The Importance of Nutrition in Conventional Foods
I live in a working-class community that does not have access and cannot afford to pay more money for organic food but conventional food also has a stigma. When people think about conventional foods they think of only unhealthy food like junk food, but that is wrong, both conventional and organic have healthy foods and junk food. Another misconception is that conventional farms are the only ones that overfeed their animals like chickens to the point where their bodies are too heavy for their legs to support. See organic companies have created this image of happy animals outside but just like conventional, organic farms also do this to their animals. I am sure everyone reading this is wondering what food products are the best for not only your body but your wallet as well. I have spent time researching so I can tell you that conventional food is the better choice for you. Conventional foods and practices are not negative like many people contend and they have many positives that make them superior to organics. They are more accessible than organics, there are myths about organic products that make conventional foods seem bad when they are not, and there are benefits to GMOs.
Evidence
Conventional farming practices allow food to be more accessible and affordable. In supermarkets around low-income communities like South Central, there are only a couple of vegetables that are organic like lettuce, kale, and spinach and there is also a small section for organic lactose products, eggs, bread, and juice. In certain supermarkets, price comparison was made between organic and conventional products. For example, an organic 12 egg cart is 5.49 dollars while a 12 egg cart that is conventional is only 4.49 dollars.
This observation concluded that conventional is cheaper than organic. Conventional is more affordable and accessible when it comes to feeding a family. In order to buy organic groceries or organic products, in general, there are miles that must be driven. So not only do they waste more money on a product but also more money on gas. That is why it is so common in a neighborhood like South Central to go to a supermarket like Superior where most of the products are conventional. People with a low income live day to day and usually, these families cannot afford to spend a lot of money on expensive organic products. The average rent in Los Angeles is pretty high a one-bedroom apartment is about $1,500 a month. Organic food products are overpriced and to feed and sustain a family with those products it is extremely difficult because it is expensive. “The Omnivore' Dilemma: The Secrets Behind What You Eat” by Michael Pollan published April 11, 2009, talks about how expensive organic food is and to feed an average family of 3 for a day it would cost about 34 dollars that means in one week you would waste about 234 dollars. Families that are from poor neighborhoods and that work in minimum wage jobs see themselves buying products that are cheaper to save themselves a lot of money.
Additionally, organic food products just like conventional contain pesticides. In the article “How do we define Organic Food?” it states, “If organic farmers fail to stop the pests they use a synthetic pesticide from a relatively small list of approved chemicals. Both organic and conventional food products are evaluated by the United States Department of Agriculture to determine their status. For example in, Setting Tolerances for Pesticide Residues in Foods, by the Environmental Protection Agency states, “EPA evaluates the proposed pesticide thoroughly to ensure that it will not harm human health or the environment. Pesticides that pass this evaluation are granted a license or "registration" that permits their sale and use according to requirements set by EPA to protect human health and the environment.” This shows how conventional products are tested and checked for safety before it is sold to the public. Due to the lack of knowledge, many are brainwashed into thinking that organics do not contain such a thing.
Moreover, due to the lack of knowledge, many are brainwashed into thinking that organics do not contain such a thing. According to Scientific American, on July 18, 2011, by Christie Wilcox, it states “a major organic accreditation body in the UK, asked consumers why they buy organic food, 95% of them said their top reason was to avoid pesticides. They, like many people, believe that organic farming involves little to no pesticide use...Organic farming, just like other forms of agriculture, still uses pesticides and fungicides to prevent critters from destroying their crops”.
What does GMO stand for you may ask, it stands for genetically modified food. GMO is the future for success, with the use of GMOs we do not need as much water to grow crops which is beneficial especially since there is only less than 1% of freshwater humans can use and also only 10% of fertile land but GMO solves all our problems. We are a growing population, the population is 328.2 million people. According to ProQuest in 2015 by Garrett, Richie, states, “We have to be able to grow more food on less land, and there's a growing global population, North Dakota growers aren't just growing for North Dakota or the U.S. we're growing for a global population.” This is necessary to have stability in our country. The technology that helped develop genetically engineered crops in conventional farming practices has the potential to deliver food with higher nutritional benefits for consumers. Some of that potential has already been put into action. According to Christie Wilcox in her article “Mythbusting 101 Organic Farming > Conventional Agriculture” she states, “Scientists have created carrots high in calcium to fight osteoporosis, and tomatoes high in antioxidants.” Calcium is a micronutrient essential in order to maintain a healthy bone structure, as well as preventing blood clots, and maintenance nerve transmissions. When there is a calcium deficiency there is a higher risk of bone fractures, in other words, they are at risk of having osteoporosis. In order for a human to be in a healthy state, they need to have an intake of all nutrients as recommended by a health specialist. Now on many occasions, people, are uninformed of what certain nutrients or in this case micronutrients are needed for nutritional health. In allowing science to incorporate with the food being consumed people will no longer have to be worried about having enough nutrients in order to be healthy.
Why is it important to me?
The reason why this is so important to me because we live in a capitalist society that does not care about the working class. I am the daughter of a single parent. I see how tired my mom comes home after working a 10-12 hr shift every day. How she struggles to pay the bills and provide a home for my sister and I. So if my mother can save money and still provide her family a nutritious meal I’m sure she would appreciate it as would many other families. I am not saying organic products are bad I just think that it is not worth paying extra money that some people may not have. When people think about organic products they think healthy and pesticide-free, however, that is a myth. People are not paying for healthier food, they are paying for the label. There is no way to know for sure if organic products are more healthy than conventional, but if conventional give you the same nutrition as organic food, then people are being fooled. I think it is very important to be informed and educated about what we choose to put into our bodies. It is easy to be misinformed and believe what others say with no evidence of what they are saying is accurate. It is important to me because I come from a low-income community and all too often people from low-income communities are stereotyped and are labeled as ignorant because of their socioeconomic status.
References
“Superior”
Chevat, R., & Pollan, M. (2009). Young readers edition: The omnivores dilemma: The secrets behind what you eat. New York: Dial Books.
Friedland, A. & Relyea, R. (2015). How Do We Define Organic Food?.Environmental Science for Ap (pp.392-395). New York, NY: W. H. Freeman and Company
Wilcox, C. (2011, July 18). Mythbusting 101: Organic Farming Conventional Agriculture. Retrieved November 6, 2018, from https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/science-sushi/httpblogsscientificamericancomscience-sushi20110718mythbusting-101-organic-farming-conventional-agriculture/
Wilcox, C. (2011, July 18). Mythbusting 101: Organic Farming Conventional Agriculture. Retrieved November 6, 2018, from https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/science-sushi/httpblogsscientificamericancomscience-sushi20110718mythbusting-101-organic-farming-conventional-agriculture/
Garrett, R. (2015, Mar 01). GMO. Grand Forks Herald Retrieved from http://mimas.calstatela.edu/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/1672689699?accountid=10352
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