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Organic Food Discussion

Discussion in 'Off Topic [BG]' started by Gabe, Jul 13, 2003.

  1. Jul 13, 2003 #1
    Gabe

    Gabe

    Jan 21, 2003
    Just thought it might be kind of fun to have a roundtable discussion on organic foods. The good, the bad, and the ugly. Here goes:

    I tend to think that organic foods are good and will eat them over chemichally enhanced ones when I can. The reasons for this being that I usually like the flavor and texture of organic,don't really have a great urge to consume weed killer and pesticide, like to support the "small market" farmer, and don't really think that chemicals are enviromentally desireable.

    I also can see how a out and out ban on using chemicals on foods might help third world countries whose farmers can't afford the latest technology to stay competitive in the world market, thus helping remove them from poverty.

    I can see one glaring downside to all organic. I think that I read in Scientific American or Nature that the world could not be feed if we stopped with the growth enhancers. And this on top of the worlds current famine issues.

    I'm also concerned that organic farming takes up a lot of land that is needed for trees, people, and large gigs.

    Just interested on hearing other peoples takes on the issue.
     
  2. Jul 13, 2003 #2
    JMX

    JMX Vorsprung durch Technik

    Sep 4, 2000
    Cologne, Germany
    Well, it's certainly unrealistic to expect all farmers in the world to go organic, but on the other hand we don't need bioengineering to feed the world.
    Bioengineering will make things worse, since it's more expensive and you can't use the seeds next year without being sued by Monsanto :spit:
    There is and will be enough produce to feed the world, the problem is distribution, or to be more exact, money to buy it.

    It's more important to develop sustainable methods of farming instead of burning rain forest for 1 or 2 harvests, and stop craziness like shrimp farming in artificial salt water ponds that destroy the soil etc.

    We have to put a stop to "food as cheap as possible"-way of thinking, that'll already help a lot.
     
  3. Jul 13, 2003 #3
    DEFELDUS

    DEFELDUS

    Jun 1, 2003
    Orlando, FL
    :D thats hilarious

    but yeah, i dont like to think of eating pesticides and such either. but i think, like you said, the world would be in big trouble without chemical enhancers and such. my verdict: keep things just like they are so we have the choice and the world survives :meh:
     
  4. Jul 13, 2003 #4
    Wrong Robot

    Wrong Robot Guest

    Apr 8, 2002
    Well, I've seen a lot of organic foods in my day, I lived in ojai for 4 years, surrounded by people obsessed with organics and stuff.

    I love them, I mean, I have never found a genetically modified strawberry or a head of lettuce or an onion ...etc. that tasted better than 100% certified organics.

    However, I have also never found any of the excellent organic, tasty strawberries, lettuce, onions...etc. cost less than the engineered stuff, so it's something that I have often been swayed by.

    I mean, I would love if I could only buy organics, but it just costs too damn much. If I go shopping at whole foods or something or rainbow bridge(ojai organics store) and get a good week's worth of groceries, it's likely to cost me 3 times more than if I went to Vons or ralph's.

    I took environmental science in 9th grade, our teacher was an organic farmer on the side, and he hated monsanto and all they stood for, actually back then it wasn't monsanto, I remember they became monsanto that year or a few months after school ended.

    So I guess I've kind of always been pushed towards organics. when I was little we used to grow peaches, strawberries, lemons, limes, and even lettuce, in our backyard. The strawberries were tiny, and the overall yields were generally small(barely enough for everyone)but they were soooooooo good.
     
  5. Jul 13, 2003 #5
    Mike Money

    Mike Money In Memoriam

    Mar 18, 2003
    Bakersfield California
    Avatar Speakers Endorsing Hooligan
    is raisin bran organic?
     
  6. Jul 13, 2003 #6
    Gabe

    Gabe

    Jan 21, 2003
    Another thing I hadn't really thought much about recently. A while ago I read in the paper about an organic farmer who lived near a large blueberry farm that sprayed its plants and she claimed that the sprayers were missing and also that the chemicals were blowing into her lawn. Is this a common thing to happen or is she just a paranoid ultra-enviromentalist who doesnt dig chemicals?

    It does seem to me, although I would consider myself fairly enviromentalist, that groups like The Maine Organic and Farmer and Gardener's association does go overboard . For example, you can't give your bees drugs to stop disease.

    You guys bring up excellent and very intersting points.
     
  7. Jul 13, 2003 #7
    Wrong Robot

    Wrong Robot Guest

    Apr 8, 2002

    I've heard of that many times. I don't think it's a very common problem, but It is certainly a problem when it occurs.

    sometimes It's not just chemicals going onto other farms but, into more populated areas. Out in oxnard there are many farms located right next to many commericial shops and blocks, it is often the case that when winds pick up many of the dusting chemicals fallout on the stores and lands around there.
     
  8. Jul 13, 2003 #8
    Tsal

    Tsal

    Jan 28, 2000
    Finland
    I like organic food, yea.

    But I also think that bioengineered food is better than the modern mass-producing method that uses huge amounts of pesticides and other chemicals. With bioengineering you can make the plant more resistant towards diseases, pests, harsh conditions etc, so you don't need to pump as much stuff into 'em.

    Of course it might be because I plan to go study biotechinics but still ;)