Is there really a difference between organic foods and regular foods? Other than the price?

lol...and i was being serious too...:)

I know ! LOL

Supposedly one uses pesticides & one does not. Not sure I buy it.

organic foods have bugs crawling all over them.

Especially in farmer markets.

less poison

hormnes and additves are supodly absent absent organcic

Well, with organic food, chemicals aren't used on the food, making them healthier. However, a great portion of our water supply is already contaminated with chemicals, so I guess there are technically still chemicals being used, though it's unintentional.

But finding real organic stuff is difficult. U can't trust the labels.

Fresher and much more health positive. Farmers markets and locally grown meats if you can find them. coca cola and other corporate giants have bought up a lot of the so called organic companies. watch this video for an overview of the corporate food industry.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?...

How the foods are grown. It can also mean that the seed used is not genetically altered, either. I'm not sure it's always worth it, but sometimes, it is.

certifiable. Actually, the difference between many organic and regular foods is probably slim to nil. However, the different farming techniques definitely have a different impact on the land. Most organic techniques draw on the notion that the farmer should feed the soil and the soil will feed the crops. Traditional modern farming is about economic short cuts to mass produce foodstuffs as economically as possible with little care given for the "health" of the soil. The great thing, though, is that we have a choice! Those who want organic and are willing to pay for it can get it and those who are unconcerned and want lower prices have that choice. We can also choose locally grown or imported foods as well. It is great to be an American and have these multitude of choices. Just ask anybody who lived in the USSR during the time of "Soviet Power".

There are no fixed standards for "Organic" so it's up to the seller to decide. Buying "Organic" is a crap shoot at best.

I think there are recognized certifying agencies and specific requirements for food to be certified organic.

Yes and no. It is especially unclear of the 'organic foods" coming from foreign countries, especially China.

But truly organic foods are healthier, not necessarily more nutritious. I consume them myself.

I would avoid food and most things from China based on recent history whether they are claimed to be organic or not.

The differences in the crops are small compared to the differences in the "health" of the soil.

I saw a presentation this week about Fresh Fruits and Vegetables. It is astonishing how many are contaminated with chemicals. Most are imported from other countries.

Please name those certifying agencies for our enlightenment.

"Certification
For an operation such as a farm or a processing
facility to represent its products
as organic, a USDA-accredited certifying
agent must certify that the production and
handling practices meet the NOP standards.
At the end of March 2012, there
were 50 accredited certifying agents in
the United States (see p. 116) and 41 in
other countries (see p. 117). To become
certified, farmers and handlers must submit
specific information, such as the type
of operation, to an accredited certifying...."

See:
http://www.ift.org/~/media/fo...

50 agents for the entire USA. Most of the certifications are done by email or fax without ever inspecting the farms. Many accept samples for testing, but they don't randomly collect the samples themselves. The situation is even more dicey in other countries.

Not my area of expertise, but I wouldn't be surprised. Most governmental protection and licensing agencies are little more than fee collectors. Ever wonder why there are so many medical malpractice suits when all doctors have to be licensed by a board after getting their diploma. I doubt any agency fully inspects anything. I think we are just lucky that mad cow disease wasn't a problem in the US. If we had left it to the government, it might have been worse. But the beef industry is highly motivated to make sure its product remains popular and an American Mad Cow scare would destroy the industry. The only alternative is to raise your own food, so you know exactly how it was raised, but unless you are capable of inspecting wild game, that is also a risk factor and few people will be able to raise their own large animals.

Interestingly, the US is both the largest importer and exporter of beef in the world. One never really knows just where the beef one eats has originated.

You know if you buy it locally from the farmer who grew and slaughtered it. ;)

Thanks

Guess what is used to fertilize organic food.

Compost? Like the bumper sticker says. "Compost happens!"

Nitrogen fertilizer is made from, OMG natural gas.

Yep, I used to work in an ammonia plant with downstream urea and nitric acid plants. I provide some consulting to the fertilizer industry, now. And with the third world becoming increasiningly wealthy and desirous of more food, especially meat, expect to see more and more synthetic fertilizer production in the future. I'm not sure what the restictions are on organic growing with synthetic fertilizers, but I doubt it is allowed. Better to use nitrate fixing legumes, bone meal, and compost to provide the necessary nutrients to the soil.

I don't think it is.

Fewer or no pesticides; locally grown; no weird growth hormones.

Doesn't have to be locally grown. Some is and some is not.

They don't use as much chemicals on them, but they probably have more bugs.

Some bugs are good, some are not. Integrated pest management techniques can reduce the number of pests while meeting organic standards. Chemicals generally are neither good nor bad on the food. They do affect the "life in the soil" however. And whatever chemical residues remain can affect hypersensitive people. It is a trade-off to mass produced food for the masses.

always dubious-

would it not be simple to lie???
and how could we know???

oh... wait... the fed govt certifies it-
they never lie or take payoffs-

Actually, I think the certifying organizations are not direct government agencies in most cases. Sort of like FM or the Good Housekeeping seal of approval. They do have a reputation to maintain. And they tend to draw and hire zealots who are probably less prone to graft and corruption.

dubiousness remains-lol

True dat!

It all depends on the grower. The only diff is they don't use pesticides. Some growers claim their stuff is organic when it is not. Just was your fruits and veggies..Organics are too expensive.

How it's cultivated and raised. The label only comes from the percent needed for the label.

Quite frankly ..
it is partially a ploy to get you to pay higher prices for just the title 'organic' ..
I know farmers .. who grow without pesticides and/or other chemicals ..
they've not gone for the 'certificate' program .. the designation ..
because of the morass of not only Governmental Oversight and interference ..
but the price of getting that (and not being able to do what they want with their production at all .. )

So if you source your food locally .. can do the Farmer's markets ..
I'd say it is a far better thing to do ..
support your LOCAL Small family Farms ..
and avoid the corporate marketing under the 'labels' ..