Like many conscientious consumers, you may have asked yourself, Does organic food equal better, healthier food, or are the advantages more hype than fact?
We’ll begin by checking out what the term organic means with regard to food. Organic farming must meet certain standards when it comes to animal, environmental, and human concerns. Organic agriculture does not use chemicals as a means of cultivating food. This is part of a wider concern that seeks to lessen damage to the environment and wildlife, as well as to humans who eat the food. Globally, the organic market is presently worth more than $27 billion, with the land area devoted to it equaling the size of Italy.
What the Organic Label Means
If you see an organic label on a product, then you can be sure that it comes from a farm, and that those who process and/or import it have been certified. Ninety-five percent of the ingredients in processed foods have to be certified organic, and the remainder of ingredients is subject to approval.
If a farmer wishes to obtain organic certification, he must adhere to the following set of standards: They must not use fertilizers as they contain nitrous oxide. The soil is kept fertile with manure and crop rotation that alternates the planted crops, leaving natural nutrients behind. They must not use pesticides. Instead, pests are controlled with other insects, and the act of weeding and planting other crops side-by-side as a way to control each other’s pests.
They must not use most additives like colorings and preservatives. Animals must be given space and free range areas, and farmers have to follow minimum slaughter age requirements. They also must feed their animals organically, and treat all their animals in a humane manner.
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