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Jada Cardwell
Professor Malcolm Campbell
UWRT 1103
February 23, 2016
Topic Proposal: Organic Food for Thought
Introduction/Overview
My project will be analyzing whether organic foods are healthier than their non-organic
counterparts. I will be acknowledging the overall affect that consumption of organic products is
more or less beneficial than the genetically modified competitor and the ongoing issues that
relate to the safety of organic products versus genetically modified products. Organic foods are
grown or raised without the use of additives, coloring, synthetic chemicals (e.g., fertilizers,
pesticides, hormones), radiation, or genetic manipulation and meeting criteria of the U.S.D.A
(Organic Food). Another term that will be very important throughout my project is genetically
modified organisms, commonly known as GMOs, which is an organism or microorganism
whose genetic material has been altered by means of genetic engineering (Genetically Modified
Organism).
The organic movement was a general happening until the 1920s. Natural means were
used in order to produce agriculture. The Second World War brought about new farming
methods. This is when chemicals were incorporated within agricultural means. After the DDT
insecticide issue that ended up contaminating foods, the idea of a natural movement during the
sixties and seventies was a growing interest. At first, during the seventies and eighties, you could
only get natural food at health food stores; in the nineties, they spread to supermarkets.

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It is suggested that no studies can be done to test genetically modified foods, especially
overlooking a long time period (Center for food Safety, 2015). The majority, 57%, of general
public believes genetically modified foods are unsafe. The remainder, 37%, believes the food is
safe. Only 88% of the American Association of the Advancement of Science pronounce that
genetically modified foods are generally safe (Funk, Rainie, 2015).
Organic products have a positive effect on the environment. Changes in the environment
have to be studied over long time to view full effects of change. As far as organic products in the
environment, food is to be made with no added fertilizers or pest control. Proactive approaches
are taken so that problems do not have to be fixed after issues have occurred (What are the
environmental benefits of organic agriculture?, 2015). Fertilizers and pesticides are replaced with
organic fertilizers which consists, but is not limited to compost, animal manure, and green
manure. By using organic fertilizers, it enhances soil structure and water infiltration. Well
managed organic systems reduce the risk of groundwater pollution. Areas where pollution is an
extreme problem, alteration to organic agriculture is extremely recommended, serving as a
restorative measure (What are the environmental benefits of organic agriculture?, 2015).
Decreased agrochemical needs correlates to reduced non-renewable energy use thanks to organic
agriculture. Organic agriculture also contributes to diminishing the effects of greenhouse gases
and global warming. This is made possible by the ability to isolate carbon within the soil.
Minimum tillage, which is an example of management practices are used by organic agriculture.
These practices help to increase the delivery of carbon back into the soil. This also raises
productivity and favors carbon storage (What are the environmental benefits of organic
agriculture?, 2015).

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Price compared to the long term affect is a big issue when comparing organic and
nonorganic foods. When one pays the extra money or even goes out of the way to look for
organic products, the effect can be worth it in the long run. Studies show that organic milk is a
better source of antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, CLA, and vitamins compared to nonorganic milk. A ten year study was conducted on tomatoes. It proved that organic tomatoes are
brought up in areas of lower nutrient supply which ultimately leads to excessive amount of
antioxidants in these tomatoes. This also lessons or usually eliminates the amount of chemicals
such as organophosphorus that food is exposed to due to pesticides (Health Benefits of Organic
Food, 2007).

Initial Inquiry Question(s)

Are organic foods healthier than non-organic foods? What studies have been done on
organic foods? What effect does organic foods have on the environment? What are the health
benefits along with the possible downfalls to organic foods? How does the intake of organic
foods in America compare to other countries?

My Interest in this Topic

I am interested in learning more about this topic because I want to eat healthier. I do not
necessarily know what my healthier options are. I want to learn more about organic products
because they have always seemed to be better products. I feel like people in general, especially
Americans due to obesity, should know what healthier food options they have. I feel like most
people are commonly misinformed about what products are healthier compared to others. I am
among that general population that is misinformed. A debate in my previous liberal studies

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course sparked my interest in learning about healthier alternatives. Also, most food in the United
States is genetically modified and I want to learn more about what that actually means as far as
health reasons.

Next Steps
I will be visiting centerforfoodsafety.org, pewinternet.org, organicfacts.net, and fao.org in
order to obtain information about my topic. I have already gained some knowledge about my
topic from these sites. Hopefully, I will be able to find more reliable sources that pertain to
organic and nonorganic food to gain knowledge from. I will use my initial inquiry questions to
guide me throughout my research topic. After completing my research, I will draw my
conclusion on whether or not I have determined if organic or non-organic products are healthier.
I will also be analyzing two YouTube videos, one by the Discovery Network and the other being
FitLifeTV in order to gain some extensive understanding on my topic. During my current
research, I have heard of much commotion about a Stanford article that was done on my topic, so
I plan to look into that.

Bibliography
- "Organic Food." TheFreeDictionary.com. Farlex, Inc, 2009. Web. 16 Feb. 2016. from
<http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/organic+food>.

- "Genetically Modified Organism". Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. 16

Feb. 2016. from
<http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/genetically modifiedorganism>.

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- Center for Food Safety | News Room | Are GMOs safe? No consensus in the
science, scientists say in peer-reviewed statement. (2015, February 19). Retrieved 16 Feb.
2016, from <http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/3766/are-gmos-safe-noconsensus-in-the-science-scientists-say-in-peer-reviewed-statement#>
- Funk, C., & Rainie, L. (2015, January 29). Public and Scientists' Views on Science and
Society. Retrieved 16 Feb. 2016, from <http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/01/29/publicand-scientists-views-on-science-and-society/>
- Health Benefits of Organic Food. (2007, October 2). Retrieved 16 Feb. 2016,
from <https://www.organicfacts.net/organic-products/organic-food/health-benefits-oforganic-food.html>
- What are the environmental benefits of organic agriculture? (2015). Retrieved 16 Feb. 2016,
from
<http://www.fao.org/organicag/oa-faq/oa-faq6/en/>
- "Theorganicsinstitute.com." Theorganicsinstitutecom RSS. 2016 Theorganicsinstitute.com, n.d.
Web. 22 Feb. 2016. <http://theorganicsinstitute.com/organic/history-of-the-organicmovement/>.