organic heirloom cabbage,
Renée's garden
ten points4
a loose explanation of what “Certified Organic” means
the dirty dozen 4
The “dirty dozen” are the most commonly and highly contaminated foods with pesticides and chemicals, even after washing and peeling.
organic activism4
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organic pears and grapes, Hawaii
a variety of organic olive oils
organic coffee
Go organic for chemical-free living, beautiful bodies, and a clean planet.
Preservation of soil and crop rotation keeps farmland healthy and abstinence from chemicals preserves the ecosystem. Wildlife, insects, frogs, birds, and soil organisms are able to play their role in the tapestry of ecology.
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go organic!
Tell me what you eat, and I shall tell you what you are.
– Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (1755-1826)
Top 10 Reasons to Go Organic
Organic food is just better. Going organic is one of the most important choices each of us can make for personal and planetary health. Free of harmful chemicals, boasting more nutrition, taste, and sustainable sustenance, buying organically grown food is a direct vote for immediate health and the hopeful future of generations to come. Better for us, better for the planet.
Regardless of diet, organics are a smart priority. Organically grown foods are a foundation for the ripe fruits of health and
1. AVOID CHEMICALS
Eating organically grown food is the only way to avoid the cocktail of chemical poisons, which are laden in commercially grown food. Example: The average conventional apple has multiple poisons on its skin even after washing.(1).
Go organic for chemical-free living, beautiful bodies, and a clean planet.
2. MORE NUTRIENTS
Organically grown foods have more nutrients, vitamins, minerals, enzymes and micronutrients than commercially grown food because the soil is managed and nourished with sustainable practice by responsible standards.
3. TASTES BETTER
Try it! Organically grown food generally tastes better because fortified, well-balanced soil produces healthy, strong plants. This is especially true with heirloom varieties, which are cultivated for taste over appearance.
4. THE ONLY WAY TO AVOID GMO & GENETICALLY ENGINEERED FOOD
GE (Genetically Engineered) food and GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms) are contaminating our food supply at an alarming rate with repercussions beyond understanding. GMO foods do not have to be labeled in America. Organically grown food cannot be Genetically Modified in any way and is the only way to avoid foods that have been genetically engineered.
:: more about GMO ::
5. AVOID HORMONES, ANTIBIOTICS,
AND DRUGS IN ANIMAL PRODUCTS
Conventional meat and dairy are the highest risk foods for contamination of harmful substances. Antibiotics, drugs, and growth hormones are directly passed into meat and dairy products.
Choosing organic animal products is unyieldingly important, especially for children, pregnant, and nursing mothers.
6. PRESERVE OUR ECOSYSTEMS
Organic farming supports eco-sustenance-farming in harmony with nature. Preservation of soil and crop rotation keeps farmland healthy and abstinence from chemicals preserves the ecosystem. Only then can wildlife, insects, frogs, birds, and soil organisms play their role in the tapestry of ecology.
7. REDUCE POLLUTION
Protect our water and soil.
Chemicals, pesticides and synthetic fertilizers are contaminating our
environment, precious water supplies and rendering fertile farmland barren. Certified organic farming practices do not permit the use of toxic and poisonous chemicals in farming and require responsible management of healthy soil and biodiversity.
8. PRESERVE AGRICULTURAL DIVERSITY
The rampant loss of species is a major environmental concern. Leaning heavily on one or two varieties of a given food is a formula for devastation. Many organic farms grow an assorted range of food taking natural elements and time-tested tradition into account. Diversity is crucial to survival.
9. SUPPORT FARMING DIRECTLY
Buying organic food is a daily investment for a real future with a healthy ratio of hands to soil. Putting money where our mouths are is a powerful position to take in the $1 trillion dollar food industry market in America. Going organic is the wisest choice for long-term equity.
10. KEEP OUR CHILDREN AND FUTURE SAFE
An old Arabian proverb reads, “He who has health has hope, and he who has hope has everything.” And another reads. “We are only as rich as our soil and wealthy as our water.” Together, our voices and dollars can create a future for generations to come.
For more in-depth information on these issues see Renee latest book, The Balanced Plate (Rodale 2006)due to be on the shelves August 2006.
:: click here for source notes ::
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Fresh organic vegetables,
Marylebone Farmer’s Market, London
try it!
Organically grown food generally
tastes better
because fortified, well-balanced soil produces healthy, strong plants.
Pesticides are not working
The National Academy of Sciences released the results of a 5-year study on farming methods in a report called “Alternative Agriculture” concluding that the use of chemical pesticides does not make farmland more productive.
The study reported that crops treated with little to no chemicals were just as productive, and often more productive, than those dosed with chemical pesticides. Further conclusion concurred that natural, sustainable methods of pest control were just as effective, if not more effective as chemical control. The Academy stated that chemical agriculture is clearly a failing system of production. Strong recommendations have been made to federal and private farm programs to apply natural, sustainable farming techniques in favor of chemical farming
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organic radishes, Farmer’s Market
Kyoto, Japan
Harrods Organics, London |
