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By Nature's Path
What’s Wrong With Conventional Agriculture?
In the late 40s, farming changed radically in North America. Toxic
chemicals aimed at killing pests (pesticides) and weeds (herbicides)
became widely available to farmers as did synthetic chemical fertilizers.
This new chemical farming technology was revolutionary.
Pests and weeds were virtually eradicated. Crop yields soared per acre corn yields rose from 26 bushels in 1926 to 127 bushels in 1996. Millions of pounds of toxic chemicals were subsequently poured onto North American fields. But no long term testing had ever been conducted on this new technology. Very quickly, things started to go wrong.
Both insects and weeds developed resistance to the chemicals. Ever more powerful toxins were needed. Many of these new agri-toxins were indiscriminate, killing everything they touched including the soil. By the late 80s, chemical farming was being seen in a different light.
Despite the fact that pesticide use in the United States increased 1000% between 1945 and 1989, crop loss almost doubled from 7% to 13%. Data from over 68,000 groundwater wells in 45 U.S. states found pesticides in more than 16,000 of them. U.S. Geological Survey data released in 1998 revealed nearly all streams they studied contained at least one pesticide, the result of agricultural run-off from farm fields. Testing of foods eaten by consumers routinely shows pesticide residues. Even the U.S. Congress is now concerned about the impact of the 9,700 approved agricultural toxins on the nation’s children after the National Research Council concluded in 1993 that "some children were ingesting enough pesticides to harm them, even though their food was within Federal limits." The Food Quality Protection Act was passed in 1996 to reassess the standards for pesticides in food.
But we suggest you not wait for the reassessment.
You have options.
What’s Right With Organic Agriculture?
Organic farmers replace toxic chemical pesticides, herbicides, and
fertilizers with different agricultural methods that improve soil
fertility and biological diversity. They control weeds and insects
with time-proven techniques such as crop rotation, cultivation, mulching,
manure spreading, and the encouragement of "beneficials" predator
insects that keep pests in check.
These methods radically change the farm environment, producing a dramatic
drop in poisonous run-off and an equally dramatic improvement in the
soil ecology. Organic farms routinely see less soil erosion and a
greater variety of animal species and micro-organisms in their fields.
Similarly, a certified organic food processor such as Nature’s Path avoids many techniques of conventional manufacturing. No preservatives or additives that would degrade the quality of the organic crop are used. Organic and conventional ingredients are not mixed. Organic raw materials must be specially handled to prevent contamination from bacteria, myco-toxins, and industrial chemicals. No irradiated ingredients are allowed.
From farm gate to factory door, organic food adds up to a better product.
Is Organic Food Healthier?
Organic food is based on an agricultural growing method and was never intended to be a health claim. But since organic farmers donÆt use agri-toxins, many credible studies have pointed to health and quality implications. In a landmark 1999 study of USDA pesticide residue data in produce, Consumers Reports© found "organic foods had consistently minimal or non-existent pesticide residue" when compared to conventional produce.
Recently, the United Nation’s Food and Health Organization (FAO) reported that "organically produced foods have lower levels of pesticide and veterinary drug residues and, in many cases, lower nitrate contents...In addition, the ‘organic’ label provides assurance to consumers that no food ingredient has been subject to irradiation."
What’s Good About Certified Organic Goodness?
Good food
No synthetic pesticides
No synthetic herbicides
No preservatives or additives
No irradiation
No sewage sludge as fertilizer
Better ecology
Enriched, drought resistant soil
Less soil erosion
Less groundwater pollution
Improved farm biodiversity
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