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Why is Organic so important?

Why is buying organic food such a big deal? All I think of is EXPENSIVE every time I see that word "organic".  You never hear of someone dying from not buying organic food, maybe it is just some kind of racket.. would someone please explain?! According to the Consumers Union, "Organic products are worth buying to avoid chemicals found in the conventionally produced versions: Fruits and vegetables, such as apples, bell peppers, celery, cherries, spinach, and strawberries. The USDA's own lab testing reveals that even after washing, some fruits and vegetables consistently carry much higher levels of pesticide residue than others. Meats, poultry, eggs, and dairy products are also worth seeking out." So, basically they are telling us that even if we wash our vegetables there is still a residue of pesticides on them? Sounds disturbing, but I have never taken a bite of a strawberry and actually tasted a pesticide. How do I know it is there and how much do I need to consume for it to harm me and my family? According to the study done at Cornell University, " Despite many studies done on health effects of each pesticide, there are research gaps. These gaps cause uncertainty in the predictions of long-term health effects of many pesticides. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) determines the health risk of each pesticide that it approves for use, and sets limits called tolerances. A tolerance is defined as the maximum amount of a particular pesticide residue that is permitted to be in or on food." I trust my government and the laws say they are allowed to leave a "safe" amount of pesticides on the food we eat, what happens if we consume many of these foods? Doesn't that add up? Just like putting pennies in a jar, after time there is enough money in the jar to spend on a movie. I have a hard time believing that the people in charge would allow humans to be slowly poisoned by the food we consume. Is anything we eat safe? The human bodies were not designed to be constantly bombarded with chemicals and biologically altered products on a long term basis. Many of the problems associated with the non-organic foods will take years if not generations to show clear "cause and effect" consequences on our health. What we do know is that the herbicides and the pesticides used in non-organic farming are all "toxic" and in general, intake of toxic foods is bad for our health. The long term physiological and neurological damages done to the human health by consuming non-organic foods are numerous and very complex. Another major health concern with the consumption of non-organic foods is the industry's wide and heavy use of antibiotics and growth hormones as supplements in animal feed. These supplements are used primarily to make the animals grow faster, bigger and less disease prone, leading to higher production yields. Numerous studies indicate that traces of these supplements remain in the food chain. It is not unreasonable to assume that the infusion of these biological and chemical agents into the food chain may be partially responsible for human obesity and other serious and growing health problems such as diabetes, coronary illnesses, autism, etc., etc Danielle Dellorto, Senior Medical Producer, published an article for CNN on June 1st, 2010. She reports on the top most dangerous fruits and vegetables produced. ""It's critical people know what they are consuming," the Environmental Working Group's Amy Rosenthal said. "The list is based on pesticide tests conducted after the produce was washed with USDA high-power pressure water system. The numbers reflect the closest thing to what consumers are buying at the store." Special report: Toxic America The group suggests limiting consumption of pesticides by purchasing organic for the 12 fruits and vegetables. "You can reduce your exposure to pesticides by up to 80 percent by buying the organic version of the Dirty Dozen," Rosenthal said. The Dirty Dozen: Celery Peaches Strawberries Apples Domestic blueberries Nectarines Sweet bell peppers Spinach, kale and collard greens Cherries Potatoes Imported grapes Lettuce Not all non-organic fruits and vegetables have a high pesticide level. Some produce has a strong outer layer that provides a defense against pesticide contamination. The group found a number of non-organic fruits and vegetables dubbed the "Clean 15" that contained little to no pesticides. The Clean 15: Onions Avocados Sweet corn Pineapples Mango Sweet peas Asparagus Kiwi fruit Cabbage Eggplant Cantaloupe Watermelon Grapefruit Sweet potatoes Sweet onions What is a pesticide? A pesticide is a mixture of chemical substances used on farms to destroy or prevent pests, diseases and weeds from affecting crops. According to the USDA, 45 percent of the world's crops are lost to damage or spoilage, so many farmers count on pesticides." Organic produce are richer in vitamins, minerals, enzymes, trace elements and other nutrients than the fruits and vegetables produced by chemical based methods. In a recent study, antioxidant levels found in organically grown vegetables were almost 30% higher than conventional chemically enhanced vegetables. When you are at the produce section look at the sticky label to find out if it is organic or not. Here is a quick reference. If it begins with a 9 = organic If it begins with a 4 = non organic If it begins with a 3 = genetically modified Ok, I have a clear understanding now as to WHY we should consume organic, but HOW? Please give me some affordable resources, I have a family to feed. Major grocery stores accept food stamps. Whole Foods has a great program to support those in financial distress. The offer steep discounts on certain days and coupons during the week and they carry the largest selection of organic products. Here is a link to find a store near you http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/ Coupons http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/products/wholedeal/suredeals.php They also have a program to request a store to be built near you. http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/company/contact_submit.php You can find your local harvest on this website. http://www.localharvest.org/ You can search for a local food co-op in your area. These stores specialize in organic foods and are a non-profit organization. By asking their customers to buy an affordable membership, you receive a discount on the food and they divide any profits at the end of the year to all members! http://www.cooperativegrocer.coop/coops/ Here is an online resource to all organic foods http://www.theorganicpages.com/topo/index.html Organic Meats resources to purchase online http://www.greenpeople.org/OrganicMeat.html If you email any of these companies and ask if they are running any coupon or discount specials, they will more than likely offer you something. http://www.shoporganic.com/?gclid=CMDLwdm7hKQCFUNe7AodJlavIQ (Save 10% on your first order.Coupon Code: GRGDS) http://www.rippsmarket.com/ ( 15% OFF Organic Food and Organic Products - Coupon Code FIRST15 ) A movie that explains a LOT Food Inc. http://www.foodincmovie.com/ I am excited to have so many resources! I wasn't aware that every time I buy something in the store or online that it is the same thing as casting a vote and the more votes the more demand, the higher demand the lower the cost. Wow, this is excited information to help protect me and my family from future diseases. I now know that I can request any food from my local grocery stores (Safeway, Vons, Albertsons etc..) to come as organic and they are here to please and ill bring in that item. I am going to talk to my friends and put together a request list of most popular items we cook with and request them in our stores along with putting together a list of requests to have a Whole Foods built in our area, I love the resources I found on their site, recipes, coupons and tons of useful information. Thank you for opening up a path I never knew existed. Go ORganic! You are Welcome.... Written by Someone WHo Cares