One development however I am very concerned about and that's the impact of high tech greenhouse farming. In Spain for instance, the intensive cultivation of foods is great for consumers around the EU however it's wrecking havoc with local environments.

Another scenario, being extensively trialled in Japan is that of suspending plants in the air in a greenhouse. The greenhouse is then sprayed with water infused with minerals. Because the environment within the greenhouse is controlled no pesticides or fungicides are needed and hence these "soil-less" plants can be labelled organic.

In both cases it's clear the word organic is no longer the soulful, life-loving term we associate with naturally grown foods free from genocide.

For my part, I've added 5 fruit trees and 3 fruit bushes to my garden since moving to this house a couple of years ago and I have to say come harvest time you can't beat homegrown! I just let the apple trees do their thing all year long, give them a splash of water if it gets very hot and that's pretty much it. Suprising how easy it is to eat organic, support a greater biodiversity and get some more trees working on that greenhouse effect!

Thanks

And by introducing them into agricultural fields there is the very real danger that if something does turn out to be environmentally harmful, it may be very difficult, or impossible, to remove from the environment.

On a grand scale, the only problem is that organic farmin does not scale up for populations in the millions or billions of people.

It would require social, economic and cultural changes in many societies, if they were to attempt to promote organic food for the majority of their population.

I agree with going organic, but I think a better way is to go local. Most of the times locally grown produce is organic and less travelled. On top of that, you can get local produce at a lower price that produce found in the grocery store.

I totally agree that going local should be the priority for anybody looking to lessen their impact on the world.

I have been buying vegetables and meat locally for over 2 years now and not only is the food generally of a better quality than supermarkets it is also comparable in cost.

I think too many big organisations have jumped on the organic bandwagon and we are starting to lose sightof the the whole point of it: Is organic lettuce from Spain really the best option?

However, as a traditional farmer I'm continually dissapointed that so many within the organic movement portray it not as simple preference but the only morally-responsible choice that can be made, often making claims (like some of those mentioned in your list) with no real scientific basis that are intended to scare people from traditional products.

In the interest of time, I'll only directly respond to one of your "reasons"...#4. This is so far from reality I can't even laugh at it. Not only would the milk from dairy cows be discarded before it ever was pumped into the processing facility (milk is tested several times between farm and jug and any trace of antibiotic gets it dumped), but any farmer or rancher who tried to administer this type of regimen would go broke within a week. Livestock receive periodic vaccinations and are given anti-biotics only when necessary to fight against illness. Farmers and ranchers follow FDA-mandated guidelines for administering any type of drug or supplement, as well as FDA-mandated milk and meat withholding periods. To do otherwise would jeopardize both our animals and our consumers, which would quickly destroy our businesses from both ends.

By the way, I'll respond to #10 as well. Several generations of kids in my family have been playing in the fields and forests on our farm over the last 100+ years, and my son sure seems to be having the same fun I had 25 years ago.

As I said in the beginning, I have nothing against anyone who chooses to purchase or act as an advocate for organic food. Just keep the disingenuous, unfounded, nonsensical rhetoric about traditional methods to a minimum, if you don't mind.

Mike-