extra credit post

Nile Finney
Prof. Mayeda
Extra credit assignment


Problem: Food Heath Risks in America. Solution: Go Organic!


Many nutritionists, say organic food is healthier for you. Even though the price of organic foods is high, organic food is healthier and better for you than conventional grown foods (regular crops and farming) because organic food is food grown without using synthetic fertilizers, chemicals, and pesticides. Organic food on average has a higher nutrition level over conventional crops.
To classify food as organic, it all depends on the way the food is grown. According to Valenvuela (2003), “Organic food are crops or livestock that are grown on the farms without the application of synthetic fertilizers or pesticides, and without using genetically modified organisms.” All organic farms are used with all natural fertilizers such as manure or compost. Even for animals, they are feed organic feed and allowed to go outdoors. Farmers rotate the grazing and give the animals a balanced diet to help prevent disease.
Organic food is better for you because of the way it is grown. Organic food does not have all kinds of chemicals on the foods, even after its rinsed. So in the end you do not end up eating all kinds of chemicals. It is also better for the environment. The way that organic food is grown without all that chemicals, it also benefits the environment. Organic farming is designed to encourage soil and water conservation and also reduce pollution.
Some people like to say the organic food is not just healthier for you, but also taste better. But not all of it is necessarily true. You can’t truly prove that organic food taste better but we can prove that organic food is more nutritious than conventional grown foods. According to Phillips (2008), researchers from British Columbia in 2007 did a study on children that proved children that had 90% organic food as part of their diet had a 30% lower risk of getting eczema (a medical condition that affects the skin), compared to children who had 50% of organic food in their diet. Even hotels around the world are opting for the more nutritional and healthier foods (Phillips, 2008). Another study also proves organic food is healthier, According to Williamson a nutritionists for the British Nutrition Foundation (2007), “Organically grown potatoes, for instance, were found to have higher levels of vitamin C than conventionally grown spuds. In fact, half of the studies the British Nutrition Foundation reviewed on vegetables found higher levels of vitamin C in organically produced vegetables, particularly in dark, leafy greens like chard and spinach—and no studies showed the organics coming in with lower nutrient levels. Several studies also showed differences in nutrition levels in organic milk and cheese, including a higher levels of vitamin E, beta-carotene and omega-3 fatty acids.” According to Spiselman (2008), “Organic and local generally go hand-in-hand in Europe, especially at hotels in towns and the countryside. The Romantik Hotel & Restaurant Minichmayr in Sleyr, Austria, is typical. Co-owner Yvonne Viertler says the hotel has been serving organic food since her family bought it in 1978, but more people are asking for it now and availability and quality have improved, spurred by stricter standards for certification. About 40% of the menu is organic, including local and regional beef, lamb, poultry, trout, cheeses, breads, sparkling pear wine, and oils and vinegars. Eighteen-year veteran Chef/Food and Beverage Manager Klaus Rammer frequently buys directly from farmers but turns to markets for organic ingredients he needs in larger quantities, such as potatoes and cabbages. If he can’t get something in the area—for example, tropical fruits—he won’t bother to buy organic, partly because he says, “it doesn’t come with a guarantee.” Organic food is now all over the world, it is becoming the new thing. Organic food is becoming a popular demand worldwide.
The cost of organic food is higher than the cost of conventional grown crops. According to Mi-jin (2008), the cost of organic produce to non-organic produce has a 20-30 percent price range difference. That may not seem like much to some people, but it may be too much for others. But for the nutrition and less chemicals that you intake, organic food just might be worth the cost to some people. The price of organic food is also higher because organic crops desire more labor work to be done. According to Spiselman (2008), United States customers of a Hotel, fine dinning room called Latilla, are willing to pay $26 to $46 more for organic food that is healthier for you. The cost of organic food is higher even around Thanksgiving. According to New Times Naturally (2007), the cost of turkey per pound organic is $4.95, when conventional is $0.99. Ham is $18.99 for organic and $3.99 for conventional. Brown Rice is $2.38 per two pounds organic, when it is $2.19 for conventional brown rice. Broccoli cost $2.99 per pound when it is organic, and $1.99 per pound when it is conventionally grown.
So why chose organic food? In the end organic foods have much more nutritional value than conventional grown foods. So even though the cost may be higher for this type of food people are willing to pay the price for a healthier life, which in the end might be worth the cost don’t you agree?



References:
Is organic food really more nutritious?. (2007, September). Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter, Retrieved August 25, 2008, from CINAHL Plus with Full Text database
Does Organic Cost That Much More? Yes and No: A Guide to Your Organic Thanksgiving Produce. (2007, November). New Times Naturally!, Retrieved August 25, 2008, from Alt HealthWatch database.
ROK Daily: Shoppers Demand High Quality Food. (2008, June 25). World News Connection, Retrieved August 7, 2008, from International Security & Counter Terrorism Reference Center database.
Phillips, D. (2008, June). Organic and Natural CAMPAIGN '08 CONTINUES. Dairy Foods, 109(6), 50-56. Retrieved August 5, 2008, from Business Source Complete database.
Valenzuela, H. (2003). Organic Food In S. H. Katz (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Food and Culture, Vol. 3. (pp. 21-24) New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. Retrieved August 5, 2008, from Gale Virtual Reference Library via Gale: http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?&id=GALE%7CCX3403400458&v=2.1&u=apollo&it=r&p=GVRL&sw=w