Is Organic Food Better?

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Most grocery stores now sell food products labeled “organic” due to the increase in demand. Organic food became popular in the 1990’s and has since remained on anupward trend. Although there are more and more supermarkets stocking organic food products on their shelves, non-organic food products seem to outnumber the amount of organic food products. Organic food products are labeled with a green and brown sticker that says USDA ORGANIC. When most Americans see this label they think that what they are buying is better than the average product. But do they have any proof that organic is better?

For some reason all a product needs is a little sticker that says organic, and people automatically believe that it is healthier. No one ever stops to ask what this sticker means. Instead they just trust that organic is healthier than the produce that is being sprayed with chemicals. The rise of organic food has created an illusion that organic food is healthier and has nutritional benefits that exceed those of conventional food products.

What is organic food?

To understand this illusion that the government creates, the definition of organic must be addressed. According to Robert Paarlberg, the author of Food Politics, “organic foods are produced without any human-made (i.e., synthetic) fertilizers or pesticides” instead “organic farmers use composted animal manure and plant cover crops they can later turn into soil” (Paarlberg, 139). This definition suggests that organic farming is not necessarily free of toxic chemicals, but that the chemicals used on organic farms are natural chemicals, or in other words, chemicals that appear in nature. Another definition of organic food is that it is “produced by farmers who em...

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...acks." The Local Food Movement. Amy Francis. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2010. At Issue. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 9 Apr. 2011.

Paarlberg, Robert L. Food Politics: What Everyone Needs to Know. New York, NY: Oxford UP, 2010. Print.

"Preface to 'Are Organic Foods a Positive Trend?'." Food. Ed. Jan Grover. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2008. Current Controversies. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 9 Apr. 2011.

Samuel Fromartz Organic, Inc.: Natural Foods and How They Grew. Orlando, FL: Harcourt Books, 2006.

Shapin, Steven. "Paradise Sold: What Are You Buying When You Buy Organic?" The New Yorker. 15 May 2006. Web. 12 Apr. 2011. .

"Should I Purchase Organic Food?" National Agricultural Library. Ed. Mary V. Gold. Oct. 2008. Web. 12 Apr. 2011. .

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