Organic Plant Produce and Human Health
The organic lifestyle has grown by leaps and bounds in recent years. Due to a growing demand on a healthy lifestyle, particularly among Millennials, organic food has gone mainstream. This growth has, however, been captured by established agribusiness seeking to gain a foothold in a lucrative market. In contrast to small growers and local niche markets, big agribusiness commodifies organic food in numerous ways. In doing so, organic food, particularly organic plant products, has become increasingly a vague concept consumer no longer able to identify. To better understand current organic plant landscape, a closer examination is required of what an organic plant product is. More specifically, a closer examination is required of production processes, human agents, product varieties and, not least, consumers to better put matters into perspective. Accordingly, pros and cons of plant products are better explained.
Healthy lifestyles are front and center of almost every everyday activity. In business, more and more companies are rolling out organic produce to cater to growing needs of consumers becoming increasingly aware of healthy foods. In social life, more and more people are consuming fresh and organic foods to complement a wellness program or enhance a healthy lifestyle. At schools, more and more programs are developed and/or created from scratch to educate students of new modes of food production and consumption. In a broader context, growing awareness of environment issues, shifts in consumption patterns from manufactured foods to organic produce and, not least, growing pressure from local activists and governments has all made organic food production a mega pattern to watch for, monitor and, more recently, regulate. There are, however, concerns about organic food production and consumption. In concept, organic food production is considered a common good for all concerned stakeholders including producers, consumers, governments and local environment. For producers, organic food is a highly demanded product and hence lucrative. For consumers, organic food satisfies lifestyle and environment concerns. For environment, organic food is not only less exhaustive of natural resources but also helps maintain natural ecosystem and habitat balance. In practice, however, organic food produce has given rise to unacceptable commercial practices. More specifically, while organic food production per is unproblematic, big agribusiness are monopolizing organic food production patterns and hence slashing out possible diverse forms of organic food production, particularly for local, small organic growers. To better understand organic food product, a closer examination is required for production modes and requirements. For current purposes, organic plant production rules and methods are discussed to highlight benefits and possible harmful effects to human health. This paper aims, hence, to explore organic plant production methods which impact positively or not human health.
The practice of organic food production is now established. In major economies, more and more enterprises, departments of horticulture and regulatory bodies adopt practices, set rules and/or develop new standards to produce organic plant produce. The European Union (EU), for one, has detailed rules about not only what constitutes organic food but also, more importantly, how to establish a sustainable production process by which organic plant produce becomes a contributor to environment protection and sustainability. According to European Commission Regulation (EC) No 889/2008, life of soil is extended in order to ensure more fertility by using natural activities including soil organisms such as bacteria and fungi. The organic plant produce is considered so only if organic farmers applied multiannual crop rotation methods using legumes, green manure crops, methods which boost soil fertility and biological activity. Tillage is, significantly, used to maintain or increase soil organic matter, enhance soil stability and biodiversity. Unlike conventional pesticide methods adopted in non-organic food production, synthetic pesticides or herbicides are prohibited in organic plant produce. Instead, resistant species and varieties are favored, in addition to thermal processes, natural pest enemies such as ladybugs or trichogramma. Interestingly, wild plant collection in natural areas, forests and agricultural areas is considered a recognized production method provided that unauthorized synthetic chemicals are not applied to areas in question for at least three years prior to collection. Two criteria are required, moreover, in order for basic substances to be allowed in organic agriculture: (1) basic substances are of vegetable or animal origin and (2) basic substances are considered to be “foodstuffâ€. (“Plant Production Rulesâ€). Thus, EU rules define what makes a plant produce organic or not.
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) offers similar rules and guidelines. According to USDA, Organic agriculture is an ecological production management system that promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity. It is based on minimal use of off-farm inputs and on management practices that restore, maintain and enhance ecological harmony. (Gold)
The â€natural†component is, accordingly, central in order for a plant produce to be organic or not. Like rules set by EU, USDA definition and rules for organic plant produce emphasizes natural inputs and, equally importantly, stresses a biodiversity balance between production methods and natural habitat maintenance and preservation. Moreover, USDA offers a more detailed description of what constitutes an organic plant produce:
‘Organic’ is a labeling term that denotes products produced under the authority of the Organic Foods Production Act. The principal guidelines for organic production are to use materials and practices that enhance the ecological balance of natural systems and that integrate the parts of the farming system into an ecological whole. (Gold)
In balance, organic plant produce has evolved into an established practice. As noted in EU and USDA cases, organic plant produce is not only about final products but also about processes adopted to produce organic plant. The consistent emphasis on biodiversity balance is, moreover, a second critical criterion in order for a produce to be considered organic. This approach to organic plant produce is, indeed, much broader and holistic compared to conventional food production methods by which a certain plant produce is acceptable, regardless of actual or potential impact on local habitats.
The case for how organic food is healthy for human consumption is, however, much complicated. Indeed, organic food is, compared to conventional food, a fairly food offering whose far-reaching implications for human health are yet to be seen, let alone studied. Understandably, mass media has much exaggerated how healthy organic food is – probably due to pressure from organic food business – to a detrimental effect to public debate about organic food. The debate of whether organic food is healthy or not for human consumption is significant for several reasons. First, conventional food production has shown to be of harmful health and non-health effects to human consumption. This cannot be overemphasized for underdeveloped economies where health and environment rules are less strict. Second, organic food does, indeed, offer a more viable alternative to current food offerings. Paradoxically, while food production in pre-agriculture era had for millennia been produced organically, current patterns of food production only moves clock hands in reverse direction. Third, world population is exploding. As matters stand, more and more communities are at increasing risk of famine, malnutrition and/or severe food shortages. The organic food production, along with a broad range of innovative food production methods, constitutes, accordingly an important alternative to current production methods in order to help alleviate food crises in several impoverished areas. The central question now is: If organic food appears to fill in gaps of food production, how healthy organic food is? Needless to say, health matters cannot be overemphasized for food, organic or not. This requires a closer look at current literature on how healthy organic food is for human consumption.
The literature on healthiness of organic food is, indeed, considerable. For current purposes, current discussion is limited to immediate and clear effects on human health as a result of consuming organic food. According to Barański, Rempelos, Iversen and Leifert, organic food is shown to reduce risk/incidence of certain acute diseases – including, but not limited to, pre-eclampsia, hypospadias – and obesity. In contrast, negative effects of organic food consumption on human health are not confirmed, including for chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and neurodegenerative conditions. The positive associations over short range and undecisive negative effects over long range, concludes Barański, Rempelos, Iversen and Leifert, do not provide sufficient evidence to support an argument for organic food as healthy for human consumption. These findings are corroborated in a growing body of literature (Huber, Rembiałkowska, Średnicka, BügelcL and Van de Vijvera). Further, quantified research is required, accordingly, over long range to show whether organic food is healthy for human consumption or not.
In conclusion, organic plant production represents a major, emerging pattern in food production methods. In contrast to conventional food production methods, organic food strikes a balance between natural inputs used in foodstuff required for crops and biodiversity balance. The EU and USDA are leading entities offering sweeping rules and regulations for organic food production. The question of whether organic food is healthy or not for human consumption, literature shows, is not answered satisfactorily and requires further quantitative research over long range.