Biodynamics: Beyond Organic
Posted: 28 Dec 2012, 19:25
http://primaldocs.com/opinion/biodynami ... d-organic/
Now that organic has become mainstream, should we really hold organic as the gold standard when it comes to food production? Many million-dollar companies produce organic foods and products that are nowhere near healthy. Organic cookies and potato chips are still junk foods and are not healthier options than the conventional kinds. It seems that the term organic has been associated with healthy for mostly marketing purposes these days. This is referring mostly to processed and packaged foods, of course. But even foods such as organic produce, eggs, dairy, poultry and meat aren’t all they’re cracked up to be.
Organic certification sort of implies that the food or product has been made with the environment in mind, that is, with minimal impact on the ecosystem, but what the organic label really means is that crops must be produced without the use of genetically modified organisms, synthetic fertilizers, sewage and irradiation and livestock be raised according to animal health and welfare standards (which are not well-defined), have some access to the outdoors and are not given antibiotics or growth hormones or genetically modified feed. Natural or organic pesticides (these can be just as bad as synthetic ones) and manure from animals from factory farms (manure that can contain drug, pesticide and heavy metal residues) can be used on organic crops. Animals may still be kept in unnatural and crowded conditions, eating unnatural diets of grains that pre-dispose them to illness.
There are other labels as well that are worth considering. The term “natural” on foods and products has no meaning whatsoever. “Humanely-raised” and “pasture-raised” labels are loosely defined by the USDA. “Grass-fed” means the animals had eaten grass for most of their lives but it does not mean that they have not been fed grains and they may have been exposed to pesticides or given hormones and antibiotics. “Free-range” and “cage-free” means the animals have had access to the outdoors but you don’t know how large the area is or how much time they spent there. Ruminants like cows, goats, and sheep are meant to be eating growing grass and other plants their entire lives. Poultry and pigs are omnivores and should be allowed to forage and eat plants and animal foods (such as insects, worms, small rodents, snakes, etc.) that are typically found in their natural environments. You should be opting for truly free-range, grass-fed and grass-finished organic meat that has been humanely raised and slaughtered. Fish and seafood should be wild and caught in an ecologically sustainable manner.
The USDA organic seal is only allowed on products that contain 95% or more of organic ingredients. So the remaining 5% can be made of stuff you wouldn’t want to be eating like synthetic chemicals, many of which have not been thoroughly tested on humans. Still, organic, minimally processed and minimally refined foods are much better than their conventional counterparts. Organic foods contain more nutrients and less chemicals than conventional foods. But if you were to choose between organic produce that has traveled thousands of miles before reaching the store versus locally grown, but not organic produce found at the farmers’ market, you may be better off choosing the fresher product from the farmers’ market. Also, it’s more important to obtain animal foods as close to what nature intended as possible since you are eating whatever the animal has eaten over the course of its lifetime. This is especially important if you eat animals that are higher in the food chain.
The more steps involved in the process from farm to your plate, the unhealthier it is because nutrients become depleted with time and there are more risks you take with contamination and food-borne illnesses due to improper handling. Most cases of food-borne illnesses involve processed and packaged foods produced by large companies, not from small farmers and businesses. That’s why it’s so important to visit farms and farmers’ markets and find out and see how they produce their food and purchase directly from them. Other alternatives would be to join a CSA or co-op, since these organizations work directly with farmers.
There is a better choice when it comes to food and that is biodynamics. Biodynamic standards exceed organic standards and biodynamics is the gold standard for food production. Biodynamic farming is a holistic approach that takes the whole ecosystem into consideration. It’s based on the premise that all things are interconnected and therefore everything plays a vital role in the farming process. A biodynamic farm is a self-sustainable system that pays attention to the natural cycles and energies of the earth, and is even mindful of astrological influences. It promotes bio-diversity and renewability. Everything is efficiently recycled back into the farm, with careful consideration of wildlife and the environment.
Nature decides what’s best, not man. Some of the practices employed on biodynamic farms include (but are not limited to): composting, integration of crops and livestock (and wild flora and fauna as well), tillage and crop rotation, cover cropping and use of green manure, planting according to lunar and astrological cycles, and homeopathy. Biodynamic farms are able to meet all their needs on their own and contribute to the health of the environment. This is how all farms should operate and foods from biodynamic farms are the closest to nature you can get without hunting, gathering and growing your own food.
Now that organic has become mainstream, should we really hold organic as the gold standard when it comes to food production? Many million-dollar companies produce organic foods and products that are nowhere near healthy. Organic cookies and potato chips are still junk foods and are not healthier options than the conventional kinds. It seems that the term organic has been associated with healthy for mostly marketing purposes these days. This is referring mostly to processed and packaged foods, of course. But even foods such as organic produce, eggs, dairy, poultry and meat aren’t all they’re cracked up to be.
Organic certification sort of implies that the food or product has been made with the environment in mind, that is, with minimal impact on the ecosystem, but what the organic label really means is that crops must be produced without the use of genetically modified organisms, synthetic fertilizers, sewage and irradiation and livestock be raised according to animal health and welfare standards (which are not well-defined), have some access to the outdoors and are not given antibiotics or growth hormones or genetically modified feed. Natural or organic pesticides (these can be just as bad as synthetic ones) and manure from animals from factory farms (manure that can contain drug, pesticide and heavy metal residues) can be used on organic crops. Animals may still be kept in unnatural and crowded conditions, eating unnatural diets of grains that pre-dispose them to illness.
There are other labels as well that are worth considering. The term “natural” on foods and products has no meaning whatsoever. “Humanely-raised” and “pasture-raised” labels are loosely defined by the USDA. “Grass-fed” means the animals had eaten grass for most of their lives but it does not mean that they have not been fed grains and they may have been exposed to pesticides or given hormones and antibiotics. “Free-range” and “cage-free” means the animals have had access to the outdoors but you don’t know how large the area is or how much time they spent there. Ruminants like cows, goats, and sheep are meant to be eating growing grass and other plants their entire lives. Poultry and pigs are omnivores and should be allowed to forage and eat plants and animal foods (such as insects, worms, small rodents, snakes, etc.) that are typically found in their natural environments. You should be opting for truly free-range, grass-fed and grass-finished organic meat that has been humanely raised and slaughtered. Fish and seafood should be wild and caught in an ecologically sustainable manner.
The USDA organic seal is only allowed on products that contain 95% or more of organic ingredients. So the remaining 5% can be made of stuff you wouldn’t want to be eating like synthetic chemicals, many of which have not been thoroughly tested on humans. Still, organic, minimally processed and minimally refined foods are much better than their conventional counterparts. Organic foods contain more nutrients and less chemicals than conventional foods. But if you were to choose between organic produce that has traveled thousands of miles before reaching the store versus locally grown, but not organic produce found at the farmers’ market, you may be better off choosing the fresher product from the farmers’ market. Also, it’s more important to obtain animal foods as close to what nature intended as possible since you are eating whatever the animal has eaten over the course of its lifetime. This is especially important if you eat animals that are higher in the food chain.
The more steps involved in the process from farm to your plate, the unhealthier it is because nutrients become depleted with time and there are more risks you take with contamination and food-borne illnesses due to improper handling. Most cases of food-borne illnesses involve processed and packaged foods produced by large companies, not from small farmers and businesses. That’s why it’s so important to visit farms and farmers’ markets and find out and see how they produce their food and purchase directly from them. Other alternatives would be to join a CSA or co-op, since these organizations work directly with farmers.
There is a better choice when it comes to food and that is biodynamics. Biodynamic standards exceed organic standards and biodynamics is the gold standard for food production. Biodynamic farming is a holistic approach that takes the whole ecosystem into consideration. It’s based on the premise that all things are interconnected and therefore everything plays a vital role in the farming process. A biodynamic farm is a self-sustainable system that pays attention to the natural cycles and energies of the earth, and is even mindful of astrological influences. It promotes bio-diversity and renewability. Everything is efficiently recycled back into the farm, with careful consideration of wildlife and the environment.
Nature decides what’s best, not man. Some of the practices employed on biodynamic farms include (but are not limited to): composting, integration of crops and livestock (and wild flora and fauna as well), tillage and crop rotation, cover cropping and use of green manure, planting according to lunar and astrological cycles, and homeopathy. Biodynamic farms are able to meet all their needs on their own and contribute to the health of the environment. This is how all farms should operate and foods from biodynamic farms are the closest to nature you can get without hunting, gathering and growing your own food.