1. Overview Conventional Farming Organic farming
Video: My Father’s Garden
The difference between conventional farming and organic farming
Why are organic foods more expensive?
Nutrition 10

2. Conventional Farming Late 1940’s began farming with agri-chemicals
Fertilizer, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and rodenticides
1972 Congress ordered the EPA to test all agri-chemicals for potential hazards.
All agri-chemicals can remain until EPA proves dangerous
1990’s pesticide companies focus on genetic engineering
Using agri-chemicals and GE seeds is the predominate way food is grown in U.S. so it is called “conventional” farming
Nutrition 10

3. Organic Farming Based on : Primary methods used:
Using natural, renewable fertilizer and pesticides
Compost, manure, Bt
Farming in a way that maintains and replenishes the life and nutrients in the soil.
The farmer feeds the living organisms in the soil.
Handful of organic soil – 5 billion microorganisms
Primary methods used:
Crop diversity
Crop rotation
Biological pest control
Nutrition 10

4. Organic Foods Grown without conventional pesticides or fertilizers
Animals are fed organic feed and raised without use of antibiotics
Produced without genetically engineered seeds
Processed without irradiation or food additives
Nutrition 10

5. Why are organic foods usually more expensive?

6. Why are organics more expensive?
Less supply
Organic farms are small % of US agriculture
Lower yields than “factory farming”
Labor intensive farming techniques.
True cost of growing our food in a way that replenishes the soil & preserves water
No soil degradation
No surface or ground water contamination
Out of season - price 2-3x more; In season price is slightly higher than conventional
Nutrition 10

7. Agrichemicals in Produce
The Dirty Dozen: A list of produce with the highest agrichemical residue
Clean 15: A list of produce with least agrichemical residue
Mobile app: Environmental Working Group (EWG’s Dirty Dozen)