Dr MercolaOrganic farms have historically been small, family-run businesses producing for local markets. But as conventional agribusiness and the supermarkets move in, organic shops are expanding, being bought up, and increasingly resembling their non-organic counterparts.
Under pressure by Wal-Mart, many multinational food corporations have developed organic versions of their best-selling brands, including Heinz, General Mills, Kellogg's, Groupe Danone, Nestle, Unilever Bestfoods, RHM, Mars/Masterfoods, Kraft, Premier Foods, Northern Foods and Pepsi-Co.
You can now get “organic” ketchup, rice crispies, and ready meals -- what started out as a method of producing healthy and nutritious food is now turning out highly industrialized multi-ingredient products.
These industrial organic foods are being marketed along with vitamin-enriched products and functional foods; in the eyes of General Mills, “organic is not a revolution so much as a market niche.”
Sources:
It's Official: Organic Really is BetterCracking Down on Organic Food FraudEPA Muzzles Benefits of OrganicIt’s mainly a matter of knowing
where to find locally harvested organic foods, buying from sources you want to see thrive, and
reading packaged food labels like they’re the hottest thing from Oprah’s book club.
The fact of the matter is; true organic IS better. Both for you and for the environment.
What is Organic?
To be labeled “certified organic” by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the food must be free of most:
Pesticides
Synthetic fertilizers
Hormones
Antibiotics
Genetic modification
Irradiation
