Organic vs. Non-organic: The Real Deal

All over the world, every single day, people are eating. Most of us eat not only to stay alive, as is food’s original objective to us, but to taste, enjoy, and in doing so, live. Nevertheless, as times move onward and the world’s population increases, people are running out of food to eat, in cases, creating poverty, and from this, death.  However, along with the escalation of the population, people have developed ways for food to grow faster, of course, with a risk or two. This puts chemicals into the food that we eat, removing nutrients that were originally there, but now lost due to this way of agriculture – also known as the cultivation of non-organic food.

Nonetheless, countless individuals believe that another method of agriculture, what numerous people are describing as the “pure” method of cultivation, organic farming, will produce food that is healthier and better for the environment than that produced with non-organic methods. Research shows that organic foods are increasing drastically, at a high rate of approximately 20 percent a year, with politicians and other official representatives supporting the idea. For instance, even Senator Hillary Clinton, has just in recent times, announced her initiative to aid dairy farmers in her area to convert to organic.

And yet, currently, the real question right now, is an organic future really sustainable? Of course, with its environmental and health benefits to our society, there are drawbacks that occur.

One disadvantage organic food production brings up is that it is not as productive as food grown by modern methods and therefore, cannot produce as much food in a certain amount of land in comparison to modern-day farming. Until the last couple of decades, all or most foods were grown organically, usually by hand, and without fertilizers. Additionally, with the use of fertilizers and other plant foods that non-organic vegetation are provided, that argues to the fact that even though “modernized food” may have additives, its organic counterpart may also include toxic residues from insects and local soil. Therefore, this can lead to crucial effects to people who do consume organic foods on a more regular basis.

With attention in organic food production, it is important to remember that certain claims of organic food stay subtle, and truth be told, many serious challenges are being pushed aside instead. We are in fact, luckily “blessed” with a very safe food supply, although, admittedly, many of us do eat very unhealthily. This is actually not because of non-organic food, but most of the time, simply because we eat excessive amounts of sugar, carbohydrates, and fat, while not eating enough fruits and vegetables.

Next, the third and greatest disadvantage that most people believe is true to organic agriculture is really, its cost. Studies show that 75% of organic foods are 25% or more the cost of a similar non-organic product, and thus, raising prices much higher than the ordinary “value” of the item, often influencing people to buy “modern” instead.

Consequently, because of these reasons, the requirement to increase farm land means fewer natural habitats, and rising food costs create an issue for the world’s “lower-class” or poorer inhabitants. Due to that cause, the topic of organic food needs to be broadly and critically taken into account before we become too obsessed with the idea of organic.

What’s the real difference between organic and non-organic food? Big deal, right? Wrong.