So when starting out on this journey of learning I quickly became overwhelmed with information. There are a lot of theories about what is healthy and what is not. It’s hard to tell what good information is and what is bad because I lacked the basics. So we are going to have to start at the beginning. That beginning is, What does it mean to be organic?
I started with what Merriam-Webster has to say, here Merriam-Webster “of, relating to, yielding, or involving the use of food produced with the use of feed or fertilizer of plant or animal origin without employment of chemically formulated fertilizers, growth stimulants, antibiotics, or pesticides”
That seems to be simple and straight forward definition. As I dig into this organic lifestyle I find there is a lot of nuances to it in government regulation and marketplace practice. That being said the starting point is, “organic” refers to the way agricultural products are grown and processed. Organic farming practices use natural methods for pest and weed control, as well as the avoidance of synthetic chemicals, antibiotics, hormones, and genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
For crops, this means using natural fertilizers like compost or manure instead of synthetic ones, rotating crops to maintain soil health, and using methods like mulching and crop rotation to control pests. For livestock, organic practices often involve providing animals with organic feed, allowing them access to the outdoors, and avoiding the use of antibiotics and growth hormones.
In the United States and in the European Union, there are regulations and certifications that define what can be labeled as “organic.” This is the marketplace nuances that I mentioned earlier. These certifications ensure that products labeled as organic meet certain standards and have been produced using approved organic practices. Many other countries adhere to these standards and practices as well.