Certified Organic, Fair Trade, and Civic Agriculture Essay

Certified Organic, Fair Trade, and civil Agriculture - Essay ExampleFair trade foods have entered the market in response to soci onlyy conscious advocates that promote the long-term economic well being of farmers in developing countries or single out argonas. Civic agriculture has responded to the call of local community groups and consumer cooperatives that seek to link food to local issue as an alternative to the mass-produced and distri notwithstandinged food chain. Organic foods, fair trade products, and civic agriculture all serve separate ingests in the marketplace, each with differing drawbacks and a limited ability to serve the needs of the worlds demand for food.Organic foods ar a specialty type of farming that has risen in popularity in young years as a response to the widespread use of pesticides and herbicides that are used in commercial message farming. Many of these products have been linked to cancer and a variety of childhood ailments. Controlling weeds and pes ts in organic farming is accomplished through alternative methods that rely on weed control, instead of killing, and internal pest repellent systems. In addition, under the Federal Organic Food Production Act of 1990 fertilizers are strictly limited and prohibit the use of fertilizers containing synthetic ingredients or any commercially blended fertilizers containing materials forbidden, such as phosphorous, lime, potash, or any materials that are inconsistent with the applicable organic certification broadcast (Federal Organic Food Production Act of 1990). To be labeled as an organic food, it must be grown in accordance with US Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidelines and certified by the Department. According to the environmental Protection Agency (EPA), More than 40 private organizations and state agencies (certifiers) currently certify organic food, but their standards for growing and labeling organic food may differ. For example, some agencies may permit or prohibit disti nguishable pesticides or fertilizers in growing organic food (Organic Farming). The rigid guidelines and lack of standards has made organic foods unwieldy to market, and added complexity and confusion to the consumer wishing to consume organic foods.The organic foods market has been developing for over lambert years in the US, and while it has experienced significant growth, it is limited in its scope as a source of food. The low prices that are paid in the US for food have come to the highest degree as a result of large scale and high payoff farming techniques. These agricultural practices are not conducive to organic methods and they rely on the significant applications of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers. In addition, much of our agricultural production goes to animal feed. The millions of acres of corn and soybeans that cover the Midwest could not be organically grown. Organic foods are an excellent product for the home gardener that is concerned about the risks of ag ricultural chemicals, or the small manufacturer that is serving a niche market. The EPA states that the industry has grown from experimental garden plots to large farms with surplus products interchange under a special organic label. Food manufacturers have developed organic processed products and many an(prenominal) retail marketing chains specialize in the sale of organic products (Organic Farming). However, these products are located on specialty shelves in the supermarket, are more expensive, and the