Week 2: Eating Organically

Today concludes my one week experiment of being a (lacto-ovo) vegetarian. I was able to go the entire week without eating meat, and hopefully, saved a few animals in the process. Now begins the second iteration of my ethical eating experiment: going organic.

The Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA), which was enacted under Title 21 of the 1990 Farm Bill, served to establish uniform national standards for the production and handling of foods labeled as “organic.” This legislation authorized a new USDA National Organic Program to set national standards for the production, handling, and processing of organically grown agricultural products. According to the 1995 National Organic Standards Board definition, “organic agriculture is an ecological production management system that promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity. It is based on minimal use of off-farm inputs and on management practices that restore, maintain and enhance ecological harmony." 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." In this way, organic farming purports to be more environmentally sustainable than conventional agricultural methods.

Organic farming entails: the use of cover crops, green manures, animal manures and crop rotations to fertilize the soil and control insect populations, the use of rotational grazing and mixed forage pastures for livestock operations and alternative health care for animal wellbeing, the reduction of external and off-farm inputs and elimination of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers and other materials, such as hormones and antibiotics, and a focus on renewable resources, soil and water conservation, and management practices that restore, maintain and enhance ecological balance.

Organic products are often criticized as being unaffordable, and thus not a valid alternative for many individuals. However, advocates of the organic movement argue that paying a little more for non-genetically modified food products saves money in the long run by reducing environmental degradation and health costs. You'll have to stay tuned to find out how this new diet affects my food budget.