Lesson 4.1 Organically And Locally Grown Foods Flashcards
How is organic food grown?
Organic food is grown or produced without using harmful pesticides, fungicides, or chemical fertilizers.
How do organics become certified?
Certified organically grown foods means that an independent certifying agency has regularly inspected the farm on which the food was grown to ensure that water and soil meet standards for producing organic food.
What foods can be grown organic?
All food can be produced organically, including fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices, grains, beans, seeds, nuts, meat, and dairy products.
How is organic farming good for the environment?
Organic farming is a sustainable way to grow food, as it protects the Earth’s water and soil and does not harm the wildlife and plant wilderness that are so crucial to our environment.
Explain the threats to the water supply.
Since water makes up two-thirds of our body mass and covers three-quarters of the planet, we should be concerned with the state of the water that is running off the fields and into our water supply. From the farm to the grocery store, organic growers and processors use practices that eliminate polluting chemicals and nitrogen leaching, and thus protect and conserve precious water resources. Many futurists and experts are concerned about our water supply and advise that organic farming will be the only acceptable means of producing food in the future.
What is one of the most pressing environmental concerns?
The loss of a large variety of species (biodiversity) is one of our most pressing environmental concerns. Many organic growers have been collecting and using heirloom seed varieties for decades. On the other hand, many conventional farms still grow hybridized vegetables and fruits, bred for uniformity, ease of shipping, and cosmetic appearance. Such modern concerns have ignored the value of preserving a diversity of seed varieties, and, therefore, a more balanced ecosystem.
What are the known effects of pesticides?
A number of studies have found that farmers exposed to herbicides are at greater risk than non-farmers of developing several types of cancer. Field workers on conventional farms, because of their direct exposure, are the most vulnerable to illness as a result of pesticide use.
Describe organic farming benefits.
Organic practices encourage wildlife by including forage crops in rotation and by retaining fence rows, wetlands, and other natural areas. Removing synthetic, toxic inputs helps to make an organic farm a lively place.
What do organic farms eliminate?
Organic farms eliminate that risk by excluding harmful pesticides and other chemical inputs from their practices.
Describe the related costs to conventional farming.
Organically grown foods may seem more expensive, but retail prices are deceptive. The price of conventionally produced foods doesn’t reflect the costs of federal subsidies to conventional agriculture, the cost of contaminated drinking water, the cost of loss of wildlife habitat and top soil, or the cost of disposal and clean-up of hazardous waste generated by the manufacture of pesticides. Buying organic food and products is a direct investment in a more sustainable environment.
Name a few benefits to the support if local farming.
Making an effort to purchase locally grown foods, when possible, is an environmentally and nutritionally sound decision. Buying local produce also helps your local economy.
How does distance relate to food?
It’s estimated that the components in the average North American meal travel between 2,500 and 4,000 km from field to table. Those kinds of transportation distances mean increased production of greenhouse gases and air pollution. Shipping food long distances may also necessitate chemical treatment and packaging of the food to prevent ripening before it reaches market. Fresh, untreated food tastes better and has been found to contain higher levels of nutrients.
