The main difference between organic food and regular food is that organic crops are grown using organic manure and natural methods, while regular food is produced with the use of chemicals and artificial growing methods.
We can categorize the food we eat into two basic categories as organic food and regular food. The difference between organic and regular foods lies in the method of food production.
Key Areas Covered
1. What is Organic Food
– Definition, Features, Production
2. What is Regular Food
– Definition, Features, Production
3. Similarities Between Organic Food and Regular Food
– Outline of Common Features
4. Difference Between Organic Food and Regular Food
– Comparison of Key Differences
Key Terms
Organic Food, Regular Food
What is Organic Food
Framers grow organic food without using artificial chemicals or pesticides. They use natural and organic fertilizers for the growth of vegetables, fruits, and plants. Organic food farming focuses on producing food in healthy environments without the influence of artificial chemicals. Furthermore, organic farmers use many natural and organic methods to enhance the quality of the crop. They use techniques like crop rotation and covering the crops to enhance the quality of the soil. At the same time, organic farmers use methods like mechanical weeding to manage weeds without using weedicides. In organic crop cultivation, both crop rotation and trap crops are used to control the harm caused by insects and pests. Furthermore, natural fertilizers like manure help to increase the yield and quality of organically grown crops.
The most popular and famous organic products among consumers are fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy products, and meat. Evidence shows that organically grown foods have more nutrition than conventionally grown crops. In addition, organic milk and dairy products may contain higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids and slightly higher amounts of iron.
What is Regular Food
Regular or conventional food is produced using chemicals to control pests and diseases and to increase the yield of the product. In addition to crops, regular food also includes items like dairy products and meat. Regular milk has growth hormones that are specific to each species. Moreover, cattle farmers give estrogen to cattle to increase the meat yield. This can sometimes cause harm to human beings. At the same time, in order to increase the production of meat, antibiotics are given to cattle. These antibiotics also directly help in developing drug-resistant bacteria and transferring them to humans, making it difficult to treat infections.
Since pesticides and weedicides are used in regular food production, humans are directly exposed to harmful chemicals. This exposure to chemicals can cause severe health hazards in the human body. This may cause health issues like reduced cognitive skills and reduced memory. At the same time, exposure to pesticides may cause diseases like Parkinson’s and cause cancers in the human body. In addition to the abovementioned side effects, there is a high chance of increasing autism with exposure to pesticides.
Similarities Between Organic Food and Regular Food
- Both organic and regular foods provide nutrition.
- Organic farmers and conventional farmers use various methods to increase the yield of their crops.
Difference Between Organic Food and Regular Food
Definition
Organic food is food grown without using artificial chemicals and pesticides, whereas regular or conventional food is food produced using chemicals to control pests and diseases and to increase the yield of the products.
Methods
Organic farmers use organic and natural methods to increase the yields of crops, whereas farmers more artificial methods to produce regular food.
Fertilizer
Organic farmers use natural fertilizers like manure, while farmers who grow regular food use artificial chemicals as fertilizers.
Control of Threats
Although organic farmers use techniques like mechanical weeding, cover crops, and crop rotation to minimize threats to crops, in regular food production, farmers use weedicides and pesticides to control weeds and pests.
Effects
The use of organic foods is healthy since they do not contain harmful chemicals, whereas the use of regular foods causes some severe health hazards since they contain harmful chemicals.
Conclusion
The main difference between organic food and regular food is that organic crops are grown using organic manure and natural methods, while regular food is produced with the use of chemicals and artificial growing methods. In addition, regular food may contain harmful chemicals and cause several health hazards.
Reference:
1. “Organic Food.” Wikipedia. Wikipedia Foundation.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Organic food background. View from above” By Marco Verch Professional Photography (CC BY 2.0) via Flickr
2. “Pesticides_GWP Credit, agriculture” By Global Water Partnership (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) via Flickr
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