Blog#20: Organic vs. Conventional: What Are the Differences?
The
“Organic” label indicates that a food or other product has been produced using
approved agricultural methods that conserve and recycle natural resources,
promote ecological balance, and protect biodiversity. It uses techniques such as crop rotation,
composting, green manure, and biological pest control. Genetic engineering (GMO’s), synthetic
fertilizers, irradiation, and sewage sludge are not used in organic farming. However, certain pesticides, called
biopesticides are allowed when necessary.
These biopesticides, used in small quantities, often decompose quickly,
and tend to be much less harmful than conventional pesticides because they
affect only the target pest and closely related organisms. This is in contrast with broad-spectrum
conventional pesticides, which can affect not only the target pest, but also
birds, insects, and even mammals.
Organic
agricultural methods are internationally regulated and legally enforced by many
nations, based in large part on the standards set by the International
Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM). Within the U.S. there are several regulating
and enforcing agencies in addition to the USDA, such as Oregon Tilth. Based on the stringent and costly process of
becoming a certified organic farm, and the significant number of farms which
lose their certification each year, it appears that these agencies do a
reasonably good job. Of course if you
want to be absolutely certain that the produce you consume is grown
organically, you will have to grow it yourself or rely on someone whom you
totally trust to grow your food.
Most
conventional farmers use sewage sludge, broad-spectrum pesticides, genetically modified
organisms (GMO’s), synthetic fertilizers, and irradiation. Our soil has been progressively more depleted
by continuous planting and harvesting without times of rest, i.e., a fallow
year after several years of farming.
Nutrients which crops pull from the soil in order to grow are not fully
replaced by chemical fertilizers, which usually only contain a few valuable
minerals.
Sewage
sludge is what it sounds like: biosolids
left over after sewage is treated and processed. Sewage sludge contains some valuable
nutrients; unfortunately, it also often contains heavy metals, including
cadmium and lead, dangerous synthetic organic compounds including toluene,
chlorobenzene, and dioxins, highly toxic pesticides, traces of medications,
including cabamazepine (an anti-seizure drug) and broad spectrum antibiotics,
and dangerous microorganisms, such as staph, strep, C diff, E coli, and
salmonella.
Irradiation
is a process of exposing food to high doses of gamma rays, x-rays, or electron
beams. It can kill both harmful and
beneficial bacteria, but not viruses. It kills fruit flies and other pests, and
prolongs the shelf life of foods. The
long term health consequences of eating irradiated foods are still unknown;
however, irradiation has been shown to change the molecular structure of foods
and create known carcinogens.
Additionally, some animals which were fed irradiated foods died
prematurely, and suffered nutritional deficiencies, mutations, still births,
and organ damage. Irradiated foods are
labeled.
Integrated
Pest Management (IPM) is a lesser-known approach to controlling pests. Growers who are aware of the potential for
pest infestation follow a four-tiered approach.
The four steps include:
1 Action
thresholds – before taking any action, IPM first sets a point at which pest
populations or environmental conditions indicate that pest control action must
be taken.
2 Monitoring
and identifying pests – since some organisms are not harmful and may even
be beneficial, monitoring and identification removes the possibility that
pesticides will be used when they are not really needed, or that the wrong type
of pesticide will be used.
3 Prevention
– as a first line of defense, IPM programs manage crops to prevent pests from
becoming a threat. This may involve
using methods such as crop rotation, selecting pest-resistant varieties, and
planting pest-free rootstock.
4 Control
– when pest control is required, IPM programs evaluate control methods for both
effectiveness and risk. Effective, less
risky controls are chosen first, such as highly targeted chemicals, like
pheromones, to disrupt pest mating, or mechanical control, such as trapping or
weeding. If these less risky controls
are not working, additional methods may be used, such as targeted spraying of
pesticides. Broadcast spraying of
non-specific pesticides would be a last resort.
I highly
recommend that you check out the website and new film called “Symphony of the
Soil” http://www.symphonyofthesoil.com/ This
documentary clearly and beautifully shows the dilemma conventional farming
faces and the promise organic farming holds.
This blog’s
offer: call me for a nutritional consult
if you have a specific health challenge that you think might respond to an
organic diet and I will help you plan a dietary program.
