Below is a rather thorough (but short) article I found on the topic of organic foods. It addresses the issue primarily in the manner that discusses whether or not organic is actually healthier, however it is a very good overall look at organic food.
Quick summary:
There are two reasons people eat organic,
1. It is healthier
2. It is better for the environment.
Are those good reasons? The article answers that question.
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Diet/Story?id=3353401&page=1
3 comments:
You left me with a cliffhanger, and I thought you might promote an anti-organic article, knowing your instigating nature, but it seemed well balanced.
They are already saying that "local is the new organic." If you want better nutrition, better to have fresher veggies (local) instead of varieties that are chosen for their ability to ship well. Even in Marion, it's becoming increasingly available & affordable:
http://www.vicm.org/victoryacres.html
Becky and I purchased a CSA share for this summer.
As for the production per acre, I've heard that using proper techniques (which are more labor intensive), yield can be the same or greater than industrial agriculture. Food author Michael Pollan describes one such farm in this TED talk(Luke, you'll like it)
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/
view/id/214
Given the high labor costs in the U.S., we'll have to pony-up the cash. Then again, maybe we should be paying more for our food, given that it is pretty important to our humanity. We pay the lowest % of our income (10%...?) of any industrialized nation.
Also, if we stopped feeding so much grain to animals & burning it in our tanks, we might have a little more land to work with. Not to mention all the veggies you could grow in what are now industrially-sustained lawns.
http://www.jesusmanifesto.com/2008/
05/12/fighting-with-forks-the-food-
crisis-battle/
Sorry for the shameless self-promotion.
Not that they don't have their own problems, but it's funny how the Amish can do all this organic agriculture, full employment, reconciliation & peace-making (after that schoolroom shooting), and passing on social / religious traditions. Now, I love blogs & airplanes & cardboard boats, but sometimes I wonder... though I'm sure they wonder too.
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