60 years ago there wasn’t a need for organic foods. Farmers practiced proper treatment of animals and fed livestock natural foods free of pesticides, and seeds (GMO).
Since foods were grown naturally and obtained fresh, we were able to get all the nutrients our body needed from foods. Today the conventional practices of raising livestock and growing crops are not so compassionate towards the treatment of animal, environment or the effects on human consumption.
Conventional (Non-Organic) Farming
One of the many practices of growing conventional crops for human consumption and livestock feed include mixing synthetic fertilizers with added chemicals which help to produce quick-growing crops. To grow crops that are resilient to damage from insects, weeds and animals; farmers spray crops with pesticides such as fungicides, herbicides and insecticides. Furthermore, additional chemicals are sprayed on crops while they are growing and after they are harvested to keep the produce looking fresh for a longer period of time.
Conventional non-organic farming of animals is known as Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) or “factoring farming”. This process of raising livestock include such practices of overloading livestock and holding them in closed caged environments with little or no sunlight, depriving the animals of fresh air, space and freedom to graze the fields. For farmers to produce more quantity and keep up with fast food demand at a lesser cost, growth hormones are injected into animals. These growth hormones are used as growth promoters in the animals to promptly get them to their maximum weight, as quickly as possible.
These animals are kept in the same area where they excrete their feces; making it a breeding ground for infections and viruses. Since they are raised and kept in these contaminated areas, livestock are administered antibiotics on a daily basis to prevent infections such as salmonella. The majority of animal waste is untreated and often poorly regulated; numerous spills have affected rivers and other waterways that can contaminate our water supply. CAFO poses a serious threat to public health due to their impact on air and water quality and increasing the risk of spreading disease.
Fish are now raised in the same way that livestock are produced on other farms. Fish are caged under water with very little room to swim around freely. Because of the constricted living conditions these fish are prone to damaging their fins and tails therefore becoming prone to diseases and infections. Farmed fish are also immersed in waters that contain pesticides which are used to treat lice infestation and prevent weed build up in the water.
Fish are fed pellets containing additives and genetically modified foods. Additional chemical dyes are fed to the fish to make them look healthy due to their unfavourable diet and living conditions.
Genetically Modified Seeds (GMO)
Putting our health second to generate more produce, farmers have begun to use genetically modified seeds (GMO) that are unnaturally resistant to insects and weeds. This newly adopted procedure of growing crops eliminates the need for crop rotation: which in turn means farmers save a lot of time and labour intensive work providing food faster at a lower cost to consumers. Animals are then fed GMO feed that can also contain ground-up parts of other animals of the same or other species that did not make it into human food production. This is a cheap source of food which again equal cheaper costs for consumers.
As a result of conventional farming due to fast food demand at inexpensive cost our environment and health has been impacted negatively as it has increased pollution, and contaminated the earth’s soil and drinking water. Today, foods contain significantly less food value and more chemicals. A high quality daily supplement is now required in order to obtain all the nutrients our body needs for optimal health that we could otherwise be getting from whole foods.
Organic Farming
The goal for organic agriculture is to optimize the health of the land, crops, animals and people to enhance biodiversity and restore and maintain the environment.
Organic farmers are regulated and do not use the conventional farming practices of using synthetic chemicals, pesticides and antibiotics to grow crops or raise livestock. In order for a product to be labeled “Certified Organic” the farmers need to manage their land organically for two years.
Organic farmers use more sophisticated traditional practices such as crop rotation, natural fertilizers, manure, хэнд weeding and using mulch to manage insects, weeds and animals to naturally enhance agricultural productivity. These practices not only benefit the environment but reduce toxins and increase nutritional value in crops, animal and animal by products. Unlike conventional practices of farming that try to repel all animals, insects and plants from interacting with crops by using pesticides; organic framers encourage some interaction with specific animals, insects and plants which help produce stronger plants without the use of genetic engineering or chemicals.
When livestock are raised by organic regulations, they are treated much differently. Organic farms attempt to provide animals with “natural” living conditions and feed. Livestock are raised in an environment where they are free to roam the land and get plenty of sunshine and fresh air. GMO feed is forbidden in organic farming practices so livestock are fed a diet that is мейд up of 85-90% organic ingredients. The use of antibiotics are banned and when animals get sick farmers are only allowed to use homeopathic remedies that have no side effects. Hormones and other growth promoting antibiotics used for weight gain are also banned.
The way farmers grow and process agricultural products such as fruits, vegetables, grains and animals products determine whether or not a product is organic. In the U.S, EU,Canada, and Japan, organic standards are regulated by the government, which means products that contain the “Organic” label are subjected to inspections of their land and farming practices regularly.
There are four types of organic labels which are regulated by the government:
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