Another Reason to Go Organic :: Link between Pesticides & ADHD in Kids

Saw this in an email from the Organic Consumers Association today.

Pesticides tied to ADHD in children from Harvard SPH on Vimeo.

Cage-Free Organic vs. Pasture-Raised Organic Eggs

From today's Organic Consumers Association e-newsletter -

note: videos are not graphic.

The USDA's National Organic Program has animal welfare standards that require egg-laying hens to have access to the outdoors and be able to exhibit their natural behaviors. Unfortunately, because the law isn't being evenly enforced, there are a wide range of conditions for egg-laying hens among certified organic operations.

Some certified organic eggs come from farms that provide plenty of rich green pasture for the hens to forage in for greens, insects and worms.



But the biggest industrial egg producers, who dominate grocery store sales of organic eggs, keep their hens in giant sheds, feeding them a simple corn-soy ration spiked with a synthetic supplement called methionine that keeps the hens appearing healthy even though they aren't getting the sunlight and forage they need.

"Organic" vs "Natural" :: NBC Today Show & Organic Consumers Association answers your Questions

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Victory for Organic Milk Cows :: Take Action for Organic Beef Cows

From today's Organic Consumers Association e-newsletter:

After years of claims that the organic dairy "access to pasture" requirement was vague and couldn't be enforced, the USDA NOP has finally come out with a rule that bans intensive confinement feedlots and requires that organic cows get at least 30% of their feed from grazing for at least four months out of the year.



This rule is a great victory for organic consumers and organic dairy farmers who properly graze their animals, but what about beef? The USDA wants to know what consumers think about "finishing" or fattening up organic beef cattle for four months in factory farm-style feedlots.

Studies show that cattle confined and fed grain in feedlots are prone to E. coli 0157H contamination, whereas healthy organic cattle grazing on grass are typically free of this dangerous pathogen. The meat from grass-fed beef is also healthier and more nutritious than beef that's been "marbleized" in the feedlot.

Take Action before April 19th here - tell the USDA National Organic Program that you don't want organic beef cattle to be kept in factory-farm-style feedlots for the last four months of their lives.

The Many Benefits of Organic Food

I received this great info in an e-newsletter from the Organic Consumers Association:








Organic Food is More Nutritious
Organic foods, especially raw or non-processed, contain higher levels of beta carotene, vitamins C, D and E, health-promoting polyphenols, cancer-fighting antioxidants, flavonoids that help ward off heart disease, essential fatty acids, and essential minerals.

On the average, organic food is 25% more nutritious in terms of vitamins and minerals than products derived from industrial agriculture. Since on the average, organic food's shelf price is only 20% higher than chemical food, this makes it actually cheaper, gram for gram, than chemical food, even ignoring the astronomical hidden costs (damage to health, climate, environment, and government subsidies) of industrial food production. Levels of antioxidants in milk from organic cattle are between 50% and 80% higher than normal milk. Organic wheat, tomatoes, potatoes, cabbage, onions and lettuce have between 20% and 40% more nutrients than non-organic foods.

Organic food contains qualitatively higher levels of essential minerals (such as calcium, magnesium, iron and chromium), that are severely depleted in chemical foods grown on pesticide and nitrate fertilizer-abused soil. UK and US government statistics indicate that levels of trace minerals in (non-organic) fruit and vegetables fell by up to 76% between 1940 and 1991.


Organic Food is Pure Food, Free of Chemical Additives
Organic food doesn't contain food additives, flavor enhancers (like MSG), artificial sweeteners (like aspartame and high-fructose corn syrup), contaminants (like mercury) or preservatives (like sodium nitrate), that can cause health problems.

Eating organic has the potential to lower the incidence of autism, learning disorders, diabetes, cancer, coronary heart disease, allergies, osteoporosis, migraines, dementia, and hyperactivity.


Organic Food Is Safer
Organic food doesn't contain pesticides. More than 400 chemical pesticides are routinely used in conventional farming and residues remain on non-organic food even after washing. Children are especially vulnerable to pesticide exposure. One class of pesticides, endocrine disruptors, are likely responsible for early puberty and breast cancer. Pesticides are linked to asthma and cancer.

Organic food isn't genetically modified. Under organic standards, genetically modified (GM) crops and ingredients are prohibited.

Organic animals aren't given drugs. Organic farming standards prohibit the use of antibiotics, growth hormones and genetically modified vaccines in farm animals. Hormone-laced beef and dairy consumption is correlated with increased rates of breast, testis and prostate cancers.

Organic animals aren't fed animal remains or slaughterhouse waste, blood, or manure. Eating organic reduces the risks of CJD, the human version of mad cow disease, as well as Alzheimer's.

Organic animals aren't fed arsenic. They also aren't fed byproducts of corn ethanol production (which increases the rate of E. coli contamination).

Organic crops aren't fertilized with toxic sewage sludge or coal waste, or irrigated with E. coli contaminated sewage water. It also isn't irradiated. Cats fed a diet of irradiated food got multiple sclerosis within 3-4 months.

Organic food contains less illness-inducing bacteria. Organic chicken is free of salmonella and has a reduced incidence of campylobacter.


How to Identify Real Organic Food
Look for the USDA Organic Seal or the Words "Made With Organic Ingredients."



When you see the "USDA Organic" seal, you know that the food is at least 95% organic, does not contain genetically modified organisms, was not irradiated, and comes from a farm that:
* Employs positive soil building, conservation, manure management and crop rotation practices.
* Provides outdoor access and pasture for livestock.
* Refrains from antibiotic and hormone use in animals.
* Sustains animals on 100% organic feed.
* Keeps records of all operations.
* Is inspected annually by an accredited Third-Party Organic Certifier.
* If it is a multi-ingredient product, it was made at a certified organic processing plant that takes strict measures to avoid contamination of organic products.

Products that are "Made With Organic Ingredients" are at least 70% organic and are also free from genetically modified organisms and food irradiation.


Organic Food On a Budget
When comparing prices in the grocery aisles, the organic version of particular items is often 20% on the average more expensive, but if you make a pledge to eat more organic, you'll likely save money overall by eating out at restaurants less often, packing your lunch, and cooking from scratch. For more insight check out this great article.

Did you see Food, Inc? :: The Obama Administration wants to Hear from You

The US Department of Justice is investigating how big biotech and food corporations, including Monsanto, are monopolizing and controlling our seeds, food and farming.

They would would like to hear from you - particularly regarding how corporate control of the food system affects average Americans.

Email your comments to agriculturalworkshops@usdoj.gov BY DECEMBER 31.



If you need some help writing your email, then check out this template:

Email Subject Line: Comments Regarding Agriculture and Antitrust Enforcement Issues in Our 21st Century Economy

Dear US Department of Justice:

State who you are -- parent, teacher, farmer, cook, gardener, community leader, eater... whatever feels relevant.

I am concerned about the consolidation of corporate power in the food and agriculture sector.

State your primary reasons why. This section can be short and informal; don’t worry about spelling out the connections too precisely. The important thing is to express from your own experience what most concerns you or how you've been affected by the effects of corporate consolidation in the food industry. Be honest and speak from your heart.

Thank you for the opportunity to submit comments.

Sincerely,
Your name
Your home mailing address

support organic personal care product law

grabbed this info from a recent Organic Consumers Association e-newsletter:

In a milestone victory after years of work by the OCA and the organic community to demand an end to blatant labeling fraud in the organic marketplace the National Organic Standards Board voted 12 to 1 at their November 2009 meeting to direct the USDA National Organic Program to enforce the law for organic personal care products - just as they do for organic food.

This means that shampoos, body care products, and cosmetics that claim to be organic but are not certified would be forced to drop their organic label and advertising claims, or else reformulate their products (getting rid of petrochemicals and problematic synthetic ingredients) to meet "USDA Organic" or "made with organic ingredients" standards.

The Organic Consumers Association is initiating a letter-writing campaign asking the USDA to take quick action on the NOSB recommendation. You can send a letter here. It takes 2 seconds. Ok, maybe 30 seconds.


In the meantime the OCA advises consumers to ...

BOYCOTT THESE FAKE "ORGANIC" BRANDS:
Amazon Organics, Avalon Organics, Desert Essence Organics, Earth's Best Organic, Giovanni Organic Cosmetics, Head Organics, JASON Pure Natural and Organic, Nature's Gate Organics, Organics by Noah's Naturals

BUY THESE CERTIFIED USDA ORGANIC BRANDS:
Alteya Organics, Baby Bear Shop, Badger, Bubble and Bee Organic, Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps, Indian Meadow Herbals, Intelligent Nutrients, Kimberly Parry Organics, Little Angel, Mercola, Miessence Certified Organics, Nature's Paradise, OGmama and OGbaby, Organicare, Organic Essence, Origins Organics, Purely Shea, Rainwater Organic Lotion, Rose Tattoo Aftercare, SoCal Cleanse, Sensibility Soaps/Nourish, Terressentials, Trillium Organics, Vermont Soap.


For background information about this issue read this brief article.