Blog Action Day: Help the Environment with Organic Foods

Today is "Blog Action Day", to focus on the environment. I decided to post about how Organic foods and products can help the environment. First, let me start off by saying that I am not a "tree-hugger" type. I have never thought of myself as an environmentalist by any measure. I first started to learn about the benefits of organic as I researched the organic dog and cat foods that are available. As a buyer for a large pet specialty retailer with over 900 stores, I had the opportunity to learn a great deal about organic foods. I learned that organic products follow strict USDA guidelines for farming techniques, ingredient procurement & handling, tracking and production; as well as being subject to independent agency certification. The benefits of organic foods are many: no pesticides, no growth-hormones, no synthetic chemicals, no antibiotics, no genetically modified ingredients, no artificial fertilizers, no additives, no food irradiation, and no chemical ripening.
As I learned about organic pet foods, I became more interested in buying organic foods for myself as well.

There are many environmental benefits of growing organic foods. The following points are from our friends at Wikipedia:
Organic farms do not release synthetic pesticides into the environment — some of which have the potential to harm local wildlife.

• Organic farms are better than conventional farms at sustaining diverse ecosystems, i.e., populations of plants and insects, as well as animals.
• When calculated either per unit area or per unit of yield, organic farms use less energy and produce less waste, e.g., waste such as packaging materials for chemicals.

And here is some great information from The Organic Center about organic products:

"People are recognizing the vital connections between diet, health, agriculture and the environment; how we use this information to make choices every day determines how the Earth is used.

• Credible scientific data regularly shows that organic production of food and other products promotes both environmental and human health.
• Citizens need credible, peer-reviewed scientific evidence on how organic products and systems benefit human health and the environment in order for more people to choose organic products and thus shift.
• Convert more land into organic production. Increasing organic production can protect human health and the natural world by reducing unsustainable practices including the widespread use and abuse of toxic substances.
• Consumers, civic organizations, government agencies, and the many businesses that make up the organic chain of custody -- from "seed to table" -- all benefit from having access to credible peer-reviewed scientific information about the organic "benefit." Each plays a key role in the promotion and proving of public and planetary health."

I'd like to reinforce one last point: organic crops support renewable resources and sustainable farming techniques, something that will benefit future generations for years to come.
So what can you do?
It's easy. Start buying some organic products. Most stores now carry a decent selection or organic products. Even if you buy a few organic items, you will help increase the overall consumer demand for organic, which over time will increase the number of farms that follow organic standards. Thanks for reading!
-Rick Rockhill