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Organic Foods
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| trancedfarmer |
Got a question... as you may be able to guess by my name, i am a farmer- and a tranced one at that... i know there are a great deal of folks in here from europe and organic foods are quite a bit bigger over there than they are here... im just wondering if any of you eat or purchase organic produce, fruits and all other types of grocery items, whereever you are from. if you do, why? and if you hate the concept of "organic" food, elaborate-
thanx, trancefarmer. |
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| Munken |
I don't buy or eat organic food, unless i'm unaware of it... i don't see the point... i think it taste the same, so why should i pay more just because it's organic.
I think the whole organic trip everybody's on is rediculess, sometimes you hear ppl say like "My shirt is made from organic wool"
Yeah? Who gives a ?
Bottom line.... i don't care if is't organic or not, if i like it ill buy it. |
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| Juricimo |
we just discussed this in my "business & society" class...hmm...yeah Europeans are more into the non-GMO foods than ppl in the USA are....hmm....i buy some organic stuff from Trader Joe's and Whole Foods;)
>JM< |
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| Maaz |
It's food? It's good :)
I don't mind if they're transgenic, organic, frozen, cooked, .... :D |
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| Dmatrox |
| quote: | Originally posted by Munken
I don't buy or eat organic food, unless i'm unaware of it... i don't see the point... i think it taste the same, so why should i pay more just because it's organic.
I think the whole organic trip everybody's on is rediculess, sometimes you hear ppl say like "My shirt is made from organic wool"
Yeah? Who gives a ?
Bottom line.... i don't care if is't organic or not, if i like it ill buy it. |
I agree. |
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| Mosaic |
I live in a town that attracts lots of tourists.
During the summer, we get tons of cottagers.
During the winter, we get cottagers, but we get a lot more because of the skiing (Collingwood is right at the base of Blue Mountain, probably the ski capital of Ontario)
I generally notice the tourists buy the organic produce (and I work in the produce department in the largest of the 4 grocery stores here), And the tourists are usually the rich folks. The rest of the time, organic produce is pretty slow. It just sits there and rots, then we reduce it :)
I don't see the point, it creates a lot of work for me, because there are huge fines for mislabelled organic produce and such. And ppl always see the organic grapes first, grab them, then keep walking down the aisle, see the normal grapes, and they stick the organic ones on the regular grape table when they grab some regular grapes cuz thats what they want ;) |
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| Arbiter |
"Organic Food" is a misnomer. All food is organic. If it wasn't, our bodies would be totally incapable of incorporating it into ourselves.
The whole concept kind of bothers me: it seems kind of regressive. We make scientific progress and then are so paranoid that we go back to where we were before. Just not the way I operate, I guess.
Cheers,
Arbiter |
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| Fir3start3r |
I listened to a whole seminar on tape about this.
"Organic" is a very touchy word to use when it comes to labelling.
In the Vitamin/Mineral market, they are the worst when it comes to labelling. In their world, legally the word, "Organic" basically means it has a carbon atom.
My damn toilet has a carbon atom in it. That makes it, according to them, "Organic".
How messed it that??
But it certainly sounds good when you go to buy it doesn't it?
When it comes to food, that is an entirely different ball of wax.
Do I buy organic?
I try to.
Why?
The United States Ministry of Agriculture released an annual report back in the 1930s (sorry couldn't find that report) where they documented the depletion of nutrients in sustanible soil.
Now lets think about this. The 1930s???
If the soil wasn't naturally sustanible then what exactly has been going into our food for the past 70 years...?
And why is it that the U.S. now is able to export 2.5x what they need for themselves?
Better farming practices?
That would be one reason yes.
Genetic engineer?
Sure, that would play a huge part, and a scary one at that.
I'm not going to get into the worries about GE foods but this website does a great job.
http://www.thecampaign.org/education.htm
Here's just a snipit:
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Q. So what's so bad about genetically engineered foods anyway?
A. Genetically engineered foods have come under heavy criticism from many scientists and environmentalists because of health and environmental concerns.
On the health front, scientists worry that genetic engineering has the potential to trigger allergies in people, and may create new toxins that are harmful to human health. They also say that genetically engineered foods may weaken antibiotics, and that they may also be linked with a resurgence of infectious diseases. Very few studies have been conducted to determine the long-term health implications of genetically engineered foods.
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So that leaves the question, what is organic food then?
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"Organic" is a labeling term that denotes products produced under the authority of the Organic Foods Production Act. The principal guidelines for organic production are to use materials and practices that enhance the ecological balance of natural systems and that integrate the parts of the farming system into an ecological whole.
Organic agriculture practices cannot ensure that products are completely free of residues; however, methods are used to minimize pollution from air, soil and water. Organic food handlers, processors and retailers adhere to standards that maintain the integrity of organic agricultural products. The primary goal of organic agriculture is to optimize the health and productivity of interdependent communities of soil life, plants, animals and people."
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Source
For me, organic food does take better and is not as bland as GE foods.
A simple test?
Try 'free range' chickens compared to normal store bought ones.
Or if you're a vegetarian, free range eggs.
There is a WORLD of difference to texture and taste.
I've probably blabbed enough, but let me end with this.
Get a GOOD vitamin/mineral suppliment. I'm not talking about the Centrum crap.
It is simply impossible to get all the nutrients and minerals our body NEEDS daily from just eating normal food (even the organic for that matter).
I'll see if I can find that table that gives the equivalent food we need to eat to do that... |
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| trancedfarmer |
is taste really the issue here though? whenever i eat organic food and compare it to conventional food, i honestly cant tell if there is a difference... i was more wondering about whether or not people thought that purchasing a product that has a much more minescule amount of synthetic and harmful chemicals in it is more attractive to them. im not a health freak, so im not obsessed with eating only the best and what not, but i would rather support a form of agriculture that supports better health for other individuals...
look at the cancer rates in the past 55 years since the giant corporations that made weapons in WWII started making the petro-chemicals now used on our foods today.. its ing eye opening... so many new types of cancer, so many new cases... scientists have shown the progressively harmful effects of these chemicals and their abiltiy to cause cancer. My aunt got ovarian cancer 9 years ago and survived (a very deadly form of cancer) and has eaten organic food since (as her doctor and naturapath prescribed). The chance of living seven years after a battle with ovarian is less than ten percent. she still alive after another round of cancer, and doing quite well... interesting....
so i guess im really trying to ask if people feel that the conventional practices of the giant corporate food producers of today are acceptable, and if you feel "organics" (a vague, but necessary term) is a healthy and significant for people. |
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| Fir3start3r |
I can't speak for everyone regarding taste (everyones' is different) but I for one, do notice a distinct difference between GE and Organic foods.
To me, it just tastes better and I feel better eating it.
Psychological?
I don't think so. My body tells me if I've had crappy food much like it tells me if I've had good food. I feel different.
I can't be the only one here that's knows when they've had a good meal??
I mean, did you parents ever have a garden?
We used to every year when I was a kid in B.C., and the vegetables that came from it always tasted great. (Minus the Zuccinni...unless it was made into Zuccinni bread or something...MMmmmm...)
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look at the cancer rates in the past 55 years since the giant corporations that made weapons in WWII started making the petro-chemicals now used on our foods today.. its ing eye opening... so many new types of cancer, so many new cases... scientists have shown the progressively harmful effects of these chemicals and their abiltiy to cause cancer. My aunt got ovarian cancer 9 years ago and survived (a very deadly form of cancer) and has eaten organic food since (as her doctor and naturapath prescribed). The chance of living seven years after a battle with ovarian is less than ten percent. she still alive after another round of cancer, and doing quite well... interesting....
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Bingo.
See, the problem is, is that the effects of the chemicals used in GE foods take years and years to surface.
There's never been a clear solid link between cancer and our food.
But food is the number one suspect because of all the changes in growing practices over the years.
I'm glad your aunt won her battle; that's awesome to read!
There are some interesting books regarding beating cancer just by changing your diet.
See, most of us are just to apathetic to care about what goes in our system, but when our body starts to retaliate, it seems only then do we 'wake up' and the alternate medicines don't sound so bad after all.
Interesting side note regard homeopathy; until the 1930s, just about all doctors were registered homeopaths as well...
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so i guess im really trying to ask if people feel that the conventional practices of the giant corporate food producers of today are acceptable, and if you feel "organics" (a vague, but necessary term) is a healthy and significant for people.
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For me? no.
Between my wife and I and the reading we've done, I'm amazed more people don't buy organics.
But there has been a very significant change into our grocery stores in the past 5 years; the organic food section has grown at an incredible rate.
Most people would say, "But it's so expensive..."
Yea, but what's the price of your health? Just because the effect isn't immediate doesn't mean nothing happening |
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| trancaholic |
I buy organic food (or "ecologic food" as it is called in Denmark) whenever I have the choice. It is usually more expensive and I am in no way rich (yet ;)) but I buy it anyway.
Why? Well, I can't taste the difference. Organic milk has bigger fat clusters than non-organic milk, due to the lack of any homogenization process, which make it easier to digest (at least a doctor told me that).
On the health side I believe that there's a lower number of cancer-producing chemicals in the organic food, and cancer is the disease I fear the most.
However, the true reason I buy organic food is to be able to blame everybody else when we have polluted the planet to a mess, in some distant or near future, with a clear conscience. That is, out of purely selfish reasons.
Regarding genetically engineered foods: I don't really have a problem with that. In my view the human race have been breeding and grafting for centuries and awful as well as wonderful results have been achieved in this way. As I see it, all GE does is to speed up the process, and is definately as natural as breeding and grafting, only it is performed at a different level of scope.
If we can GE, say, a potato which could strengthen the immune system of those who eat it and be grown everywhere with little or no watering that would be a gain to the world, I think.
As far as I understand, there is so far only worried people, and no real evidence of, examples of or logical reasons for GE being bad. |
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| Arbiter |
| quote: | Originally posted by Fir3start3r
Get a GOOD vitamin/mineral suppliment. I'm not talking about the Centrum crap.
It is simply impossible to get all the nutrients and minerals our body NEEDS daily from just eating normal food (even the organic for that matter).
I'll see if I can find that table that gives the equivalent food we need to eat to do that... |
If we really NEEDED them we'd have become extinct centuries ago. :thepirate |
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