Why do we eat Organic food, what are your perceptions of Organic versus Conventional food?

Question

I am doing this as my final year project at University, surveying people who leave in the city of Preston, UK... and asking why buy organic is it worth the money, do you know how it is produced? What's wrong with conventionally produced food? where do your buy your food. Hypotheses......Consumers who buy organically produced food percieve it too be better quaility and beneficial to their health, but along with conventional food consumers have little understanding of labelling and farming methods implemented to produce either. the main factors which Influence buying decisions are price, availability and origin?

Answer 1

I buy organic foods from local farmers when I am able, although I will buy non-organic produce as well. I notice the organic food farmers tend to raise types that are chosen more for flavor and picked when ready, since they are not intending their produce to have to ship anywhere, so as a general rule the food tastes better. That said, if the choice is between organic food that had to be shipped in from elsewhere versus a non-organic local variety, I buy the local produce. I think it defeats the purpose of organic to have burned the fuel to ship it, and any benefits from freshness have been lost. And as they were raised to be shipped, that was the primary concern in chosing what type of tomato, for instance, was grown. I also choose my food according to what is in season, again chosing perhaps a non-organic over a non-seasonal offering, like apples over organic strawberries or melons in the winter.
I don't have the same choices available for the meat I buy, unfortunately, at the moment. Previously I lived in Belgium, where I could buy meat from a supermarket that dealt directly with the farmers. They had a chalkboard where they recorded each day where the meat came from, and a card beside the cuts that identified the animal it came from- where and when it was born, male or female, date butchered, where and by whom. So I knew exactly where the meat came from, and was confident in my supplier. Here I simply have to purchase what is available, and as a result our meat consumption is lessened. Which is probably for the best, considering overall health- but I wish I could say it was a choice and not a necessity.
All things being equal, I do consider price in the equation- but if my extra expense is going to help the farmer provide me better produce, I don't mind a little higher expense. I chose local over imported, even if it is not organic produce, and I always chose according to what is seasonal, rather than what may be available- organic or non-organic.
I don't think we should have to choose either way as the ideal, but should try to strive for a sensible balance of things. While we should not indiscriminately spray or fertilize, I think we should be able to use these things if they are necessary. I don't think use of artificial hormones should be allowed at all, but I don't think there should be a stigma to using antibiotics when they are needed. I don't mean they should be a daily food supplement, and certainly an animal should not be treated one day and slaughtered the next. But there should be some way of determining a safe waiting period, and one should be established.
I think it's not enough to just think about organic or non-organic. We also need to consider the things which are added into the food we eat. A loaf of bread, even from organic flour, is not organic to my mind if it contains additives and preservatives I can't pronounce. I'd rather have a loaf of bread made of non-organic wheat flour, with a short list of ingredients I can identify. I am quite capable of reading and understanding a label, but the trouble is there really isn't a standard to guide one. The words need to have strict definitions. We need to determine what to do in the grey areas, as well. Is a bread made of organic flour still entitled to call itself organic, if they add a preservative like BHT or BHA, or isn't it? Why is it not considered organic if the plant was sprayed, but not the fruit or veg that will be actually eaten? Until we make the determinations, the whole organic/non organic arguement is not solvable.

Answer 2

I think the idea of it is good but I feel that organic food is just another marketing ploy for us to pay over inflated prices for food which is probably pretty much the same quality as normal farmed goods. If anything, organic foods should be cheaper if there is not any other additives or chemicals needed to grow it? Also, I am aware that for a food to be certified as organic does not technically mean that it is chemical/pesticide free as some others above have stated. Evidentally, it can be something very simple e.g. the foods that animals are fed can be classed as organic but they can pump the animal full of hormones etc yet still put organic on the label. That kind of thing! So overall? No, I would not make a point of buying only organic food as some do. It's ok if you can afford it but lets face it - most of us cannot afford to eat organic at every meal!

Answer 3

organic food is 80.000 yes 80.000 eighty thousand times more toxic than conventionally grown food, why? a plant left to its own devices floods itself with toxins to prevent disease, conventional crops are looked after by the grower using very very low dose rigorously tested safe medication for the crop, the crop does not then flood with toxins. oh and here's one for record so called organic producers are allowed to use some chemicals & do, if they did'nt they would have no crop. our agriculture used to be all organic pre 1950 guess what people starved we could'nt feed ourselves.the best chance we have of getting close to true organics is G.M. cropping. do your homework on that its safe cheap easy. the biggest pull on decision making in the uk is without doubt the press who are lazy ill informed sesation seekers who have held back progress while europe & the us are getting on with it

Answer 4

I don't know if this will help,but the difference I see is the taste. I guess it's because I lived with conventional food and have become accostomed to it.

Answer 5

I dont buy organic, why anybody would want to buy food which uses fertiliser made from human body parts I wouldn't know.

Answer 6

Organic, from what I understand, simply means no chemicals were used to kill bugs. I think I'd rather have the chemicals. I think.

Answer 7

"Organic" food is a scam and is nothing more than regular food labeled "organic" so it can be sold at a higher price.