Organic Food Production

Is it good or bad for the food industry and the consumer that the term was legally defined by the federal government? Are organic foods better for people and the environment than traditionally produced food? What are the drawbacks to organic food production? How do you feel about the "big business" of organic i.e. retailers like Whole Foods??? Make sure you are supporting your claims with valid evidence....Include anything else that interests you...

Generally, when the Federal government steps into people's every day lives, it's not a good thing, but, in the case of organic foods, having a national standard may not be a bad thing. While "organic" doesn't mean 100% pure, it definitely guarantees that the methods for producing the product were more pure than what non-organic food consists of. People often "buy organic is to avoid pesticide residues,"(Renner) but this may not always be the case. I believe this here is a drawback, in a small article, it was written that, "Banned pesticides like DDT were found in organic carrots and potatoes at levels as high as or higher than conventionally grown produce, according to a screening study conducted by a college undergraduate and presented at the Society of Toxicology and Chemistry annual meeting in November"(Renner). People end up paying extra money for something that isn't doing them much more good than if they bought regular produce (although, they are still supporting a cleaner environment and cleaner farming practices).

Big businesses stepping in and selling organic foods is probably a good thing. Organic farmers are this way encouraged to continue their practices since they are guaranteed sales. While, as I said before, organic doesn't mean 100% pure, but it's certainly purer. So when big businesses begin to move into the organic stream of things, it's a little bit better for everybody. Some examples, from http://www.avalonhealthinfo.com/ are:

Food giants such as PepsiCo and Coca-Cola are also breaking into the organic food market. Frito-Lay, which is owned by PepsiCo, has begun selling organic salsa and blue and yellow corn chips with the brand name Tostitos.

In 2001, Coca-Cola purchased the beverage line Odwalla and is selling organic carrot, apple and orange juices.

Additionally, the spice producer McCormick & Co. has been selling organic spices, including thyme and rosemary, since 2002.