Organically Grown...

What is organic?
Much effort has been put into defining the term "organic". Ideally, organic agriculture seeks to optimize environmental health, human health, and biological activity by focusing on the health of the soil. The long-term fertility of the soil is replentished through the use of on-farm inputs whenever possible, and the avoidance of inputs, whether natural or synthetic, which deplete nonrenewable resources or endanger quality of life, water, or air.

Why buy organic?
Pesticides are everywhere. As stated in the Environmental Working Group's 1993 report "Pesticides in Children's Food", if you eat in this country, you eat pesticides. Food and Drug Administration testing discovered residues from 108 different pesticides in only 22 fruits and vegetables. The Environmental Working Group's study found the combined cancer risk from eating just 8 of these pesticides exceeds the Environmental Protection Agency's lifetime level of acceptable risk by the average child's first birthday. This risk assessment was based on existing tolerance levels, which do not take into account the possible compound effects of the presence of more than one pesticide in our bodies at a time, or the more serious effects these chemicals may have on the less developed organs and immunities of children.

The effects on the environment are also profound. Twenty five to 50% of air sprayed pesticide doesn't hit the field. Less than one percent hits the targeted pest. This leaves over 99% of the application to contaminate land, air, and surface and ground waters. An additional and potentially more destructive problem are the imbalances created by conventional agricultural practices. Excess fertilizer seeps into waterways, creating algae blooms; organisms which decompose the overabundant algae consume all the available oxygen, causing suffocation among other aquatic life and degrading overall water quality. Synthetic fertilizers also exhaust the soil of humus. Without humus, water tends to run off rather than seep downward. Topsoil is carried away, decreasing productivity of the land, and thereby encouraging the use of more fertilizer. As the soil looses its ability to absorb and retain moisture, unreplentished aquifers gradually collapse, permanently losing their ability to hold water and irrevocably changing the carrying capacity of the land.

Rather than continuing in this destructive vein, we need to address the changes necessary in our government, our educational system, and our market system to generate momentum for the move toward safe food and sane environmental conduct.

At this time, the National Organic Standards Board, established under the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990, is working with members of the organic industry to design minimum national standards for organic growing and processing. The board's reccommendations will go to the U.S. Department of Agriculture for implementation after a period of public comment. The organic industry welcomes these standards, as they will alleviate discrepancies between certification organizations, provide standards for states currently lacking legal definitions and create a platform from which the organic industry can expand.


Can pesticides be removed by the consumer?
Although washing produce may eliminate some surface pesticides, most cannot be removed with water. Pesticides are often formulated not to be water soluble to prevent them from washing off plants in the fields during rains.

The practice of waxing produce after harvest complicates matters even more. Fungicides, bactericides, growth regulators, coloring agents, and substances which inhibit natural aging or ripening may be mixed in with the wax. Wax helps retain moisture, but it also seals pesticide residues into the food. Peeling produce may be an option, but residues are not always limited to the food's surface.

The best way to avoid exposure to chemical residue is to buy certified organically grown produce.

What can you do to help?
You and future generations have the right to safe, nutritious food. Write your elected officials to encourage support for farmers who want to switch from conventional to organic, sustainable agriculture. Support can exist in many forms, such as more funding for organic research, better availability of information from extension services, and alternative agriculture programs at state funded universities. Follow the efforts of the National Organic Standards Board, and watch closely to ensure that the USDA acts on their recommendations. Monitor the progress of the 1995 Farm Bill to ensure further support for organic and sustainable agriculture. Write to your children's schools and urge them to buy organic whenever possible. And most importantly, buy organically grown foods whenever you can. As the market for organic products grows, so will the number of farmers willing to risk change.

Irradiation
Irradiation is a method of food preservation in which foods are treated with low doses of gamma radiation from Cobalt 60 or the radioactive isotope Cesium 137, a by-product of nuclear weapon production and nuclear power generation.

When food is irradiated, nutrients are destroyed and untested compounds, coined as URPs (unique radiolytic products) are created, many of which are feared to be powerful carcinogens. The long term effects on human beings is unknown. Produce can and should be packaged, transported and stored to retain maximum nutritional value without the use of artificial means or irradiation.

         Since the 1940s,  crop losses inflicted by insect pests have
        nearly doubled from 7% to about 13%  despite a ten-fold increase 
        in insecticide use.

         Twenty-five to 50% of air sprayed pesticide doesn't hit the field
        and 98% doesn't even target the pest.  Most of what is applied enters 
        the environment,  contaminating the soil,  water,  air,  not to mention 
        poisoning or adversely affecting non-target organisms including animals
        and humans.

         There are an estimated 45,000 human acute poisonings from
        pesticides each year with about 3,000 of these serious enough to hospitalize    
        the patient.  This figure does not include the potential problems with cancer
        that may come years later.

         Fifteen carcinogenic inert ingredients,  including benzene,
        carbon tetrachloride,  formaldehyde,  methylene chloride,  and perchloro-
        ethylene are exempted from any pesticide tolerance requirements.

         Many imported fruits and vegetables,  primarily from Latin
        America,  are exposed to heavy doses of pesticides now banned in the US.

         Over 50% of imported apples,  bell peppers,  cabbage,  
        carrots,  cantaloupe,  celery,  cherries,  cucumbers,  grapefruit,  lettuce,  
        peaches,  strawberries,  and tomatoes analyzed by the FDA contained 
        pesticide residues.  Of these,  imported bell peppers,  cantaloupe,  
        cucumbers,  strawberries,  and tomatoes had especially high incidence,
        over 70%,  of pesticide residues.

         Certain fruits and vegetables are more likely to contain 
        pesticides than others.  Strawberries top the list followed by peaches,  
        celery,  cherries,  cucumbers,  bell peppers,  and tomatoes.

         More pesticide residues are detected in strawberries
        than any other fruit.  Of the more than 70 different pesticides registered
        with the EPA for use on strawberries,  only about 50% of these can be
        routinely detected by the FDA.

         Celery contains more pesticide residues than any other
        vegetable.  Out of the top five pesticides used on celery,  two have not 
        been sufficiently tested for carcinogenicity, birth defects,  or mutagenic
        effects.

         The EPA has registered more pesticides for use on
        apples than any other fruit and vegetable.  Nearly one-third of the
        apples sampled were found to contain residues of one or more 
        pesticides.  However,  the routine laboratory method used by the
        federal government can detect only half of the more than 110
        pesticides that can be applied to apples.

         According to the USDA,  nearly half the total pounds
        of pesticides applied in the nation are used in corn production.

         You can reduce surface pesticide residues on fresh
        produce by thoroughly washing them with water,  throwing away the
        outer leaves of leafy vegetables,  peeling the food,  or cooking it.  
        This will not eliminate all the residues,  nor will it reduce
        those from pesticides that enter the produce via the soil.

Buy certified biodynamic or organically grown produce whenever possible.

Avoid imported produce and packaged products from nations with weak
pesticide regulatory programs. (In contrast to many other foreign countries,
Canada and New Zealand have very high standards.)

If consumers begin to demand safer food, farmers will be forced to reduce
their use of pesticides and make changes that will significantly benefit our
health and protect the environment.