Organic Food History
Farming
practices used before the 1900's are classed as organic. It was only after this
that added chemicals such as urea and DDT were brought into farming - previous
to this, farmers didn't have the knowledge and simply put, were happy enough
with things as they were; as most of us today would be. After all, home grown
food is often the nicest, most tasty food we put on our plates.
For
some reason, during the 1960's and 1970's the concept of organic food became a
separate entity to the 'normal' food we were then buying. Consumers had been
effectively duped into believing that what they were buying, was food as nature
intended, it not appreciating that the chemicals which were added during growth
of the 'normal stuff' were what actually made the food abnormal in the first
place.
Rachel
Carson, a prominent writer, biologist and ecologist established public
awareness of these issues via 'Silent Spring', a book she wrote which basically
brought about major controversy on the use of agricultural chemicals and
synthetic pesticides in particular. As a direct result of this book, and the
growing concern over the use of farm chemicals which consumers were suddenly
more aware of, chemical regulation procedures were put into place, and when the
demand for organically grown food rose, so did the need for further regulatory
procedures to cut down on the ecologically destructive and toxic chemicals.
Today,
organic food is finally reaching an all time high of acceptance from consumers,
so its demand is increasing - more 'organically acceptable' agricultural
procedures are gaining momentum, and it seems even though it is more expensive
than chemically treated foodstuffs, it is healthier, and it is that health
factor which is winning the battle against chemically treated consumables.
A
creation of a whole new set of ideas about organic standards which first came
into debate in 1990, took over ten years to refine to relative perfection, and
they will still evolve as new practices come into force. It is by these
standards now that, organic food and other products such as wool in the USA
All
of this though begs the questions - why can't farmers just grow food without
chemicals at all, why does it need regulation, and why were chemicals introduced
into grown food and other consumables in the first place; I think you already
know the answer though, and that's money.
In
this modern technological age where farmers are in direct competition between
each other to gain the bigger contracts of the supermarkets and other food
retailers, they have to be cheap. They simply can't grow the vegetables (for
example) as fast as the grocery store can sell them, so they have to resort to
other methods to keep up, or did do at least until the consumers voice began to
ring out strong and true.
Organic
food is no longer a small niche in the food desires of Americans; it is
becoming what everyone wants. Everyone now wants and feels the need to eat in a
more healthy fashion with the onset of so many new medical conditions which
prove costly as it is; a little more expense to eat something grown without
strong use of chemicals (which could 'theoretically' make it worse) might mean
a saving health-wise instead.
The
organic food trend of today is growing ever-stronger, and not just for
vegetables even though at one point organic purchases totalled over 40% of all organic buys.
Meat and fish which is organically produced is still at the lowest of all food
purchases, but is moving up the chain too. Dairy, bread and grain, beverages
and snacks are all becoming more and more popular.
Today
there are more Organic supermarkets popping up everywhere, sometimes in certain
areas more than others - almost as though people in one state are more
'organic' than others but on the whole it is more of a blanket change than just
a few people trying to eat in a healthier way, the amount of people eating
organically is far more substantial than most realize. Suddenly people have
more choice, and this is obviously because the demand is there. The world is
finally going organic, and with any luck the bigger grocery store chains will
have to meet this demand, rather than flood the market with low-cost chemically
treated alternatives.
Carl
Copeland is motivated to bringing information and resources to others regarding
Food Storage, Food Safety, and Food Preparation and its benefits for everyday
life. Save money by having your food last longer. More Info at http://www.Food-Storage-Info.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Carl_Copeland
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