Living Green: The Missing Manual

Go Organic

If you've read this far in the chapter without feeling a little queasy, you've got a strong stomach. But just because it's strong doesn't mean you want to fill it up with junk and synthetic chemicals. When your stomach starts rumbling, look for clean, healthy foods that'll feed your body, nourish your soul, and support sustainable agriculture. The following sections teach you how.

What Does "Organic" Really Mean?

In general, saying a food is organic means it was produced without any artificial substances, like chemical pesticides on crops or synthetic hormones in beef. That's the basic definition. But once governments get involved, things get more complicated. The official definition of organic depends on where you live.

In the U.S., the USDA is the agency that defines organic. It lets foods carry the "organic" label if they meet these requirements:

• Crops are grown without the use of most chemical pesticides and synthetic fertilizers (Get smart about fertilizers). Fields have to be free of these substances for at least three years before crops grown there are considered organic.

• Farmers can't use sewage sludge to fertilize crops. They can use fresh manure, but there's a waiting period between when the fertilizer is applied and when the food can be harvested. (This waiting period doesn't apply to nonorganic crops.)

• Foods have to be free of genetically modified ingredients (see Genetically Modified Foods).

• Producers can't use irradiation to kill bacteria.

• For eggs, meat, and dairy ...