There are good reasons to eat organic and locally grown fruits and vegetables. First, they usually taste tastes better and fresher. However, most of us can’t afford to buy all of our food at the farmers’ markets or natural food stores, and in many places, Locally produced organic food is a search struggle.
So, if you can only buy some organic fruit and vegetables, What should it be? Which singles agricultural product can have the greatest impact on agriculture, environments and family health at the same time?
Reason 1: more traditional apple containing more pesticide residues than other fruits or vegetables.
According to the Environmental Working Group’s analysis of USDA data, 98% of more than 700 apple samples containing pesticides (yes, They have been cleaned). And it’s not just a pesticide — apple from all over the country, grow and import domestically, Have been found to contain up to 48 different pesticides. Although less than 69 pesticides are used on cucumbers, they are still far more than 15 pesticides on sweet corn (peeled) or oranges (peeled).
Reason 2: We are not sure how these pesticides affecting humans or the environment.
Apples are usually sprayed with Syngenta paraquat, an insecticide that is being carefully examined for Parkinson’s disease. In addition, apple growers in Michigan have been granted an “emergencies use” exemption from the unauthorized antibiotic Casuarin in the past three years (a recent application). Although antibiotics are not currently using not currently use by humans, Data on their effect on groundwater and animals reproduction and development are not yet clear.
In addition, some new studies have questioned whether even permissible levels of pesticides are harmful to humans, Especially organic phosphates, which are found in 81% of traditionally grown apple reported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Reason 3: Farmers and worker also like to live lived and work in a safe environment.
Even if pesticide residues are found find in apples and are no longer founds in apples, those sprays with pesticides and their communities will be most directly affected by these chemicals.
The USDA’s 2007 Agricultural Resource Management surveyed of Organic Apple producer founded that most farm choose organic methods because they can increase their income. But many also say that they grow organic apple mainly to protect the health of their family and communities, blessing many people want to adopt a more environmentally friendly approach.
The problem with using chemical on a farm is that they must be used by someone, and nearby communities are more often affected by pesticide “drift”. A studying conducted by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) last year found that:
“… Pesticide-related diseases are a most important causing of acute diseases among migrant workers in California. A few species (organic phosphates and carbonates, inorganic compound and pyrethroids) account for more than half of the cases of acute diseases. The grower should be educated about other form of pest control and incentives should be provided to encourage encouraged their use.
According to the USDA, carbamate and pyrethroid pesticides are also
Reason 4: Apple is one of the many popular fruits in the country. Eating more organic apples will immediately affect agriculture.
Apple pie is not only American, But also apple pie. Apple is the third much consumed fruited in the United States (after oranges and grapes), generating $2.2 billion a year. The United States has 350,000 acres of land dedicated to Apple cultivation, 50 states can grow apples, although 60% of them are currently planted in Washington.
Although organic apples are one of the many popular organic fruits, Organic orchard currently account for only 6% of the country’s Apple planting area. Of the 21,000 acres of Organic Apple production, 16,000 are in Washington (13,000 acres) and California (3,000 acres).
This means that simple changes in American dietary habits have a great opportunity to most quickly affect agriculture. If every American eats only a few organic apples a month, That means farmers have more opportunities to switch to organic farming. Moreover, because apples are widely grown in all 50 states, This means that there is also an opportunity to immediately increase local organic agriculture, allow more farmers to generate income in their communities.
