Still Confused About The Advantages Of Buying Organic?
Buying organic food is quickly becoming wildly popular to such a degree even industries that never would have considered organic farming are flocking to it in droves. And yet, even today, there are men and women, each a consumer, who is still confused about what buying organic really means, why they should do it, and why.
There are certainly those in our country who believe and have done their best to convince others that buying organic is simply a waste of money. A couple of years ago, there was little scientific proof that buying organic food was actually – scientifically – better for you. But now it’s 2008; constant research is surfacing that is reversing known skeptics’ beliefs.
When you make the conscious decision to buy organic, packaged foods, meat, dairy or fresh produce, you are choosing to consume food that damages the environment far less than its conventional counterparts, and you are decreasing your exposure to potentially harmful or fatal ingredients such as: antibiotics, chemicals, fertilizers, pesticides, and hormones.
It does usually cost more to buy organic, than not. Mainly because of the increased labor involved with its production. In short, keeping said food from harm’s way still requires labor to ensure bugs, disease, weeds and other ailments of similar ilk, don’t contaminate or affect the food. But, conventional farming that controls such possibilities uses harsh and cheap (sometimes inferior to the point of being a danger to your own health) “chemical warfare” in mass to win the battle. Their cost is less than $50.00 per acre depending on the crop, season and needed pest and weed control.
Whereas, controlling the same conditions to the point of elimination can be done one hundred percent naturally, but requires much more manual labor, as automation is usually not a viable option, because of the individual care needed. But such necessary labor comes at a price. Compared to conventional farming’s $50 per acre cost, organic farming can cost as much as ten to thirty times as much per acre.
In other words, if it costs over $1,000 per acre to ensure a healthy crop, versus just $50 per acre for conventional farming, of course organic food is going to cost more. But the question still remains: is organic food worth the price, even if it is a much higher price?
While there are still verdicts about some nutritional benefit, the most recent findings as of January 2008, have found that – hands down – buying organic produce gives you more mineral and antioxidants than you can get with conventional options. And to buy organic or not, often comes down to your lifestyle priorities.
Something you don’t hear reported about when such discussions are brought to light is that despite all the positive reports in favor of buying organic food, one might reason that because of contradicting reports all positive findings are less worthy. Your decision ultimately comes down to if your health, legacy, longevity and care for those you love matters to you, now. Proof of how one really feels about each can be clearly defined by your daily actions, diets, and education today.
See, scientific findings and their reporting are only one part of the picture. It is for example, a known fact that even in the “best scenario” cases, trace quantities of hormones, pesticides and chemicals - - not meant for human consumption at all - - are found in conventional produce, dairy and meat supplies.
And yet, mere logic that humans should not consume hormones injected into cows, is not enough of an argument to convince the unconcerned, or those whose health is in jeopardy, to change their ways. You could argue that second hand smoke is similar to “trace quantities” of hormones, pesticides and chemicals. You know it’s bad for you, and the people exposed to it. If you allow yourself or your family to be around second hand smoke, despite the risks, obviously, you have lifestyle priorities that outweigh your health priorities.
The same argument is true with buying organic. Those who don’t may be aware of the dangers they are consuming and exposing themselves to but opt to do nothing, as their lifestyle dictates it’s not of importance to them. Good luck, convincing someone who exercises, eats right, and leads a proactively healthy lifestyle, that buying organic does not have its benefits. (We know it does, but do you)?
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