“Organic” is a loaded term. For some, it conjures up ideas of lifestyles of the rich and famous, and for others, it is a food play.
“Organic” is an adjective used to describe food that has been grown without the use of certain artificial ingredients: things like high fructose corn syrup, artificial colors, artificial growth hormones and genetically engineered ingredients. By law, none of these things are allowed in the production of “organic” food.
But all of these ingredients are new to our food supply, introduced in the last 30 years, which is why we now call food that doesn’t contain them “organic.” In Europe and other parts of the world, they take a different approach, simply calling food “food” and labeling the foods that contain the genetically engineered ingredients as “GM food” and simply not using ingredients like high fructose corn syrup, genetically engineered ingredients and artificial growth hormones given that no long-term human health studies have been conducted on what the impact of eating these foods might be on a pregnant mom or a child with allergies.
But
with so many Americans struggling to pay bills, talking about “organic”
foods, produced without the use of all kinds of additives and
ingredients, can often sound like a luxury that few can afford.Why is it so expensive? Because right now, at the federal level, we’ve got an uneven playing field. Farmers that choose to grow food, genetically engineered to be saturated in chemicals, receive financial aid called “subsidies.” They also get marketing support and crop insurance. While farmers growing things organically, don’t, making their products more costly to produce.
Clean and safe food is a right that should be afforded to all Americans, not just those in certain zip codes, especially since it’s our tax dollars going into the farming programs. With organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics and the President’s Cancer Panel encouraging us to reduce our exposure to all kinds of ingredients now found in our food supply that weren’t there when we were kids, the best way to do that is to buy organic. And until that is the affordable choice for all Americans, not just those in certain socioeconomic brackets, we have our work cut out for us in reforming the financing of our food system.
The bottom line is that all Americans should all be able to feed our families foods that are free-from additives not used in foods in other countries and those that are increasingly being shown to cause harm.
So here are a few tips for those who want to start buying organic food but don’t want to pay the high price:
- Go Orgo-Generic: Major grocery store chains like Safeway and Kroger, and big box food retailers like Costco and even Wal-Mart, now carry their own organic foods. And all foods labeled “USDA organic” are created equal, no matter where you find them. No need to upscale your grocery store when Wal-Mart gets it done.
- Buy Frozen: Frozen foods (like strawberries and fish) are cheaper than those that are delivered fresh. So if the prices on fresh produce are eye-popping, cruise on over to the frozen food aisle for a discount. CONTINUE AT SOURCE
