2. Go Organic

By planting only 10% more organic food, we can transform over 25,000 square miles of depleted soil into rich, highly productive cropland.

BACKGROUND

It wasn’t long ago that most Americans thought of organic food as something only “health nuts” ate. But today, about one in four U.S. families buy organic products every week. Organics is the fastest-growing segment in the food market. This is great news for people who care about the environment, because organic farming is the essence of sustainable agriculture. It builds soil, provides habitat, and eliminates pesticide runoff. But the movement is just beginning to get firmly rooted. We need to help make it grow.

DID YOU KNOW

• “Organic” means something is grown without “toxic and persistent pesticides and fertilizers.” It also refers to a method of agriculture that uses natural systems to maintain and replenish topsoil.
• Organically produced foods are also grown without antibiotics, synthetic hormones, genetic engineering (GE), sewage sludge, or irradiation. (Yes, believe it or not, it’s common in America to use sewage sludge on crops.)
• In 2006, scientists reviewed 76 different studies that compared conventional and organic farming. They created 20 categories to analyze. Organic and conventional were about equal in 8; organic was better in the other 12. That included organic farms having an average of 30% more biodiversity, 24% less soil erosion, and, of course, 100% less pesticide runoff.
• New studies confirm other benefits. In 2007, a $24 million, four year experiment conducted for the European Union showed that organically grown produce has considerably more antioxidants, and higher levels of vitamins. “The health benefits were so striking,” one critic explains, “that moving to organic food was the equivalent of eating an extra portion of fruit and vegetables every day.”

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Your Partner: The National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture (NCSA). They help individuals and organizations build “healthy, environmentally sound, profitable, and humane” rural communities and agricultural systems. Get acquainted at sustainableagriculture.net
Your Goal: To promote and support organic, sustainable agriculture one step at a time.

START SIMPLE

• Buy organic! Start small; pick one organic item to replace a product you usually buy. Start with soft-skin fruits, vegetables, or nuts. Tests show they absorb the most pesticides.
• The Shopper’s Guide is a wallet-size card that lists the most contaminated fruits and vegetables, as well as the most “consistently clean” items. Download it at foodnews.org

STEPS FOR SUCCESS

Step 1. Use your consumer power. Build the market for organic food and products by buying them for your family. Start with produce, then add staples like milk and bread. Think of it as an investment in a cleaner environment and a healthier food system.

Step 2. Lobby locally. Grassroots tactics will help build the movement: Talk to store managers; bring organic brownies to a meeting or school event; plant a small organic garden; encourage your favorite restaurant to use more local, organic food.

Step 3. Support organic farming. Current government programs subsidize only the biggest farms. Encourage lawmakers to create laws that support organic farming; add your voice and efforts to local, state, and national groups working to ensure a healthy food system. For more info: sustainableagriculture.net/organic.php

Step 4. Protect organics. The National Organics Program’s (NOP) “USDA Organic” label guarantees that the product meets high standards. Be a watchdog: Get on the Organic Action Alert list run by NCSA; help protect and strengthen the organic label and ensure proper enforcement of NOP standards: sustainableagriculture.net For more resources: 50simplethings.com/organics