Organic agriculture requires much more manual work. In organic farming, weeding is often done by hand and pests are controlled by introducing natural predators of those pests into the crop. This requires much more labor, which again increases the price of organic food. The shelf life of organically produced crops is often much shorter compared to normal products.
This is because conventional products are treated with waxes and preservatives to maintain their freshness during the shipment of the products. Sometimes transparent film is also used to further extend the shelf life of fruits and vegetables.
Organic foods
do not receive these treatments and therefore spoil faster. This has another drawback: a part (or even all) of the shipment of an organic crop could be lost if the crop is delayed or mistreated during transport.In this case, everything the farmer has produced may never reach the consumer. Synthetic pesticides can still be used in organic agriculture, but this is only in special cases. Farmers who can demonstrate that the natural pesticides used have not worked enough to control the pest in their crops can use synthetic alternatives. These farmers must demonstrate that their organic farming practices and other organic practices have failed several times.
Only then can they switch to synthetic alternatives to avoid losing the entire crop. This also means that some organic foods that are sold as organic may have been exposed to the same chemicals and processes as conventional crops (so always wash fruits and vegetables before consumption, even if they are organic). Although the consumer still has to pay the price, as if it were an organic crop. In organic agriculture, production is usually lower due to the lack of synthetic fertilizers.
As such, they tend to be more expensive than non-organic foods. Even overhead costs are higher in organic agriculture. All of these factors make them heavier on the pocket (. Consumers and public health advocates began to demand a return to natural and organic food production.
Let us now briefly examine some of the benefits and supposed disadvantages of organic food and organic agriculture. The growth in sales of organic food has been so rapid in the last two decades that the phenomenon requires an explanation. In general, organic means that food was grown or produced without the use of synthetic pesticides or fertilizers, without transgenic ingredients, without chemical food additives or artificial substances for food maturation and without irradiation. Dena Bravata, co-author of the study, told Amy Standen of KQED Science today that, when it comes to health, “in general, there is no solid evidence base that shows the difference between organic and conventional foods.
The most common reasons for choosing organic foods are health issues, such as fear of pesticides and bacteria-borne diseases; greater nutritional value; better taste; and environmental sustainability. Organic foods are high in fiber and nutrients; they will keep your appetite under control by keeping you full. Regardless of the discussion about the claimed benefits of organic foods, there's no doubt that they're more expensive. You could argue that one of the biggest disadvantages of organic food is the label, with its many assumptions and misunderstandings.
Ultimately, regardless of what you think about the levels of pesticides in conventional foods, it's hard to say that lower exposure to pesticides is in any way a negative aspect of organic foods. But what is the real problem? Are there advantages and disadvantages of organic food? Yes, organic foods lack chemicals that are potentially harmful to health. This also means that normal foods can contain a lot of pesticide residues and, since not all available foods are organic, wash them all before consumption to avoid ingesting pesticides and the possible impact this could have on your body. One of the biggest benefits of organic food is the lower exposure to pesticides, due to regulations imposed on organic agriculture operations.
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