What Makes Organic Foods Environmentally Friendly?

What You Need to Know

Organic foods are grown without:

• pesticides
• synthetic fertilizers
• fertilizers made with sewage sludge
• herbicides
• antibiotics
• bioengineering
• hormones
• ionizing radiation

Organic animal products come from animals that:

• are exclusively fed 100% organic feed products
• receive no antibiotics or growth hormones
• have access to the outdoors

Products labeled “organic”  have been:

• government approved by a certifier who inspected the farm source to confirm all USDA organic standards above have been followed
• grown or raised on farms that use renewable resources that conserve soil and water
• handled or processed on the way from the farm to the grocery store by a company that is also certified organic

Organic foods contain three labels:

• 100% Organic = made of all organic ingredients
• Organic = at least 95% organic ingredients
• Made with organic ingredients = at least 70% organic ingredients

Other food production trends to familiarize yourself with, which are not necessarily the same as organic: 

• sustainable foods
• bird friendly or shade grown
• cage-free or free range
• grass-fed/open pasture
• fair trade certified
• marine stewardship council
• natural foods

The USDA does not claim that organic foods are safer or more nutritious than those produced by conventional methods, but most who produce and eat them believe they are. 

• Sales have risen over 20% every year in the past decade
• More than half Americans buy organic food at least once monthly

How You Can Help

• Next time you see foods labeled “organic,” give them a try – contrary to old assumptions that they taste like cardboard, they're much more likely to be not only delicious, but also great for our planet. If you're afraid to have at it just yet, test them out on your kids: don't say a word about the switch, and see if they notice any difference!
• Just as with other foods, thoroughly wash all produce and peel any remaining unclean skin.
• Follow kitchen cleanliness rules and cook poultry to 180 degrees, beef to 160.
• If you can't find a decent selection of organic foods where you shop, talk to the store manager. The more similar requests he receives, the more likely the store will be to stock the selections in demand.

For more on this topic, please see the full article:

http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_Organic_Other/