Why Go Orgnanic?

By Beth Yim  First Published in Island Parent

 

Canadians are going organic!  Almost one-fifth of Canadians regularly purchase organic products.  Thirty percent of these organic buyers are British Columbians! But it isn’t just your stereotypical environmentalist driving this trend.  Young families are becoming increasingly interested in a simpler more basic lifestyle that includes foods grown and produced without the use of antibiotics, chemicals or preservatives.

 

In Canada, when a food item is labeled Certified Organic, it means that agricultural products, like fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy products and meats have been grown and processed in a way that encourages soil and water conservation and minimizes pollution.  Weeds and pests are controlled by traditional methods of crop rotation, the use of beneficial insects and birds and through careful tending of the soil by adding natural fertilizers, like manure or compost.  In animals, preventative measures are used to avoid disease with rotational grazing, a balanced diet, clean housing and access to the outdoors and natural feed.

 

 

Conventional or manufactured agriculture applies chemical fertilizers to promote plant growth, sprays insecticides or herbicides to control pests and weeds and give animals antibiotics, growth hormones and medications to prevent

disease or encourage growth and production. 

 

 

 In addition to the growing and processing methods, a product labeled Certified Organic cannot be genetically modified. In 2001 this passion for purity netted the organic retail market $650 million and each year that figure climbs.  But are consumers really getting a safer and healthier product by buying organic? 

 

Here are some facts you may want to consider:

 

Pesticides/Fungicides

 

Conventional farmers may use pesticides at different times throughout a growing season to minimize damage from molds, insects and disease.  This means there may be residues left on the product.  However, “experts” say the amount of pesticides found on fruits and vegetables poses a small health risk.  The challenge is how to test every piece of fruit and vegetable produced.  According to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, tests conducted between 1994 and 1998 showed either “unapproved” or a “misuse” of several insecticides, like permethrin in the production of mushrooms, endosulfan in fresh sweet peppers and chlorpyrifos which has “relatively few approved uses in Canada” and yet still comes up with “numerous violations”. 

 

There is also the indirect affect of pesticide use on the quality of water and air and the impact it has on people in direct contact with it.  According to a new Canadian study, women who have lived or worked on a farm are about three times more likely to develop breast cancer than a woman who has never worked on a farm.  Jim Brophy, one of the study’s authors suggests that, “the regular spraying of chemicals to control weeds and pests on farms may explain the link.” 

 

Environment

 

Though many chemicals used in conventional farming are considered carcinogenic, the largest danger comes from those that are persistent and bio-accumulative.  Persistent substances dissipate slowly and can remain in the environment for years.  Bio-accumulative chemicals build up in fatty tissues, increasing in concentration, over time, in an organism or food chain. 

 

Carbofuran, a pesticide banned from use in the United States in 2006 is a moderately persistent toxin.  It has caused the death of thousands of birds, contaminated aquifers and groundwater and according to the Ecological Incident Investigation System, “has been responsible for more avian deaths than any other pesticide.”  As it persists in the environment for up to 120 days it can have a deadly ripple affect every level of the food chain.

 

Bio-accumulative substances are the most insidious.  In wildlife these can cause disruptions in the endocrine system, the delicate hormone system that regulates growth and development.  The impact of these substances include: thyroid dysfunction, decreased fertility, birth and metabolic deformities, compromised immune systems and demasculinzation and defeminization.  In humans bio-accumulative substances have been shown to cause genital tract abnormalities, changes in the immune response, decreased fertility and abnormal pregnancies.

 

Quality and Taste

 

Chefs around the world are using more organic produce.  Why?  Quality, appearance and taste are the biggest motivators.  As organic foods are produced, processed and handled differently than conventional foods it is more likely that the organic food item purchased is fresher and not treated with wax or preservatives, leading to a higher quality, better tasting product.  For the average consumer the added bonus of fresher products is higher nutrient content.  Every day a food item sits in transit valuable nutrients are lost.  As organic products are not chemically treated to last longer they are handled more gently to avoid spoilage.

 

Non Genetically Modified

 

“Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) can be defined as organisms in which the genetic material (DNA) has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally. It allows selected individual genes to be transferred from one organism into another, also between non-related species.” World Health Organization

 

Genetically Modified foods may be a ticking time bomb.  With little testing to ensure safety or toxicity GMO foods may threaten biodiversity as well as health.  Fortunately, in Canada a Certified Organic product cannot contain genetically modified organism.

 

According to the World Health Organization, the main concern for human health from GMO foods is: allerginicity, outcrossing and gene transfer.  Allerginicity may be increased by the use of a gene from a highly allergenic food, like peanut in the GM food item.  Outcrossing is the movement of genes from a GM plant into conventional or related crops.  This has happened quite dramatically with Canada’s canola crops as well as maize crops in Mexico.  Gene transfer from GM foods to cells or bacteria in the body is a major issue especially when the GM gene is antibiotic resistant. 

 

The effects on our environment from GM foods cannot be taken lightly either.  Loss of biodiversity, introduction of GM genes to wild populations, the persistence of the gene after harvest, susceptibility of non-target species (beneficial insects), and increased use of chemicals in agriculture are concerns the World Health Organization has raised.  And they are issues every Canadian needs to carefully consider.

 

Buying Tips

 

Whether you are one of the thirty percent of British Columbians regularly buying organic or not, consider these suggestions:

  • Buy in season as the produce will have less distance to travel and will be fresher.
  • Read labels carefully, as some organic products may still be high in unhealthy salt, fat or calories.
  • Natural isn’t necessarily organic, so make sure the label states certification.
  • Wash all fruits and vegetables thoroughly.
  • If you are concerned about ingesting chemicals, peel fruit and vegetables and trim outside leaves.  Also check http://www.ewg.org/ for the safest non-organic foods.
  • Buy local, not only is the produce fresher but it may have required less chemicals to grow and produce.  For a listing of local farms and availability check out, www.islandfarmfresh.com

 

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