Organic and natural products are becoming increasingly more popular as people are becoming more health concious and concerned for themselves and their family. It is no longer a niche market, and its popularity is not just a fad. They represent a steady, permanent growth driven by the demand of the consumer demonstrating their willingness to pay for the benefits of flavor, quality, health, nutrition, and food safety.
The Way food is produced, grown, and eaten in the United States and around the world is changing. The conventional way of producing food, while efficient at producing mass quantities, it is creating many problems. Americans are becoming obese, foodborne illnesses are increasing , vegetable and fruit nutrition are decreasing , pesticides are sickening farm workers and polluting groundwater. Inhumane poultry, hog, and cattle factory farms pollute air and water and create antibiotic resistant bacteria, genetically engineered crops pose great risks to human health and the environment.
In the United States, more than 1.2 billion pounds of pesticides and herbicides are sprayed on or added to food crops each year. The major longterm health risks include the potential to cause cancer and birth defects. Each year the evidence of side effects are increasing. The Environment Protection Agency has identified 64 of the more than 600 used in the United States as potential cancer causing compounds.
In 2002, the U.S. Department of Agriculture put in place a set of national standards for food labeled Organic, whether it is grown in the United States or imported from other countries. Organic Meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics, or growth hormones and food is produced without using conventional pesticides, bioengineering, or ionizing radiation. Fertilizers are made without synthetic ingredients and sewage sludge. Before a product can be labeled Organic, a government approved certifier inspects the farm where the food is grown to make sure the farmer is following all the rules necessary to meet USDA Organic standards.
