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TOP 5 REASONS TO BUY ORGANICS
1. Keep Chemicals Off Your Plate
 Organic foods are grown without synthetic pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers. According to the EPA, by their nature, pesticides, as substances that in many cases are designed to kill pests, can pose risks to humans and to the environment.
In 1998, herbicides accounted for 49% of world pesticide use, followed by insecticides at 27%, fungicides at 20%, and others at 4%. The World Health Organization estimates that at least three million people are poisoned by pesticides every year and more than 200,000 die from them. (1)
2. Protect Water Quality
Water makes up two-thirds of our body mass and covers three-fourths of the planet. Organic farming can help reduce ground and surface water contamination, and can safeguard drinking water supplies in certain areas, thus contributing to food safety in a larger sense and sustainable agriculture. (2)
 3. Protect Future Generations
Pesticides pose special concerns to children because of their high metabolisms and low body weights. More than 1 million children between the ages of 1 and 5 ingest at least 15 pesticides every day from fruits and vegetables. More than 600,000 of these children eat a dose of organophosphate insecticides that the federal government considers unsafe, and 61,000 eat doses that exceed benchmark levels by a factor of 10 or more. (3)
4. Help Small Farmers
Although more and more large-scale farms are making the conversion to organic practices, most organic farms are small, independently owned and operated family farms.
5. Taste Better Flavor
There's a good reason why many chefs use organic foods in their recipes - they taste better! Organic farming starts with the nourishment of the plant and, ultimately, our palates. |
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(1) "The Facts On Pesticides" -- http://www.newint.org/issue323/facts.htm
(2) Source: "Food Safety and Quality as Affected by Organic Farming," 22nd FAO Regional Conference for Europe, Porto, Portugal, July 24-28, 2000, Agenda Item 10.1.
(3) Source: Food for Thought: The Case for Reforming Farm Programs to Preserve the Environment and Help Family Farmers, Ranchers and Foresters, pages 12-13.
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