Organic Foods Essay -- Food Organic Health Eating Essays

complete Foods You are what you eat, or so they say. In todays supermarkets, constituent(a) foods are everywhere. Not only are there organic fruits and vegetables, but there are also organic dairy products, organic meats, organic convenience foods, organic wine, beer, coffee, tea and unconstipated clothes made with organic cotton. All of these choices have made organic foods the fastest-growing segment of the grocery industry. The Organic calling Association (OTA), in its Business Facts feature sheet available at www.ota.com, cites Natural Foods Merchandiser, a trade magazine, as measuring organic industry growth at 20 percent or greater for the past nine years. Approximately two percent of the U.S. food supply is grown using organic methods. In 2001, retail sales of organic food were projected to be $9.3 billion (Organic Trade Association OTA, 2001). That is nearly triple the $3.5 billion in sales in 1998 (Biocycle Nov. 2004, Vol. 45 Issue 11, p27). Organic foods can be found at natural food stores such as Whole Foods Inc., Wild Oats Inc., major supermarkets, farmers markets as well as by grower direct marketing such as CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture) or Co-Ops.Many restaurant chefs and culinary related professionals across the country are starting to use organic produce because they desire its superior quality and taste. Organic food, also gaining international acceptance, has become widespread in nations like Japan and Germany where the evolution of organic food markets has seen substantial growth (OTA, 2004)People choose to go organic for different reasons but, the single intimately important reason to choose sure organic foods is because organic husbandry in its very essence preserves, protects and restores our environment in significant ways (United States Department of Agriculture. USDA, 2002). Also, organic farming embraces the principle that agriculture must meet the needs of the present without compromising the needs of future gener ations, not to mention that organic foods are often the safest, freshest, most flavorful and most nutritious foods in the marketplace (European Journal of Nutrition 40 289-292 (2001)). The USDA has tried to emphasize that organic food is no healthier, and adds no real benefits to a healthy lifestyle than regular foods. However, with the contamination present in plants treated with pesticides, pre ... ...pect. It matters to our communities. But most of all, it matters to our appreciation of life.ReferencesJournalsCuddleford, V. (2003). When Organics Go Mainstream. Alternatives Journal, 29(4), 15-20.Baxter, G., Graham, A., Lawrence, J., Wiles, D., Paterson, J., et al. (2001). Salicylic acid In soups prepared from organically and non-organically grown vegetables. European Journal of Nutrition, 40, 289-292. Retrieved on 3-3-05 from Ebscohost.Composting at the Worlds Largest Natural Foods Supermarket Chain. (2004). Biocycle. 45(11). p27. Retrieved on 3-3-05 from Ebscohost.Federal or Gov ernment SourcesOrganic Foods 101 staple fiber Information about organic foods, national labeling standards and online organic foodsellers. (2002). Retrieved on 3-3-05 from http//www.nrdc.org.The National Organic Program .(USDA). (2002). Retrieved on 3-3-05 from http//ams.usda.gov.Trade PublicationsOrganic Food Facts. (2003). Organic Trade Association. Retrieved on 3-3-05 fromhttp//www.ota.com/organic/mt/food.htmlIndustry Statistics and Projected Growth. (2003). Organic Trade Association. Retrieved on 3-3-05 from http//www.ota.com/organic/mt/business.html