Is buying organic food really that necessary?

Organic food is a much discussed topic. Some people believe that it is too expensive and others believe that it is a marketing ploy. It is important to educate people on the true value of organic foods so that they can make the best decision for themselves and for their family.

​Purchasing whole, organic foods is particularly important because organic foods are more nutritious and provide the vitamins, minerals, and enzymes your body needs. They also inflict less of a toxic chemical load to the body and the environment due to the way farmers grow and process products like fruits, vegetables, dairy, grains, and meat. They donʼt use chemical fertilizers, herbicides, or antibiotics. Organic products also do not contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and are not processed using irradiation, industrial solvents, or artificial food additives. However, you do not have to buy all of your produce organic. A list put out by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) is helpful in identifying produce with the lowest (Clean 15) and the highest (Dirty Dozen) pesticide contamination. 

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Non-organic food may seem cheaper, but in reality you get far less nutrition for your dollar than you do with organic produce.

More about GMOs...

​The World Health Organization (WHO) defines GMOs as organisms in which the genetic material (the DNA) has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally. There are no rules or regulations in the United States as to what parts of DNA can be used or even as to what species may be crossed with others. There is also no mandatory labeling for GMO foodstuffs. 

The majority of GMOs are food crops. Pesticides and herbicides developed from bacteria are inserted into the DNA of the food supply to make them resistant to the herbicide sprays. No long term safety studies have been conducted on the effects of exposure to or the consumption of GMOs, so we humans are literally a lab experiment for Monsanto, the world leader in GM crops and seeds. If you do not want to consume GMOs, read food labels carefully and avoid non- organic corn, soy, and sugar - three of the most GM crops. 

​The Non-GMO project is an organization committed to building the non-GMO food supply in order to offer us some level of GMO transparency - now there’s an idea!  It would be wise to seek out the “USDA Organic” label or the “Non-GMO Project Verified Seal” since GMOs are prohibited in products with these labels. 
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Organic, local foods at a Farmer's Market

Although organic, local foods can readily be found nowadays in supermarkets and in specialty food markets, you could shop at a Farmersʼ Market. For example, there are more than 14 weekly Farmersʼ Markets in the East Bay, CA. When shopping at the Farmers' Market, ask a farmer how the food was grown. The term organic refers to the way agricultural products are grown and produced. Many smaller farms are dedicated to organic farming practices, but cannot market their products as certified organic due to the rigorous and expensive process that they must go through in order to receive this designation.

Why shop at a Farmersʼ Market? 

To enjoy the freshest S.O.U.L. food of course...seasonal, organic, unprocessed, and local products, including fresh fruit, vegetables, cheese, eggs, fish, grass-fed meats, local honeys, and breads. These products take less packaging and less transportation, so you are helping the environment. Support your local farmers and be part of your community. ​

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Sources: 
Hartwig, D. & M. (2012). It starts with food. Las Vegas, NV: VictoryBelt.
Huff Post Green (2015). Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/margie-kelly/genetically-modified-food_b_2039455.html 
Sacks, S. (2014). What the fork are you eating? New York, NY: Jeremy P. Tarcher/Penguin
Sannapu, A. (2013). Are GMOs healthy? Retrieved from http://articles.herballegacy.com/what-are-gmos-are-they-healthy-and-natural/ World Health Organization. (2015). Retrieved from http://www.who.int/topics/food_genetically_modified/en/ ​