Organic And Natural Foods

The last few decades of the 20th century saw a rapidly growing interest in foods labeled as "natural," "organic," "whole," "health­ful," or some similar descriptive term. The precise meaning of those terms has often been difficult to determine, and the difference among them equally as hard to distinguish. Some individuals and businesses have attempted to clarify what they mean when...

Growing Interest in Natural and Organic Foods

Interest in natural and organic foods can be traced only as far back as the 1940s. Before then, nearly all foods available for sale could probably be described as "natural" or "organic," in that they were shipped almost directly from the farm or dairy to the marketplace. In 1920, for example, one in three Americans lived on farms. In most cases, their diets consisted of foods grown on their own property or...

Lady Eve Balfour (1898-1990)

The attitude of the organic farmer, who has trained himself to think ecologically, is different [from that of the 'modern conventional farmer']. He tries to see the living world as a whole. He regards so-called pests and weeds as part of the natural pattern of the Biota, probably necessary to its stability and permanence, to be utilized rather than attacked. Throughout his operations he endeavours to achieve his objective by...

Sir Albert Howard (1873-1947)

When one reads today about the beginnings of organic farming, mention is often made of the great changes that took place after World War II, as a few individuals opposed the rapid introduction of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides into agricultural programs and argued, instead, for a "return to basics" in farming and dairying methods. But organic farming is hardly a new concept. Farmers throughout the world have...

The Costs of Organic Foods

One of the intriguing features of the natural and organic food move­ment is that such foods tend to cost significantly more than their conventional counterparts. A number of studies have been con­ducted on the premium that consumers pay for natural and organic foods. For example, the ERS reported on a study of produce sold at the Boston wholesale market during the 2000-2001 season in which the cost of organic broccoli was...

Organic Foods: The Consumer Rationale

It seems clear that Americans have become convinced that they should include more natural and organic foods in their diets. What is it about these products that makes consumers willing to pay more— often significantly more—than their conventional counterparts? For a number of years, proponents of organic foods have been suggesting a number of benefits to be gained from including more organic and natural foods in one's...

Criticisms of Organic Foods and Farming Techniques

As with other benefits claimed for organic farming and organic foods, research does not yet provide a clear and compelling case for the superiority of such procedures and products over conventional foods and farming techniques. Indeed, some scientists and layper­sons take quite the opposite view. They go beyond simply denying the supposed benefits of organic foods and organic farming methods and suggest that such foods and...

Conclusion

Have humans come full circle with regard to their diet? At one time, many centuries ago, most peoples' diets were very sim­ple. They ate the foods they grew themselves or that were available from nearby farms and dairies. The most complicated alimentary problems they faced often involved the development of methods to preserve food for seasons of the year when it was not immediately available. That way of life persisted well...

Glossary

active packaging system (APS)   A system of food preservation in which foods are sealed in a container that releases food additives that reduce spoilage of the food it contains. antisense insertion  A process by which a DNA sequence is inserted into a host cell in reverse sequence. artificial sweetener  A sweet-tasting synthetic food product that contains few or no calories. bioballistics  A method for inserting genes...