Tikachu's Kitchen: Fantastic Organic!

3/25/10

Fantastic Organic!

7:36 PM |

Postedby Kartika Christensen |

Edit Post

Dear readers,

Did you know that one non-organic apple contains more than 20 different pesticides?

The world has been a victim of physical consumption. We buy things because they look good, and this, unfortunately, also goes for food. In order to meet the customers’ demand for flawless, shiny fruits, the farmers use various types of pesticides, harmful materials, to keep pests at bay. It’s not just a matter of physical consumption, however, because the invention of pesticide brought crop production to a whole new level. Farmers lose less percentage of their crop per harvest, and some pesticides also keep the produces fresh for a longer period.

Few people know the consequences of consuming farm produces packed with these harmful chemicals. In the last decade, however, people are getting more aware of health and the environment, and thankfully they have established a new agricultural technology to make what we call ‘organic food’. So, what is organic food and why does it benefit us?

What does ‘organic’ mean?

Unlike the conventional, modern, agricultural produces, organic food are raised without the use of chemical additives, such as pesticides, chemically-enhanced fertilizers, hormones, etc. Organic food are heavily regulated industry and usually come from minor-scale agricultural industry, hence the price and number in the market. A large percentage of organic food are bought directlyfrom the growers.

Generally, organic means that 95% of the produce is non-chemical. It must be free from artifical food additives, and cannot be undergoing chemical process such as chemical ripening, food irradiation and genetic modification. The only pesticide allowed is the non-synthetic ones.

Health Factors

Research has proven that pesticides largely contribute to risks of cancer, obesity (!!!), Alzheimer, and even birth defects. Pesticides are also associated with acute health problems such as abdominal pain, dizziness, headaches, nausea, vomiting, as well as skin and eye problems. Long period of exposure to pesticide also leads to respiratory problems, memory disorders, cancer, depression, neurologics deficits, miscarriages and other acute syndroms. It’s so ironic that the fruits and vegetables we eat as a part of healthy diet menu actually make us prone to these dangerous health disorders!

Identifying Organic Food

Organic farms and produces are usually certified by the country’s health department, and they bear the label ‘Certified Organic’. They are also quite more expensive (around 40% more expensive than non-organic food). But don’t worry, because the benefits totally worth the money you spend =). Organic food also have better taste than most non-organic food.

Other Benefits of Organic Food

Aside from its health benefits on human, organic food are also good for:

1. The environment. No artificial chemical and harmful pesticides are released into the environment, which may harm the soil, water and the wildlife.

2. Energy-saving. Organic farms use less energy and produce less waste compared to the conventional farming.

3. Food supply. Soil on organic farms have higher water retention, making organic farms yield 50% more produces even in drought years.

What are you waiting for? Next time you are in a supermarket and passes by the vegetable section, grab some organic produces and try them out ;)