Environmentally Friendly Food Exploring The Options
Well, organic standards are set in law. A farm to be classed as organic must first be pesticide free for three years. Time used to minimize the dangers of pesticides. Then they can apply. The land must have a buffer zone to protect from contamination from nearby lands not using organic production practices. The animals may not be given non-medicinal medication and/or growth hormones. For instance, antibiotics can cause an antibiotic allergy as the medicine gets transferred to the animals tissues and milk. Growth hormones given animals also remain in the tissues resulting in early puberty. The animals must be fed organically grown feed or graze on organic pastures. To limit any risk of mad cow disease, no animal by-product feed may be used. The farmers must also have a plan in place to deal with waste. They must work with nature to keep soil fertility high. Crops are rotated. So, yes an organic farm is friendly to the environment. It is a sustainable method of farming that should be encouraged and helped. But is organic food the only environmentally friendly food option? With the high demand for healthy and sustainable eating choices, there are two other options. First is all natural food. For a food to be called all natural food it must be minimally processed. Therefore, you would not see all natural breads. But natural beef is becoming increasingly popular. Small producers are only too happy to fill the need with the same beef they feed their families. The second option is certified naturally grown. This organization arose out of the high costs associated with the small producers obtaining organic certification. It is run by farmers. What I really like about this group is that they use the organic standards as the starting point for their requirements. They maintain the spirit of the legislation and aren't open to it's alteration for monetary rewards. Environmentally friendly food uses sustainable agricultural methods. Which means we are not destroying the lands that we rely on to feed us. Organic food and certified naturally grown food provide you with the high nutrient content from food grown in nutrient rich soil. Further, you are encouraging an eco-friendly way of life. A win-win situation.
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