Saturday, January 4, 2020

About Organic Food - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 1 Words: 344 Downloads: 3 Date added: 2019/08/08 Category Food Essay Level High school Tags: Organic Food Essay Did you like this example? To a consumer, organic food appears differentiated simply by a logo or claim on its packaging, but in reality, the process to bring this good to market is long and complex. As explained by the USDA, certified organic foodstuff must be grown and processed according to federal guidelines, which regulate pest and weed control, genetic modification, animal raising practices, soil quality, and use of additives (McEvoy, 2012). To receive a certification, no component of the organic good can be genetically modified. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "About Organic Food" essay for you Create order Organic produce must be raised on soil free of prohibited substances including pesticides and synthetic fertilizers, while meat standards require animals to be raised in conditions resembling natural ones without the application of antibiotics or hormones (McEvoy, 2012). Additional regulations apply to ingredients of processed foods, forbidding artificial preservatives and certain colors and flavors (McEvoy, 2012). Three classifications of labeling exist for organic products, with 100% Organic signifying the product to be made with 100% organic ingredients, Organic indicating 95% organic ingredients, and Made with organic ingredients meaning at least 70% of ingredients are organic while 30% are strictly inspected (Frequently Asked Questions, 2018). The process for a farmer to earn an organic certification is lengthy, spanning at least three years before harvest as they convert land, build natural soil fertility, and complete formalities like inspections (Frequently Asked Questions, 2018). The organic food market is rapidly growing (Appendix 1). In the midst of the Great Recession, while American consumers cut their budgets and consequently deprived most consumer product markets of revenue, this niche market demonstrated explosive growth of 5.1% to 24.8 billion (Smith, 2010). Meanwhile, food sales as a whole increased just 1.6%. In fact, organic food sales accounted for more of US total food sales in 2010 than 2000, up from 1.2% to 3.7% (Smith, 2010). More recently, each of these trends has continued on a larger scale, with the organic food market breaking above 47 billion dollars in sales in 2016 and now comprising a market share of 5.4% of total food sales (Organic Trade Association, 2017). The staggering increase in organic sales, even during a financial downturn, represents the high willingness to pay of consumers, which will be greatly expanded upon in this analysis.

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