Philosophically Speaking (2 of 4)
by Carol Vracarich, Editor and Publisher

Another term I find of peculiar interest is “organic”—food which is grown without chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides. In the case of animal products, there are no growth hormones, antibiotics, and inhumane breeding practices, such as raising chickens on top of each other in a tiny space, without benefit of grass, insects, and fresh air. Instead, organic fields are fertilized with products that nurture the food and the land, and organic animals are raised with fresh grass if they’re milk producers, with the ability to run around the yard and eat bugs if they’re egg-layers, and so on.

This all may sound like a perfectly natural way to grow food and raise animals, and it’s certainly how it used to be, even though food wasn’t then called “organic”.  But use “organic” as a descriptor today, and you may find out that to some people, it sounds like a suspicious concept. “Organic? Are you a left-wing radical, or something? Or maybe you just have a lot of money?”

BACK | MORE