Eco Friendly Planet

The average non-organic fruit can contain more than twenty pesticides. Because organic fruit farmers are not permitted to use chemical pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers on their crops, emphasis is placed on site selection and crop rotation. The process of crop rotation is used not only to help maintain the soil’s health, but also to disrupt the average pest’s life cycle in order to reduce their population. To ensure adequate pest management, natural and specific synthetic insecticides, such as rotenone, pyrethrum, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), and pheromones may be used. In place of chemicals, organic farmers may use natural fertilizers, such as composted organic manure, bone meal, and rock minerals. The process of weeding is carried out by mechanical and non-chemical means. Studies have shown that, aside from organic fruits having more vitamin C, they also contain 63% more calcium, 125% more potassium, 73% more iron, and 60% more zinc than their conventionally-grown counterparts.

Nitrates
Nitrates are a common element found in synthetic fertilizers. They are converted to nitrosamines, which may be carcinogenic. The nitrate content in organically grown fruit is significantly lower than in their traditionally managed counterparts. Nitrates from agricultural runoff can also contaminate the surrounding waters, and possibly damage the fragile aquatic systems that exist there. When chemical fertilizers and pesticides are used in organic fruit farming, they put the plant into a state of stress, which reduces their uptake of nutrients from the soil.

Handling Organic Fruit
When organically grown fruit is matured, picked, and ready for mass consumption, there are two main concerns for the organic farmer. The organically grown fruit must be clearly identified so as not to be mixed with non-organic produce, and so as not to be contaminated with post-harvest chemicals. The tanks and lines in a fruit handling plant must be thoroughly cleaned with biodegradable soaps before any organic product is processed. The use of detergents is strictly prohibited. Protective waxes are usually not applied; however, there are natural waxes that may be used. All handlers of organically managed fruit must maintain all records concerning production. When a fruit is deemed certified organic, it means that an independent third-party has verified that the item conforms to all the guidelines of organic production, including growth, process, and handling.

Organic cattle must be fed and managed organically for their entire lives in order to be marketed as organic. In fact, a calf’s mother must be managed organically for the last third of the gestational period in order for the calf to be sold as organic beef. The only animals that may be converted from non-organic to organic are dairy cattle, breeding stock, and animals that render non-edible products. According to organic standards, organic cattle farms cannot employ the use of synthetic antibiotics, animal by-products, or growth stimulants on their herds. The animals must not be fed genetically-modified feed, and cannot have their genes altered in any way. The cattle are provided with daily exposure to sunlight, fresh air, and fresh water.

Living Conditions
Both organic and non-organic livestock require a well-balanced and high-quality diet. Cows that are to be slaughtered for organic beef must receive feed that is 100% organic. Depending on the discretion of the organic-certifying body, the use of trace elements, certain vitamins, and pure amino acids may be used in organic beef production. The farmers should allow their livestock maximum use of grazing and ideally, all the food consumed by the organic herd should come from the farm itself.

Breeding
Livestock that is used in organic production are required to be born and raised under organic management. Organic cattle farmers may purchase breeding livestock from a non-organic facility; however, the total cannot exceed 10% of the total number of breeding livestock. Those cattle that come from a non-organic environment are not permitted to be marketed as organic, and cannot be sold as organic breeding stock unless they are held and managed organically for more than one year.

Organic Herd Health
The use of veterinary drugs and vaccinations in organic cattle farming is prohibited. If a member of the herd contracts a communicable disease that threatens the herd, the use of antibiotics to treat the ailing cow is permitted. If a particular animal must be treated with antibiotics, its meat can still be marketed as organic beef provided it is subjected to double the permitted federal withdrawal period allowed for treatment.

In order for a chicken to be considered organic, the bird must be raised according to strict organic production methods from the time of its birth. Farmers can purchase conventional chicks, but they must adhere to the following guidelines in order to be considered organic.

Feed
Organic chicks are raised on a diet of finely ground boiled eggs combined with oatmeal, both of which must be certified organic. If the farmer chooses to use feed from his own crop, the crop must have been free of pesticides and other artificial fertilizers for three years. Many organic chicken farmers would also use cod liver oil to improve their poultry diet. The chicken must be allowed to access the outdoors and be fed sprouted grains when indoors. The feed that is administered must be certified organic and cannot contain hormones, antibiotics, growth promoters or meat by-products.

Living Conditions
Each bird must be allowed two square feet of floor space and raised humanely in a stress-free environment, which includes routine access to sunshine and fresh air, weather permitting. An organic flock cannot contain more than 1000 birds. They cannot be permanently housed. Organic chicken farmers must be vigilant with sanitation. Bedding must be dry and leveled, and can consist of uncontaminated sawdust, paper products and straw. The practice of de-beaking (a process whereby the bird’s beak is trimmed to reduce excessive feather picking and cannibalism) is not permitted in organic chicken farming.

Chicken Eggs
Organic eggs can only be produced from organic chickens. If the farmer cannot obtain organic birds for this purpose, non-organic birds may be substituted if they have been reared organically in regards to their feed and veterinary treatments. The chicken cannot be older than eighteen weeks, and must be organically managed for six weeks before any of the eggs can be sold as organic. Organic egg production is free from artificial chemicals and toxins. Due to the lack of synthetic color in organic chicken feed, organic eggs will be paler than conventional eggs.

All organic produce must be produced without the use of synthetic fertilizers, irradiation, pesticides, and genetic engineering. The soil in which the organic food is grown must have been free of chemical fertilizers and herbicides for at least three years, and must maintain a buffer zone between organic and non-organic plants. Moreover, the seed from which the produce is grown cannot be genetically modified in any manner.

Reasons to Buy Organic Produce
Organic fruits and vegetables must adhere to stringent guidelines put forth by a certifying body. Not only are consumers who buy organic produce ensured food that has been grown and handled without the use of potentially harmful toxins, but they are also supporting organic farms, which in turn are supporting and respecting our environment in the following fashion:

• By refraining from the use of chemicals, organic farmers are protecting valuable water sources and reducing toxic runoff.
• Organic produce farming is energy-efficient due to the fact that it does not employ the use of nitrogen fertilizers. Studies have shown that the nitrogen compounds in certain fertilizers may contribute to global warming.
• The soil on organic farms tends to hold more carbon dioxide (an essential greenhouse gas that effects climate change), thereby reducing carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere.
• Organic farmers employ the technique of crop rotation, which allows the soil’s fertility to recover in its own time.

Nutritional Value
On average, studies have shown that conventionally grown produce has only 83% of the nutrients of organic produce. Organically grown fruits and vegetables have nine times more salicylic acid, a compound that aids in preventing the hardening of the body’s arteries. Organic produce contains more iron, magnesium, phosphorous, vitamin C, and are higher in flavonoids, which are helpful in preventing cancer and heart disease.

Cost
The cost of organic produce tends to be higher than that of its conventionally grown counterparts. Yields on organic farms are generally smaller due to the labor intensity involved. These farms must operate without the use of certain technological aids that could ease the workload. Although the cost tends to be higher, many believe that the taste and inherent value in buying organic produce is worth the extra money. Not only is it safer to consume, but it also supports the local economy and the precious environment as a whole.

In order to produce organic pork, pork farmers must adhere to strict guidelines. The pigs must be born in organic production units from parents that were raised under organic conditions. Pigs slated to be organic are to have been raised in organic conditions; however, pigs used for meat must be organically managed from the beginning of the last third of the sow’s gestational period, which is approximately 38 days before birth.

Pig Health
When an organic pig contracts a disease, vaccinations are only administered when the disease is communicable and cannot be controlled in any other manner. If a pig becomes ill or injured, it must be isolated and treated. There are specific medicines allowed and recommended for ailing pigs that adhere to certified organic standards. The use of synthetic antibiotics or medicines is forbidden to be used on pigs destined for organic use. All information pertaining to the infected pig, such as animal identification number, date, dosage, duration, and substance must be painstakingly recorded. If a pig becomes too ill to treat under organic standards and traditional drugs or synthetic substances must be used to treat the illness, then the pig must be removed from the organic herd and it can no longer be marketed as organic pork.

Living Conditions
Organic pigs cannot be housed on 100% slatted floors, or in dry sow stalls. They must be allowed sufficient space, routine access to outside pasture, fresh air, and sunlight. However, pigs to be used for organic pork may be housed in farrowing crates (crates which allow enclosed sows to turn around.)

Nutrition Requirements
Organic pigs must be fed organic feed. The feed ration must meet their daily nutritional requirements and include fresh/dried fodder or silage and roughage. All ingredients in the feed must be certified organic, having been produced, handled, and processed according to organic standards. It is forbidden to include growth stimulants, lactation promoters, synthetic appetite enhancers, animal by-products, feed medications, or any other genetically engineered or modified organisms in an organic pig’s diet.

Transportation
The transportation and handling of organic pigs must be done as humanely as possible to reduce stress, suffering, and injury to the animal. Castration and other surgical procedures, such as tagging, are allowed, but should be done at the earliest age possible to minimize animal suffering. The cutting of teeth and tail-docking are not permitted, unless it is absolutely necessary for the herd’s health and safety.