We don't normally think about what we can’t see, touch, smell or taste...
While some sources believe the benefits of pesticides to human nutrition outweigh any potential health risks, research suggests otherwise. As a sustainable project, at the Harmony Hotel we have chosen to be selective with our suppliers and support as much as possible those offering organic, local, and community produce alternatives.
Why? What exactly are organic foods? Why are they good for us? What is the difference between conventional and organic foods? What should our choice be?
Organic food normally refers to food that is produced without chemical fertilizers and/or food that is not produced with synthetic pesticides and growth promoters. The term "organic" refers to a specific, certified way in which food is grown, handled and processed. Organic farmers opt for less invasive methods than conventional farmers, such as compost fertilizer, crop rotation and giving animals room to roam.
More and more, there is data which supports why the consumption of organically grown produce can be beneficial to our health and how pesticides, GMO’s, irradiation and additives can be hazardous. While washing fresh produce may help reduce pesticide residues, it does not eliminate them completely. Peeling reduces exposures, but valuable nutrients often go down the drain with the peel.
5 GOOD REASONS TO EAT ORGANIC
- 1. Organic products meet stringent standards to protect our next generations
2. Organic production reduces health risks and helps keep rural communities healthy
3. Organic farms respect our water sources and build soil.
4. Organic producers strive to preserve biodiversity working in Harmony with nature
5. Organic food contains more antioxidants and nutritional value AND tastes great!
ORGANIC vs. CONVENTIONAL FARMING
Organic agriculture has been proving in the last years to contribute to sustainability through: non-pollution of the environment, greater soil fertility, animal welfare and having a less negative social impact, whereas conventional farming only puts weight on our already at risk world.
Environment pollution and soil fertility
Chemical residues from crops contaminate water sources. A recent survey in America found that more than 90% of water sources (and more than 50% of wells) contained one or more pesticides. The same was true for more than 90% of fish. Reducing synthetic chemical use by supporting organic agriculture will result in higher quality, healthier water supplies.
Conventional agricultural practices contribute to water pollution affecting not only our health but the environment as well. Only 1% of pesticides applied to crops actually reach the pests they target, and 99% of these chemicals enter the environment. Contamination of soil and groundwater changes the terrestrial and aquatic environment and poses threats to native wildlife. Many species dependent on high water quality are now endangered. Fertilizer run-off has contributed to an 8,000 square mile "dead zone" in the Gulf of Mexico that has killed tons of fish through oxygen deprivation.
Animal welfare
Toxic residues build up in ecosystems through the food chain, as species at the bottom ingest the chemicals, then higher species ingest these animals. Concentrations build until the diet of animals at the top of the food chain contains an elevated, sometimes lethal, level of toxins. For example, before it was banned, the pesticide DDT almost caused the extinction of the peregrine falcon due to its detrimental effect on their eggshells.
Another issue associated with organic and sustainable food production is eco-friendly seafood. For centuries, people have assumed that the vast size of the oceans and reproductive capacity of fish and other marine animals would protect them from over-harvesting and extinction. But today, 22% of commercial fisheries are over-exploited or depleted and another 44% are fully exploited, meaning that fishing communities and the general public are currently paying for previous poor management in the form of lost jobs and significantly reduced catches.
Organic vs. conventional farming extends to our oceans as well. More than 70 percent of the world's fish resources have been over-fished, depleted, or mismanaged in ecologically destructive ways. For example, wild, Alaskan and California salmon are all classed as "good fish": plentiful, sensibly managed, with minimal pollutants. Atlantic salmon, by contrast, is "bad" because methods of capture damage habitats and kill other wildlife.
Social impact
Toxic residues from pesticides, fertilizers, herbicides and fungicides are found on conventionally grown fruit and vegetables. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 60% of herbicides, 90% of fungicides and 30% of insecticides are carcinogenic.
Genetically modified organisms
GMO’s are life forms that have been genetically engineered. Genetic engineering is the process of taking genes from one strain of a plant, animal, or virus and inserting them into another, with the goal of reproducing characteristics of the original species in the receiving species.
Unintended health impacts from GMO’s can include allergens (known or unknown), nutritional deficiency, increase of naturally occurring plant toxins toxins, creation of antibiotic resistance super diseases.
Food radiation
Given consumer concern about food safety and the growth of food-borne illness, nearly 40 countries have approved food irradiation, a process in which foods are exposed to a controlled amount of "ionizing radiation" in order to kill harmful bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella. The process can also control insects and parasites, reduce spoilage, and inhibit ripening and sprouting. It does not make food radioactive.
However, the EPA recognizes that all forms of ionizing radiation, including the cobalt-60 and cesium-137 used in food irradiation, are known carcinogens. Irradiation plant workers suffer the highest risk, but consumers are also in jeopardy. The new chemicals, a class of cyclobutanones, were found to cause genetic and cellular damage in human and rat cells.
Mercury in seafood
Mercury is a highly toxic heavy metal that poses a major public health threat. Because mercury can interfere with development, pregnant women and children are most at risk. The following contain high methyl-mercury levels, thus women who are pregnant, might become pregnant and children should avoid eating swordfish, shark, tilefish, king mackerel and reduce their tuna intake.
