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Organic Food blog is created for freely exchanging views about organic food and agriculture. You don't need to be a Supporter for organic agriculture if you want to comment on the posts and share your views and articles.[Image courtesy of: Health Care-FOR GOOD HEALTH–ORGANIC FOOD]

Organic Food: Definition & Thoughts

What Does Organic Mean?
Commonly, organic is defined as farming without synthetic pesticides and conventional fertilizers. However, THIS IS NOT THE ACTUAL DEFINITION! Organic refers to the way a good is produced. For a good to be organic, its way of production has to satisfy the conditions mentioned in the definition of organic agriculture provided by the National Organic Standards Board (NOBS) which's: "an ecological production manegement system that promotes biodiversity and enhances bidiversity, biological cycle and soilbiological avtivity. It is based on minimal use of off-farming inputs and on manegement practices that restore, maintain, and enhance ecological harmony".

[ Image courtesy of: Your 1st Garden ]

What Do people Think About Organic Food?
Many people think that organic food is only for luxury, and many others think that only delusional hippies, hysterical moms , and self rightous farmers belive that organic farming can feed the world. However, many researchers assure that going organic is the only way to have healthy meals and eradicate hunger!
1-Do you think that organic food is for luxury?

2-Do you think that organic farming can feed the world?

What Are The Myths About Organic Food & Organic Farming?

Myth One: Organic food is not more nutritious than conventionally produced food.
Many researchers and their corresponding funding and supporting companies claim that organic food is not more nutritious than conventionally produced food. However, this is not the truth!
In fact, many reasearch results just show the opposite!

Busting the myth: First, Scientists led by Carlo Leifert at Newcastle University in the United Kingdom discovered that organic vegetables and fruit contained about 40% more antioxidants and much less fatty acids than the non-organic counterparts (after spending four years studying the characteristics of organic fruits and vegetables and comparing them to the non-organic ones).

[ Image courtesy of: BussinessWeek]

Second, studies have shown that organic produce contain more vitamin C, calcium, iron, and magnesium as well as various disease-fighting substances called
phytonutrients.

Myth Two: Organic agriculture is not sustainable.

Many people think that the only delusional hippies, hysterical moms and self righteous farmers think that organic food can feed us all. But, a large number of ecological, agricultural scientists and international agricultural experts believe that "a large-scale shift to organic farming would not only increase the world’s food supply, but might be the only way to eradicate hunger”(Organic).

Busting the myth:A team of scientists from the university of Michigan found that organic farming yields almost the same amount as conventional farming while the production would double or even triple if organic farming were to be applied in the developing world (ScienceDaily). also, a result-conforming study was led by Niels Halberg of the Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences, who came to same conclusions. So, if one would doubt Michigan's team for being ecologists and consequently sympathetic to organic farming then, it would be worthy for him/her to know that Halberg's group was formed of agronomists, economics and not only ecologists.

Myth Three: Organic food tastes like cardboard.

Busting the myth:In fact, taste is subjective. Many peoople think that organic food taste just like their conventional counterparts and many other people say that it even tastes better!

Many delecious organic recepies are now available!
You can visit:

• Delicious Dishes - and Organic Too!
• OrganicToBe
  

Myth Four: Organic food is too expensive.
In fact, organic food doesn't have to be expensive. If you buy organic food directly from the farmer or through a box scheme, it costs the same as conventionally produced food or even it can be much cheaper!
1- If you haven't tasted organic produce, are you now interested to try?

2- Do you think that organic farming is friendlier to both livestock and the environment?

Articles

Organic Crop Production Overview fundamentals of Sustainable Agriculture http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/organiccrop.html

Can Organic Farming End World Hunger http://environment.about.com/od/healthenvironment/a/organicfarming.htm

Organic Myths http://www.organic.org/articles/showarticle/article-207