Organic

Organic Food is natural healthful food grown or raised without synthetic fertilizers or pesticides, hormones or antibiotics, and uses fertilizer that is derived from animal or vegetable matter. What does organic mean? What does Non-GMO mean? What is natural? What are Smart Labels?



Organic Food practices strive to foster cycling of resources that promotes ecological balance and conserves biodiversity. Organic food is food produced by methods that comply with the standards of organic farming. Standards vary worldwide. Organizations regulating organic products may restrict the use of certain pesticides and fertilizers in the farming methods used to produce such products. In general, organic foods are also usually not processed using irradiation, industrial solvents, or synthetic food additives.

Organic Farming relies on fertilizers of organic origin such as compost manure, green manure, and bone meal and places emphasis on techniques such as crop rotation and companion planting. Biological pest control, mixed cropping and the fostering of insect predators are encouraged. In general, organic standards are designed to allow the use of naturally occurring substances while prohibiting or strictly limiting synthetic substances. For instance, naturally occurring pesticides such as pyrethrin and rotenone are permitted, while synthetic fertilizers and pesticides are generally prohibited. Synthetic substances that are allowed include, for example, copper sulfate, elemental sulfur and Ivermectin. Genetically modified organisms, nanomaterials, human sewage sludge, plant growth regulators, hormones, and antibiotic use in livestock husbandry are prohibited. Reasons for advocation of organic farming include advantages in sustainability, openness, self-sufficiency, autonomy/independence, health, food security, and food safety. Organic agricultural methods are internationally regulated and legally enforced by many nations, based in large part on the standards set by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), an international umbrella organization for organic farming organizations established in 1972. Organic agriculture can be defined as: an integrated farming system that strives for sustainability, the enhancement of soil fertility and biological diversity whilst, with rare exceptions, prohibiting synthetic pesticides, antibiotics, synthetic fertilizers, genetically modified organisms, and growth hormones. (Also known as a Bio-Farmer or Eco-Farmer). Non-GMO - Natural.

Organic Farming by Country (wiki) - Organic Food Websites.

Healthful is something conducive to good health of body or mind. Free from filth and pathogens.

Biodynamic Agriculture is a form of alternative agriculture very similar to organic farming. It treats soil fertility, plant growth, and livestock care as ecologically interrelated tasks, emphasizing spiritual and mystical perspectives. Biodynamic plants are grown in the ground in living soil, which provides a quality of health and nutrition not possible with chemical fertilizers or hydroponic growing. Biodynamic farms aspire to generate their own fertility through composting, integrating animals, cover cropping, and crop rotation.

New theory sheds light on how the environment influences human health. A newly proposed component is the biodynamic interface, which may better explain how humans interact with their environment.

Organic Farming Research
Organic Farming Research Foundation
Soil Association for Organic Growers
National Organic Program

Organic Food is a lot cheaper than chemo and also costs a lot less than all the medical bills that comes from eating unhealthy foods. Organic food is healthy for the consumers, the farmers and the environment. This is why we also need to have healthy water, healthy energy, healthy homes and a healthy education system, this way, everyone wins.

Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners
Northeast Organic Farming Association
Organic Consumers Association
Organic Farming and Conventional Farming Comparison (PDF)
Student-run Organic Farm thrives at traditional land-grant university

Farmland LP converts conventional farmland into certified organic, and the builds long-term value by implementing sustainable farming practices.

Organic Landscaping

National Organic Standards Board
National Organic Standards Board (NOSB)
Codes
Research Publication
Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems
Organic Farming Systems (PDF)
Bioscience Oxford Journals
Environmental Impacts
Organic Trade Association
Organic Program Regulations (PDF)
Agricultural Marketing Service
Organic Pesticides

Urban Chickens - Backyard Chickens

Fast Growing Plants - Supercharged Photosynthesis

Hydroponics - Aquaponics (vertical farming)

Plant Breeding - Foraging Wild Edible Plants - Forest Gardens

Agrarian Society is any society whose economy is based on producing and maintaining crops and farmland.

Environmental Education - Environmental Websites - Environmental News

What Does Organic Mean

Organic Matter refers to the large pool of carbon-based compounds found within natural and engineered, terrestrial and aquatic environments. It is matter composed of organic compounds that have come from the remains of organisms such as plants and animals and their waste products in the environment. Organic molecules can also be made by chemical reactions that don't involve life. Basic structures are created from cellulose, tannin, cutin, and lignin, along with other various proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates. Organic matter is very important in the movement of nutrients in the environment and plays a role in water retention on the surface of the planet. Organic matter is something with organic compounds that you add to the soil as an amendment. In simple terms, it is decaying plant or animal material. This most commonly includes: compost, green manure, leaf mold, and animal manure. Organic matter in terms of weight is 45–55% carbon, 35–45% oxygen, 3–5% hydrogen, 1–4% nitrogen. Inorganic.

Organic Compound is any member of a large class of gaseous, liquid, or solid chemical compounds whose molecules contain carbon.

Economics- and policy-driven Organic Carbon Input enhancement dominates Soil Organic Carbon Accumulation in Chinese croplands. Soil organic carbon (C) stock in Chinese croplands increased by about 140 kg C ha−1 year−1 from 1980 to 2011. This soil organic C sequestration was largely due to drastic changes in management practices, such as fertilization, tillage, and residue treatments, induced by economic and policy incentives. Our analysis also indicates that excessive N inputs and inability to incorporate residue C into deeper soils will likely constrain the future C sequestration in Chinese croplands. These findings provide new insights into the causes and limitations of economics- and policy-driven soil C sequestration in China and offer some guidance for soil C management in many developing countries that are going through the similar economic and social transformations.

Compounds of Carbon are defined as chemical substances containing carbon. More compounds of carbon exist than any other chemical element except for hydrogen. Organic carbon compounds are far more numerous than inorganic carbon compounds. In general bonds of carbon with other elements are covalent bonds. Carbon is tetravalent but carbon free radicals and carbenes occur as short-lived intermediates. Ions of carbon are carbocations and carbanions are also short-lived. An important carbon property is catenation as the ability to form long carbon chains and rings. Carbon Capture.

Inorganic Compound is a compound that is not organic. The term is not well defined, but in its simplest definition refers simply to compounds that do not contain carbon, and not consisting of or deriving from living matter.

Polyphenol are a structural class of mainly natural, but also synthetic or semisynthetic, organic chemicals characterized by the presence of large multiples of phenol structural units.

What Does Organic Food Mean

We know from experience that we should not always trust labels, though we are forced to do so at times. Mostly because we have no way of confirming the accuracy of the label, and even if we did, we still have no way of understanding the whole process or all the impacts of those processes. Most people don't know that the word Natural can be misleading and false. Sadly the same goes for organic. But we still have to choose Organic because we know it's a step in the right direction and also a vote for healthier food and a vote for a healthier planet. The best way to confirm the quality of your food is to know the source. That's one of the main reasons why local farming is extremely important. If a farmer disclosed everything involved in their farming operations, like soil test results, seeds used, machines used, and the location of the farm and whether it's near anything that could contaminate the food, you would have a much better chance of getting the highest quality food possible. You also want to know if the farm has good labor practices and treats their workers fairly. You also want to know if the farm treats the land with respect and does not pollute any streams or rivers nearby. You also want to know if the farm treats their neighbors with respect as well. You also want to know if the farm treats their animals humanely and doesn't feed the animals unhealthy products or use antibiotics or other chemicals. "You are what you eat, you are also what your food eats too." You also have to know the inspector who certifies the farm and whether the farm is following all the rules. So we also need to have a rating on the inspectors too, because not all inspectors can be trusted. We also need to know all the chemicals that are used, even if they are known to be safe. We still need to know how much chemicals were used, how often they were used, why they were used, where they were used, and how they were applied. We also have to know where these chemicals came from and whether that company is following all the rules too, and whether all the people who play a part in their processes are also following all the rules. So we have to define all the rules and we also have to know if they are being followed. We don't want any hidden costs, we need everything disclosed. Because if you don't count the things that matter then knowing how to count won't matter. The cost of bad eating habits, and the cost of poor quality food is enormous, costing billions in healthcare and lose of life, and the pollution of water and land.

It takes over 3 years for soil to rid itself of bad pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, toxins, and heavy metals

What are Organic Regulations? what does it mean to be Organically Certified? - PDF

Organic Farming Information - Crop-Based Foods.

Organic Crops have Higher in Beneficial Antioxidants and Less in Pesticides - PDF

The Organic Effect (youtube) - Family reduces pesticides in their blood by eating organic food.

Organically Grown Foods may offer Greater Health and Safety than Foods Conventionally Grown

Organic management practices identified by the Food and Agriculture Organization. The Food and Agriculture Organization identified organic management practices as follows: Soil management practices include increasing humus content and biological activity as well as meeting mineral deficiency of soils: manipulation of crop rotations and strip-cropping: deep and shallow rooted plants bring different nutrients to the surface; different crops require different nutrients; growing green manure; undersowing; application of rock dust, manure, crop and agro-industry residues, household waste, compost; soil tillage, such as use of an implement which aerates the soil.

Pest management practices include: Manipulation of crop rotations, to minimize survival of crop-specific pests (in the form of, for example, insect eggs, fungi) which can infest the next crop; strip cropping, to moderate spreading of pests over large areas; manipulation of pH-level or moisture level of the soil (in irrigated areas);manipulation of planting dates, to plant at a time most optimal for the crop, or least beneficial for the pest; adjustment of seeding rates, to achieve an optimal rate given the need to crowd out weeds or avoid insects; use of appropriate plant varieties and livestock breeds for local conditions; implementation of stock culling programmes, which emphasize genetic resistance against certain diseases; use of stock buying programmes, which minimize the import of diseases onto the farm; limiting field size, which aids in weed management by livestock; biological control methods, to encourage natural enemies of pests by providing habitat (for example hedges) or by breeding and releasing them in areas where they are required; trapping insects, possibly with the use of lures such as pheromones; biological pesticides (for example, derris dust, pyrethrum, rotenone) of which the active ingredient is short-lasting, and which may be produced locally.

Post-harvest practices include: In temperate countries, grains can be well conserved when harvested and stocked in conditions which allow air circulation (in jute sacs, ventilated silos, etc.); in tropical countries, humidity and high temperatures pose problems which can be overcome through: harvesting at complete maturity and during dry weather; storing without stripping off the bark; drying of grains under the sun before storing; mixing sand, china-clay, or wood ash to grains; adding little quantities of nut oil to niebe grains (very effective on weevil); addition of smoke or certain plants to repel insects; etc.; in ancient Europe and the Mediterranean basin, grains were stored in buried pits for several years: the anaerobic conditions of these pits prevented insect proliferation and the grains underwent an initial fermentation which protected it from insects and mouldiness, despite the high degree of humidity; traditional procedures allow conservation and enhancement of the nutritional value of cereals and leguminous, such as: fomenting rice (rice is bathed, steamed and dried) destroys insect eggs; transforming wheat in bourghoul (wheat is germinated, boiled, dried and crushed) enriches the cereal with vitamins and essential amino-acids (lysine) and pre-digest starch; fermenting certain leguminous (for example, soy in the Far East and nere in Africa) gives high nutritional quality products which can be conserved for years; fermented fish sauce (nuoc-nam) allows simple fish conservation and offers an alternative to fish drying, especially that the latter entails inevitable losses in tropical conditions.

Food and Agriculture Organization

Organic Production Data - Organic Production Documentation

Organic Faqs

Two-Stage Determinants of the Organic Food Retailing Landscape: The Case of Manhattan, New York

Farmers Markets

Chefs Garden is a specialty vegetable farm in Huron, Ohio. Elite chefs seeking perfection, in vegetable form and flavor. Micro-greens to the tiny eggplants and cucumelons. Squash blossoms that are only harvested during a narrow hour-and-a-half window in the early morning.

Sikkim is a state in northeastern India. It borders Tibet in the north and northeast, Bhutan in the east, Nepal in the west, and West Bengal in the south. Sikkim is also located close to India's Siliguri Corridor near Bangladesh. Sikkim is the least populous and second smallest among the Indian states. A part of the Eastern Himalaya, Sikkim is notable for its biodiversity, including alpine and subtropical climates, as well as being a host to Kangchenjunga, the highest peak in India and third highest on Earth. Sikkim's capital and largest city is Gangtok. Almost 35% of the state is covered by the Khangchendzonga National Park. Sikkim Organic Mission: Frame policy of organic farming in the state. Prepare a clear cut implementable road map of organic farming. To implement the programmes of organic farming with a systematic approach to achieve the target set by the Govt. To develop and explore markets of Organic commodities. To develop linkage between the organic farmers and the market with intervention of certification agencies so as to continue the policy permanently. To develop Sikkim organic brand with proper logo. To make farming profitable, sustainable and environmentally acceptable.

Responsibly Grown

Labels should tell us what's relevant and important, and not just the ingredients.

Whole Foods on Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2014 plans to start rolling out a system that ranks fruits and vegetables as "good," ''better" or "best" based on the supplier's farming practices. Responsibly Grown labeling system for produce and flowers will prohibit the use of several common pesticides. Eliminating the use of certain pesticides that studies have indicated can be harmful to farm workers and children born to mothers exposed to them. Farms have to take 16 steps to "protect the air, soil, water and human health." The rankings will also take into account factors such as water and energy use. The grocery chain already has ranking systems for meat and seafood, which takes into account animal welfare and sustainability standards, respectively. We need more people to perform on-site audits. Pattie Maes demos the Sixth Sense (youtube)

Food Scores - Food Scores App

How Good Ratings - Good Guide Ratings

Counting the things that Matter - Product Lifecycle - Fair Trade

The trade routes that threaten biodiversity

Sustainable Seafood Calculator - Ocean Data

Field to Market - Sustainable Calculator - Does it Add Up? - True Cost Accounting

Big data shows how what we buy affects endangered species What if the soybeans used to make that tofu you ate last night were grown in fields that were hewn out of tropical rainforests? Or if that tee-shirt you bought came from an industrial area that had been carved out of high-value habitat in Malaysia?

Food Sensors - Testing Food for Quality

Traceability is the capability to trace something. In some cases, it is interpreted as the ability to verify the history, location, or application of an item by means of documented recorded identification. Other common definitions include the capability (and implementation) of keeping track of a given set or type of information to a given degree, or the ability to chronologically interrelate uniquely identifiable entities in a way that is verifiable. Traceability is applicable to measurement, supply chain, software development, healthcare and security. Environmental Monitoring Technologies.

What's in my food? What's on my food? Who grew the food? Is the farmer accountable and transparent?

SCiO: Your Sixth Sense. A Pocket Molecular Sensor For All.

My DX is a Portable Handheld Chemical Analyzer Sensor with electronic nose nanotechnology to accurately measure chemicals and test samples of interest in nearly any solid, liquid, or gas sample, anywhere, anytime.

Sense of Smell (olfactory system)

Artificial Intelligent Sensors - Smartphone Sensors - Food Fraud

Intelligent and Active Labels could revolutionize food communication. The EIT Food-funded Smart Tags project is working with consumers, producers and retailers to develop smart labelling similar to QR codes. These active and intelligent labels will allow shoppers to get rapid and better information about food and drinks they consume. Documents.

Monitoring the Environment (boots on the ground and eyes in the sky's) - Eco-Monitoring

Nutrient Testing - Health Sensors - Microscopy

The NuVal System scores food on a scale of 1-100. The higher the NuVal Score, the better the nutrition.

Gas Chromatography is a common type of chromatography used in analytical chemistry for separating and analyzing compounds that can be vaporized without decomposition. Typical uses of GC include testing the purity of a particular substance, or separating the different components of a mixture (the relative amounts of such components can also be determined). In some situations, GC may help in identifying a compound. In preparative chromatography, GC can be used to prepare pure compounds from a mixture.

Chromatography is a laboratory technique for the separation of a mixture. The mixture is dissolved in a fluid called the mobile phase, which carries it through a structure holding another material called the stationary phase. The various constituents of the mixture travel at different speeds, causing them to separate. The separation is based on differential partitioning between the mobile and stationary phases. Subtle differences in a compound's partition coefficient result in differential retention on the stationary phase and thus affect the separation. Chromatography may be preparative or analytical. The purpose of preparative chromatography is to separate the components of a mixture for later use, and is thus a form of purification. Analytical chromatography is done normally with smaller amounts of material and is for establishing the presence or measuring the relative proportions of analytes in a mixture. The two are not mutually exclusive.

New research could provide better food and faster analysis of blood tests. Gas chromatographic analysis in the food industry can be used to reveal food fraud. Gas chromatography using mass spectrometry (GC-MS) is widely used in the food industry. For example, all large companies that work with fermentation will use this method of analysis to measure how the microorganisms in a fermentation develop and affect the final product. For example, if you produce a cheese, the taste and aroma develop differently depending on the microbiological culture you add and how you treat the cheese during production. Gas chromatography can be used to measure the chemical elements that together form the aroma profile of the cheese. So if you, for example, want a more fruity or nutty aroma, you could try to change the production and then measure whether you have formed more of the chemicals behind the desired flavour profile. The method of interpretation could also help give smaller food companies access to highly advanced analytical methods that can help companies with product optimisation, quality assurance and raw material identification.

Food Whistleblower - Food Integrity - Smart Labels - Supply Chain Traceability

Indicator Labels are used for detecting ammonia gas and are useful for monitoring the freshness of foods such as meat, shrimp and fish because of its simple detection methods. Once exposed with ammonia gas, the color of the label from Whatman paper changes from red to purplish brown and then to yellow. Each chemical indicator label provides distinct color change when exposed to the sterilization process. Has date and operator fields on label. Pressure-sensitive indicator for use in dry-heat sterilization processes.

Wine Fraud can be determined with 100% accuracy using a novel technique of molecular fingerprinting fluorescence spectroscopy, a technology that analyses fluorescence of molecules using a beam of light that excites the electrons in molecules of certain compounds and causes them to emit light. Wine authentication can help to avoid any uncertainty around wine labeling according to origin, variety, or vintage.

Food Labels should tell us these important factors. Nutrition Levels (Vitamin and Mineral levels-Raw and Cooked, and what this food goes good with) Label Meanings. Environmental Impact Level (pesticides, locally grown, non-gmo, farming methods, energy used to process, packaging)

I'm not against products, I'm just totally against cheap products that don't last and waste resources, energy, people, time and money. These products serve no purpose other then killing the environment and killing people. This is why we need an accurate and reliable rating system that says this product meets the highest standards of sustainability and intelligence, if it doesn't have this seal of approval, then people should not buy it. If people do buy this cheap and ignorant product, that means they are voting for ignorant and criminal behavior to continue to hurt innocent people. The FDA is too slow and corrupt. The FDA drags their feet as people are dying. We need better system that works. The FDA, politicians and certain corporations are basically saying, "we are f*cking scumbags and we don't give a sh*t about people or this planet." These are the people that need to be in jail, not small time offenders, put these mass murders behind bars. They are Terrorists. So why are they not arrested? Justice for some.

Quality Control - Food Safety - Ratings - Feedback

Coops - Farm to Fridge - Food Labels - Value Measuring

Environmental effects of purchasing, consuming mislabeled fish. Seafood is the world's most highly traded food commodity, and reports of seafood mislabeling have increased over the past decade. However, proof of the environmental effects of mislabeled seafood has been scant as has research. So, researchers analyzed the impact of seafood mislabeling on marine population health, fishery management effectiveness, and habitats and ecosystems in the United States, the world's largest seafood importer. The study found that approximately 190,000 to 250,000 tons of mislabeled seafood are sold in the United States each year, or 3.4% to 4.3% of consumed seafood. What's more, the substituted seafood was 28% more likely to be imported from other countries, which may have weaker environmental laws than the United States. Bait and Switch.

Digital Food - vpro backlight (youtube)

Food Market Designs shouldn't be about sales, designs should be about education. People don't need manipulation, people need education.

Clothes Labels - Labels should tell people the Whole Story

Shirt Label: 100% cotton. Made in Cambodia by Behnly, 9 years old. He gets up at 5:00 am every morning to make his way to the garment factory where he works. It will be dark when he arrives and dark when he leaves. He dresses lightly because the temperature in the room he works reaches 30 degrees. The dust in the room fills his nose and mouth. He will make less than a
dollar, for a day spent slowly suffocating. A mask would cost the company ten cents. 

Shirt Label: 100% cotton. Made in Bangladesh by Joya who left school at the age of 12 to help support her two brothers and newly widowed mother. Her father was killed when a fire ripped through the cotton factory where he works. She now works in the building across the street from the burned down factory. A constant reminder of the risk she takes every day.

Canadian Fair Trade Network

Noy Thrupkaew: Human Trafficking is all around you, this is how it works (video)

Of course this is only half the story, the other half is the environmental impacts, and so on. The Value of Money.

14 Expert Ways To Tell If Clothes Are Well-Made Or Super Cheap.