While organic foods have fewer synthetic pesticides and fertilizers and are free of hormones and antibiotics, they don't seem to have a nutritional advantage over their conventional counterparts. Organic foods are not healthier in and of themselves in terms of nutrients. You're still getting the same benefits from conventionally grown foods as from organic foods. Organic foods promote healthier and more sustainable use of natural resources.
Modern conventional farming methods include the overuse of chemicals and the planting of a single crop multiple times (monoculture). This has led to a decrease in soil fertility and an increase in salinity and blue-green algae in waterways for many years. Studies that compare the nutrient content of organic and non-organic foods have yielded mixed results.
Organic foods
contain more vitamins, minerals, enzymes and micronutrients than conventionally raised foods.There is increasing evidence that documents how cultivation methods can influence the nutritional content of foods. Once the NOSB and the NOP add a material to the national list, external organizations, such as the Organic Materials Review Institute, evaluate the new products to ensure that they meet the requirements. The Department of Agriculture defines organic crops as those produced on farms that haven't used most synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers for three years before the food is harvested. Eating organic foods can reduce exposure to artificial chemicals, added hormones, and antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
However, pesticide residues in organic foods are considerably lower than those found in conventional agriculture, where food is produced with synthetic chemicals. Check out the Environmental Working Group's Clean Fifteen list of foods you can buy normal and the Dirty Dozen list of foods you should spend more on to buy organic products. Making junk food look healthy is a common marketing tactic in the food industry, but organic baked goods, desserts, and snacks are often high in sugar, salt, fat, or calories. The types of organic foods available in Australia include fruits and vegetables, dried legumes, cereals, meat and meat products, dairy products, eggs, honey, and some processed foods.
Organic foods promote a more humane treatment of animals, in addition to providing meat free of hormones and antibiotics. Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) or genetically modified foods (GE) are plants whose DNA has been altered in ways that cannot occur in nature or in traditional crosses, usually to be resistant to pesticides or to produce an insecticide. Organic farmers couldn't grow their produce fast enough to supply the retailer, so they decided to lend money to farmers to buy land and equipment to grow more organic products. Several previous studies have found that organic foods generally contain higher levels of antioxidants and certain micronutrients, such as vitamin C, zinc and iron (4, 5, 6,.
Evidence on whether organic foods contain more antioxidants and nutrients than conventionally grown foods is conflicting. However, is it really true that organic is healthier? The idea of organic food is a great concept, but it can also make a hole in your wallet. It is estimated that more than 6 out of 10 Australian households now buy organic food from time to time. Organic farmers use natural organic fertilizers and soil amendments, such as organic matter (things that can be composted), green manures (cover crops that are grown specifically to improve the soil, e.g.
