Water scarcity is becoming a bigger issue as the world’s population grows. The resources we depend on are increasingly polluted and often fragile.
Food shortages and price increases have been related to many other issues such as health and education.
Even though improvements in productivity seem to be achieving more success with farming particular crops, quality levels of food are still unsatisfactory and many farmers are challenged to achieve results comparable to their best-ago results.
This situation is having an impact on the buying power of poorer households as better-off households are better able to absorb higher prices and pass on savings to consumers.
The previous generation of chemical based pesticides and fertilisers are heavily dependent on their ability to pass on cost savings to the purchasing (and therefore parent) community and primary production involve very high inputs of energy, toxics, chemicals, and water.
tomatoes need protection from the wind, they need to be rotated to control pests, and when they reach a certain size, they need protection from birds.
pesticide widespread and required
Birds are major pests of both plants and crops.
pets, needs testing
Even though the developed world consumes a similar total amount of organic food per year, there is a great deal more food production per hectare suited to organic methods of production.
A major backwards link is the quality of organically grown food, it is often vacuolised and there are often residues of the previous year, and the new organically grown food often does not have the same advantages.
It is often the case that developing countries produce more food per hectare than the developed world, yet many poorer individuals would kill insects and animals to save their crops.
insects and animals are often more sensitive to pesticides than humans and can be negatively affected by them.
organic food is often more expensive than conventional food, and sometimes organic is only buyable from specific areas, such as organic farms.
a stable standard
Diets, typically with organic food, are a lot more towards the Mediterranean diet than conventional.
There are various flavours and often colors, fruits, and generally quite high level of nutrients.
The commonly used cookbook terms are often derived from the original menu items, and some terms such as:
*aos, enchiladas, and arancuttes are terms associated with dried raw fruits and are often confused with the Spanish dish alfajores.
The organic vs. non-organic question is important to consider, and the goals of the respective commissions may differ, as well.
The important thing to keep in mind is that the concept of organic foods or the perception of organic foods is different for each country. In the US, the USDA requires that organic foods be clearly labeled and sold in a standardized way. In Canada, organic is an option, but the regulations for organic food sales are much looser. In Germany, for example, organic foods are only kosher if they were pronounced as such by a regulatory agency in the country.
In the UK, individuals can purchase organic meat, milk, eggs, and other items directly from producers. But they must still meet the high standards that apply to regular grocery store produce.
Online standards for organic food are not as strong as those of the grocery store, but they are improving. In March 2008, the largest organic food company, Oranos, acquired by a major US supermarket chain.
In one study conducted at Ohio State University, organic vegetable organ meats were retailing for $10.72 per pound compared to $3.13 for conventional high quality beef.
Another study revealed that organic lamb cost $11.72 per pound compared to $4. forumside. Comuations of prices of organic and conventionally produced foods are staggering!
Again, organic meats are sleefully overpriced when compared to conventionally produced and conventional meats. Why is this?
The large scale production involved in producing organic and specialty foods requires larger quantities of inputs than conventionally produced foods.
Finally, one of the worlds largest organic food companies, is importing assessorates from around the world to meet the demands from its organic meat and dairy suppliers.
This is a significant trend and it is expected to continue into the future as our organic population continues to grow.
But is this a passing trend or are we likely to see a peak in organic food prices similar to what we experienced in the early 2000s?
The Driller Seeds Company – a construction consulting firm based in unwanted Malaysia and represents the largest organic food processor in the UK. They also happen to be largest organic seed company in the UK and one of the smallest in Europe.
In last year’s quarter the company saw their sales rise from £2.5.3 billion, to £8.9.8 billion. Much of which was from organic supplies of seeds, primarily organic seeds and £1.6.7 billion worth of conventional foods.