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Page 26 | Abby's Magazine - www.AbbysMag.com 1. Reduce The Toxic Load: Keep Chemicals Out of the Air, Water, Soil and our Bodies Buying organic food promotes a less toxic environment for all living things. With only 0.5 percent of crop and pasture land in organic, according to USDA that leaves 99.5 percent of farm acres in the U.S. at risk of exposure to noxious agricultural chemicals. Our bodies are the environment so suppor ng organic agriculture doesn't just benefit your family, it helps all families live less toxically. 2. Reduce if Not Eliminate Off Farm Pollu on Industrial agriculture doesn't singularly pollute farmland and farm workers; it also wreaks havoc on the environment downstream. Pes cide dri affects non- farm communi es with odorless and invisible poisons. Synthe c fer lizer dri ing downstream is the main culprit for dead zones in delicate ocean environments, such as the Gulf of Mexico, where its dead zone is now larger than 22,000 square kilometers, an area larger than New Jersey, according to Science magazine, August, 2002. 3. Protect Future Genera ons Before a mother first nurses her newborn, the toxic risk from pes cides has already begun. Studies show that infants are exposed to hundreds of harmful chemicals in utero. In fact, our na on is now reaping the results of four genera ons of exposure to agricultural and industrial chemicals, whose safety was deemed on adult tolerance levels, not on children's. According to the Na onal Academy of Science, "neurologic and behavioral effects may result from low-level exposure to pes cides." Numerous studies show that pes cides can adversely affect the nervous system, increase the risk of cancer, and decrease fer lity. 4. Build Healthy Soil Mono-cropping and chemical fer lizer dependency has taken a toll with a loss of top soil es mated at a cost of $40 billion per year in the U.S., according to David Pimental of Cornell University. Add to this an equally disturbing loss of micro nutrients and minerals in fruits and vegetables. Feeding the soil with organic ma er instead of ammonia and other synthe c fer lizers has proven to increase nutrients in produce, with higher levels of vitamins and minerals found in organic food, according to the 2005 study, "Eleva ng An oxidant levels in food through organic farming and food processing," Organic Center State of Science Review (1.05) 5. Taste Be er and Truer Flavor Scien sts now know what we eaters have known all along: organic food o en tastes be er. It makes sense that strawberries taste yummier when raised in harmony with nature, but researchers at Washington State University just proved this as fact in lab taste trials where the organic berries were consistently judged as sweeter. Plus, new research verifies that some organic produce is o en lower in nitrates and higher in an oxidants than conven onal food. Let the organic feas ng begin! 6. Assist Family Farmers of all Sizes According to Organic Farming Research Founda on, as of 2006 there are approximately 10,000 cer fied organic producers in the U.S. compared to 2500 to 3,000 tracked in 1994. Measured against the two million farms es mated in the U.S. today, organic is s ll ny. Family farms that are cer fied organic farms have a double economic benefit: they are profitable and they farm in harmony with their surrounding environment. Whether the farm is a 4-acre orchard or a 4,000-acre wheat farm, organic is a beneficial prac ce that is genuinely family-friendly. 7. Avoid Hasty and Poor Science in Your Food Cloned food. GMOs and rBGH. Oh my! Interes ng how swi ly these food technologies were rushed to market, when organic fought for 13 years to become federal law. Eleven years ago, gene cally modified food was not part of our food supply; today an astounding 30 percent of our cropland is planted in GMOs. Organic is the only de facto seal of reassurance against these and other modern, lab- produced addi ons to our food supply, and the only food term with built in inspec ons and federal regulatory teeth. Top 10 Reasons to Support Organic in the 21st Century By: Dr. Alan Greene, MD