In addition to being highly beneficial to our health by helping to fuel our bodies and minds, organic produce lessens health risks to consumers, farm workers, and their families. How? By reducing their exposure to toxic chemicals.
Organic farms embrace natural means to grow crops and nurture animals instead of preservatives, pesticides, and growth hormones. This means the food, the soil, the air, and the surrounding water remain clean. Just like nature intended!
In addition, organic food is rich in nutrients, including body-beneficial vitamin C, magnesium, iron, and phosphorus. Organic grains, fruits, and vegetables are less likely to be exposed to harmful pesticide residues and nitrates than conventionally grown produce.
In this handy guide, we delve deeper into the world of organic food, revealing the benefits surrounding your body and the planet. Read on to learn more.
What is Organic Produce?
Firstly, let’s discuss what organic means. In a nutshell, organic fruit and vegetables are grown to support environmental sustainability. How? By adopting farming practices that assist long-term regeneration.
From grains to fruits and vegetables to fish and meats, any type of food can be produced organically. To pinpoint those that are, look out for an organic label, such as one awarded by a USDA.
To be granted permission to put this label on a product, farmers must undergo strict annual analysis. In addition, the products they produce should be void of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, genetically modified organisms, and growth hormones.
The Beauty of Buying Organic
Food brandishing an Organic label means it was grown the way nature intended.
When you invest in organic produce, you’re buying into a healthy lifestyle. You’ll know exactly where your food has come from and how it was farmed. You’ll also ensure you steer clear of synthetic herbicides, fertilizers, insecticides, pesticides, hormones, sewage sludge, antibiotics, irradiation, and other harmful genetically modified organisms.
Environmental Advantages of Organic Produce
In addition to the above, farmers must also promote environmental sustainability to be certified with the organic label. Adopting planet-friendly practices such as using natural pest control and fertilizers is one way they can do this.
These practices benefit the environment and you. How? By lessening your exposure to toxic chemicals.
Research suggests organically grown foods contain less detectable levels of synthetic pesticides and are 48% less likely to contain cadmium – a known carcinogenic. In addition, organic meat contains fewer growth hormones. Consuming too many growth hormones can cause chaos for consumers, including development issues in infants and hormonal imbalances in adults.
Furthermore, organic farming methods, unlike chemical farming, help conserve soil biodiversity and fertility. Organic compost, fertilizers, mulches, and other matter assist in preserving healthy soil by supporting soil microorganisms, red worms, and earthworms.
Organic matter and mulches also lessen weed growth, while companion planting, multi-cropping, and trap crops assist with pest control.
Non-Organic Farming Effects
From heavy water usage to monoculture crops and chemical fertilizers, non-organic farming practices drain the nutrients from the soil, thus creating a chemical runoff. When rain falls, these synthetic pesticides and fertilizers can begin to affect local environments, leading to environmental degradation, water and soil acidification, eutrophication, and water pollution.
Chemical runoff can seriously impact local ecosystems, particularly when pesticides are used, which can spread into local streams and lakes. Animals and humans using this water can then ingest it unknowingly. According to research, about 672 million birds are affected by large amounts of pesticides on agricultural farms in the USA, and about 10% of them die as a result of it.
Another impact non-organic farming is having on the planet? Climate change. It’s a huge threat to agriculture, and ironically, conventional agriculture is one of climate change’s biggest culprits. Poor farming methods boost climate change risks by releasing harmful chemicals into waterways and lessening soil carbon sequestration. All emit greenhouse gasses. This results in both intense weather events and drier seasons.
How You Can Help
To help our planet and benefit your body, buy organic when possible. Whether shopping for meat, fish, grains, or fruits and vegetables, always look for the organic label. This guarantees the items you purchase have met the USDA criteria for organic practices.
If unable to find organic produce in a store near you, look for produce sporting other labels, such as those that indicate ethical production, sustainability, and health safety.
What to Expect
When investing in organic produce, you’ll likely notice a difference in taste and appearance. Organic food tends to have a shorter shelf life than conventional food. It’s often smaller and comes in a variety of shapes because it is void of growth hormones. Despite this, it’s still highly beneficial to your body and the planet. The best part? It tastes great!
The Bottom Line
Over the years, we’ve tested our planet, and it’s now under unprecedented stress! Thankfully, there are things you can do and foods you can embrace to help lessen your carbon footprint. One of these is indulging in organic produce.
From grains to fruits, vegetables, meats, and dairy, investing in organic produce is a surefire way to benefit your health and the planet.
Unlike conventional farming methods, organic farming practices go above and beyond to reduce (and sometimes reverse) environmental degradation through natural and regenerative practices.
The foods we consume greatly impact our health and the planet. Improving your food choices will ensure you are fueling your body with good, wholesome ingredients; plus, you’ll be playing a significant role in pushing agricultural practices toward an eco-conscious and sustainable future.
