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Shelby Whitfield
Instructor: Malcolm Campbell
UWRT 1103
April 10, 2016

Your Health Matters: Organic Food Production vs. Conventional Food Production

The organic food industry is thriving in our present-day world and has created
double-digit growth to become a $39.1 billion industry in the year of 2015. Many ask,
what is the difference between conventional food products and organic food products?
This question is tested frequently and scientists everywhere are creating studies that will
answer this long heated debate and give the public what theyve been demanding. There
are many factors that revolve around the topic organic; there are processes and people
that make organic food production happen. Throughout this essay, both sides of this longheated debate will be displayed along with information on topics such as GMOs, organic
farming, and nutritious facts.
Organicfarmingreferstoagriculturalproductionsystemsthatfarmwithoutthe
useofsyntheticpesticides,fertilizers,andgeneticallymodifiedseed(OrganicFarming
ResearchFoundation).Notonlydoestheproductionoforganicproductshelpourbodies,
butourenvironmentaswell.Withinorganicfarming,productionpracticesareusedto
enhanceourecosystemsuchasbiologicalpestcontrol,notillorminimumtillage,habitat
maintenanceforbeneficialinsectsandvertebrates,andwatermanagementpractices.
Theseecologicallyprotectivepracticesimprovethequalityofwater,thebiodiversity,as

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wellasthehealthofthesoil.Pestsbegintobuildupanimmunitytothepesticides
causingustocomeupwithsomethingstrongertokillthepests,whichresultsinharsher
environmentalproblems.Organicfarmingreducestheproblemsofthegreenhouseeffect
andglobalwarmingbecauseoftheprocess,whichdoesntinvolvechemicals.Organic
farmingcanbeknownastheagriculturalsystemthatworksinharmonywithnaturedue
toitsenvironmentalbenefitsandhealthyways.
Theprocessoforganicfarmingismostlystraightforward;itbeginswith
cultivatingtherightsoilattherighttime,makingsureeverythingisinplaceforthe
processtobegin.Nextcomesthecarefuluseofwaterresourcesandgoodanimal
husbandry.Animalhusbandryisthescienceofbreedingandcaringforfarmanimalsby
humans,whichinvolvestheproductionofmeat,milkandeggs.Afterthehusbandryof
animals,naturalpesticidescomeintoplay.However,thepesticidesinorganicfarming
mustcomefromnaturalresourcesinsteadofbeingsyntheticallymanufacturedmeaning
nouseofchemicals.Also,thesenaturalpesticidesmustbeappliedusingequipmentthat
hasnotbeenusedtoapplysyntheticmaterialsoncropsforthepastthreeyears,andthe
landbeingplantedcannothavebeentreatedwithsyntheticmaterialsforthatperiod
either(Hom).Afterthecropshavebeentreatedwithnaturalpesticides,recycled
organicwastes,suchascropresidues,waste,farmindustrialwaste,andmultiplesewage
wastesareused.Theserecycledorganicwastesarevaluablesourcesofplantnutrients
andareorganicfertilizersforthecrops.Duetohumanpollutionintropicaland
subtropicalsoil,thereisanoverallshortageoforganiccarbonandplantnutrients.Green
manureiscreatedbyuprootedcroppartsthatserveasamulch;thisiscommonly

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associatedwithorganicfarmingandplaysaveryimportantroleinsustainableannual
croppingsystems.Greenmanuresusuallyexecutemultiplefunctionsthathelpwithsoil
improvementandprotection,allowingthesoiltoregainfertilityafteritsharvest.Another
factorthatcontributestosoilfertilityiscroprotation,whichisanapproachtowhichcrop
toplacewhereinthefarmannually.Thisprocessbeginssothatthereisanincreaseinthe
geneticdiversityofthefarm.Afterthegeneticdiversityhasbegun,theuseofresistant
cropsareusedtosustainthecropslifespan.Thefertilizersareeithercreatedlocallyby
greenmanuringandcroprotationoronfarmviawormfarmingandcomposting.Worm
farmingiswhenwormseattheorganicwastefromthefarmandturnititoliquid
fertilizers(AustralianGovernment).Biodynamicfarmersusealowcostmicrobial
solutionthatissprayedontheircropsthatinturnsignificantlylowerstheexpensiveness
ofinsecticides,fungicides,andotherpesticides.Biodynamicfarmingisanecologicaland
ethicalapproach(BiodynamicAssociation).Thiscontributioncreateslowerinputcosts
forthefarmersandhelpsthemsavemoney.
Astheorganicfarmingproductionseemsenticingandsafe,recentstudiesand
articlewritershavedisagreed.Therehasbeenahotdebateoverwhetherornotthese
productsmakeadifferenceinoneshealthandifitsworthittobuysuchanexpensive
itemjustbecauseitslabeledorganic.
Conventional farming refers to industrial agricultural systems that use synthetic
fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides and other continual outputs such as genetically modified
organisms (Organic Farming Research Foundation). Most conventional farming methods
develop of a wide range of off-farm inputs that creates a successful, efficient farm with
flourishing crops. If the soil does not have a certain amount of minerals, then farmers will

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purchase minerals that are bagged in the form of synthetic fertilizers from a farm supply
store. If there is not enough water accessible to the farm, farmers install irrigation pumps
and natural gas is used to run the pumps and irrigate the fields with groundwater, creating
soiled water for the crops. Insects may infest crops and become a threat to them, so if this
were to happen, the farmers would buy pesticides and spray these on the crops to prevent
further insect infestation on the crops. These methods in turn can pose a risk to health by
contaminating the soil, the water, and the air with levels of synthetic chemicals that
cannot be obtained by the earth, meaning they diminish the ecosystem and the
biodiversity. The earth isnt able to sustain the synthetic chemicals given off by these
fertilizers. Another method that is used in conventional farming is mono cropping; mono
cropping, also known as minimum crop rotation, is the practice of growing one single
crop year after year on the same land. This method causes a loss of nutrients and minerals
within the crops. When this happens, minerals are added back into the soil in the form of
hydrocarbon-based fertilizers and mined minerals such as phosphate, so that the crops
will grow back on the depleted soil. Conventional farming is highly dependent on earthbased, non-renewable resources, which causes a gradual reduction in our natural
resources. One can observe the environmental benefits are not strong in this method of
farming. Monocultures, growing a single crop in a farm, and resulting poor health will
cause infestations of insects, diseases, and weeds, therefore lowering the biodiversity,
which, in this case, requires synthetic pesticides and herbicides to be used, further
destroying the soil biology. The pros that come out of conventional farming are that the
costs of farming and food production are low, which is extremely attractive to lowincome families and the public in general, as well as the fact that there are more job

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opportunities available, which is important nowadays. All of these factors are really what
the public sees when they look at conventional farming; there are very few people that
really consider the health risks. In our present day economy, the only thing that matters is
money and job opportunities, which makes conventional produce and food production
more appealing.
GMOs, or genetically modified organisms, strike a big discussion. So, whats all
the talk about? GMOs are living organisms whose genetic material has been artificially
manipulated in a laboratory through genetic engineering according to the NON GMO
Project. This moderately new science creates plant, animal, and viral genes that arent
naturally made or that occur in traditional crossbreeding methods. The long-term impacts
of GMOs are unknown and once they are released into the environment, the organisms
cannot be withdrawn. Over 80% of all GMOs grown worldwide are engineered for
herbicide tolerance. As a result, use of toxic herbicides like Roundup has increased 15
times since GMOs were introduced stated the Non GMO Project Unfortunately, GMO
crops are the reason the environment has seen the introduction of super weeds and
super bugs which require only a harsher, more toxic chemical to kill them off. GMOs
are banned in most developed regions like Japan, Australia, and every country in the
European Union. On the other hand, the U.S. government has approved GMOs based on
recent studies that the same corporations that created them and profit off of them have
released. Americans are starting to see the harsh risks of GMOs and are beginning to take
steps forward in banning these harmful organisms. GMOs are becoming extremely
common and are seen in as much as 80% of conventionally processed foods. GMOs will
forever contaminate our planet due to their cross pollination and traveling of seeds.

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Mentioned earlier, GMOs may never be withdrawn, once theyre out in the environment,
there is no way of cleaning them up.
The price of organic food has skyrocketed compared to what it was years ago; this
is due to the amount of attention organic food production has received in recent years.
The public wonders whether the price is worth it or not but the real question is where
they want their health to stand in coming years. The reason that prices are so high is
because of the greater labor input, better living conditions for the livestock, and the idea
that the supply of organic foods are limited compared to the demand. Greater labor input
means that the farms have to hire more workers to produce the organic crops. The fact
that the standards for animal welfare have become so high means that there are higher
costs for organic farms. Conventional farmers use all of these chemicals and synthetic
pesticides because they end up reducing the cost of production by getting the job done
faster and more efficiently. A very recommended money saving tip is to get most of your
organic food from local farmers markets.
Organic foods are much more nutritious for the body considering the high amount
of essential minerals, phytonutrients, and vitamin C. Phytonutrients are plant compounds
other than vitamins and minerals, such as enzymes, antioxidants, and bioflavonoids. For
example, smaller organically grown oranges contained thirty percent more vitamin C than
the larger conventionally grown oranges. Cattle, sheep, and pigs that are raised to eat
organically had fewer health problems, better growth and fertility and lower fat content
compared to animals fed conventional feed. Conventionally raised cattle feed ingredients
include horse protein, tallow, blood products, pork remainders, poultry brain, spinal cord,
and manure. Organic farming practices are designed to encourage soil and water

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conservation and reduce pollution. This includes natural fertilizers to feed soil and plants
and using crop rotation to manage the weeds. Organic foods might look the same as
conventional food but the nutrients in organics outweigh the nutrients in conventionally
grown food. The pesticides in conventional food block the plants ability to produce the
nutrients; this doesnt happen with organic food because they dont follow the same
process and do without the use of pesticides.
Organic food also reduces risk factors of many diseases. Organic foods are free
from hormones, pesticides/herbicides, artificial coloring, antibiotic, neurotoxins, etc. A
lot of these attributes are found in conventionally grown foods. Certain cancers are found
in 60% of herbicides, Parkinsons disease is found in 70% of pesticides, and brain
damage can become a result of neurotoxins. Antioxidants are molecules that help fight off
illnesses and diseases. The antioxidant level is higher in organic fruits and vegetables due
to the freshness. Local, organic foods get distributed much faster, reducing the shelf life
and time from it being removed from its vine, which kills the antioxidants the longer the
shelf life. The residue thats found on many crops and left in the water exposes the
population to many of the leading illnesses. Seeing all of the risk factors in
conventionally grown food would make the public want to switch to organic foods, but,
unfortunately, these risk factors arent broadcasted like they should be. Whether its
reducing our behavioral or environmental risk, organic foods protect us from many
illnesses and diseases that are populating today.
There are so many factors and aspects that correlate when the discussion of
organic food production and conventional food production arise. People only see the
highlight reel of what goes on rather than the behind-the-scenes perspective. The public

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needs to be exposed to these harsh facts and see what really goes on within each food
production process to fully develop an informed and educated opinion about each of them
and their preferences concerning them. Studies and facts have proven that the organic
food production process is a much more healthy lifestyle and should be carried out by
more people. I, myself, used to think that conventionally processed food and organic food
were the same but after being educated on both food production processes, I have
completely changed my opinion. I now believe that the price is worth it when youre
investing in your health rather than just the food you eat. I hope that all of the studies that
prove the organic lifestyle to be more nutritious are more broadcasted to the public so
they can really see what theyre eating when they put a conventionally processed food
product in their body.

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Works Cited

"6 Pros and Cons of Conventional Farming - HRFnd." HRFnd. Health Research Funding,
03 Aug. 2015. Web. 9 Apr. 2016.

"Advantages and Disadvantages Organic Farming: Its Pros and Cons." Fantastic Farms.
Web. 8 Apr. 2016.

"GMO Facts." The NonGMO Project RSS. The NonGMO Project RSS. Web. 6 Apr. 2016.

"Greening Princeton". Princeton.edu. Princeton University. 2016. Web. 12 Apr. 2016.

Hom, Louis. "Pestcides in Organic Farming." Pestcides in Organic Farming. Web. 9 Apr.
2016.

"Market Analysis." Organic Trade Association. Web. 6 Apr. 2016.

"Nutrition and Healthy Eating." Organic Foods: Are They Safer? More Nutritious? Mayo
Clinic, 9 June 2014. Web. 5 Apr. 2016.

"Organic FAQs." Organic Farming Research Foundation. Organic Farming Research

Foundation, 2012. Web. 7 Apr. 2016.

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Shim, Youn K., Steven P. Mlynarek, and Edwin van Wijngaarden. "Parental Exposure To
Pesticides And Childhood Brain Cancer: U.S. Atlantic Coast Childhood Brain
Cancer Study". Environ Health Perspect 117.6 (2009): 1002-1006. Web. 21 Apr.
2016.

Smith, Jeffrey. "10 Reasons to Avoid GMOs." Institute For Responsible Technology.
Institute For Responsible Technology, 25 Aug. 2011. Web. 8 Apr. 2016.

"Start A Worm Farm". Your Energy Savings. 2016. Web. 23 Apr. 2016.

"Welcome to Agriinfo.in." My Agriculture Information Bank. My Agriculture Information

Bank. Web. 8 Apr. 2016.

"What Are the Environmental Benefits of Organic Farming over Conventional Farming
Methods?" World's Healthiest Foods. World's Healthiest Foods. Web. 7 Apr. 2016.
"What Is Biodynamics? | Biodynamic Association". Biodynamics.com. 2016. Web. 17
Apr. 2016.