic food are much higher in comparison to the inorganic foods. Because of the high demand in the organic market, the organic foods are made available at local grocery stores rather than specialized organic stores. 

So here is my question: Are you an organic shopper or non-organic regular food shopper?

There has been an ongoing debate about the topics on organic versus the non-organic. Is the organic food better with respect to vitamins and minerals in comparison to non-organic food? According to a study forwarded by the Stanford School of Medicine, the study did not find many differences in the quality of vitamins and minerals between both the organic food and the conventional food. If there is not much difference between the foods then why did the organic food sale grow from 3.6 billion dollars to 24.4 billion dollars? Why are the consumers spending extra money in organic foods when they can buy the conventional food at a lower price?

The primary argument about the conventional food was the presence of pesticides and growth promoting feeds. The primary argument on the organic food market is the manure contamination originating the presence of E-Coli bacteria causing toxins in food and another small argument enrolls that “the organic foods might not be 100 percent pesticide free”. Many consumers have started farming their produce to create a healthier life style and reduce the pinch in the high cost of the organic products. 

Another concept in the food market is the difference between organic foods and natural foods. Organic foods are certified by the United States Department of Agriculture, while the natural foods are just certified by the vendors of the product. Have you paid extra because the product read “All Natural?” Have you paid extra of “Organic Seafood” because USDA are still working on the guidelines of organic seafood, so the current organic seafood claims is vendor based.

The biggest question for this blog would be “Can organic food feed us all?” With organic cultivation how can we maintain a balance between supply and demand? Because organic farmers cannot use pesticides, how many continuous farming is possible because the infection of bugs and insects? What is the designed resting period for the organic soils to eliminate contamination of bacteria?

“We cannot love well, live well, or last well if we cannot nutrient well to enhance our mind and our body”

~Lenji Jacob

Reference:

  1. BRANDT, M (2012, September 3) Little evidence of health benefits from organic foods, Stanford study finds - Office of Communications & Public Affairs - Stanford University School of Medicine Stanford University School of Medicine Retrieved October 7, 2012, from http://med.stanford.edu/ism/2012/september/organic.html
  2. Picture: http://lifeissavage.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/organic-vs-conventional.jpg



No comments: