Organic food prices are rising steadily and by the looks of things, it seems that only the rich can afford to eat healthy, be healthy and stay healthy in America.
Organic food is becoming exceedingly popular as Americans begin to become more self-conscious about what they put into their bodies.
Over the last few years, it seems that Americans are going in the right direction by making healthy lifestyle choices; even McDonald’s has been forced to change its bloody, greasy, calorie-filled menu.
But the question is, how long will we be able to keep this up?
The prices of all organic products are rising, and according to an article in The New York Times, “Sticker shock in the organic aisles,” prices of organic foods will reach unfathomable highs, such as $6 for just one gallon of organic milk.
What does this mean? People will be cornered into paying high prices for organic products or they will return to eating antibiotic, pesticide and hormone-laden food products.
We also have an overwhelming problem with the way we raise and treat livestock in America.
The way the animals are treated in money-hungry slaughterhouses is utterly inhumane and the effect of these hormones on humans is still uncertain. In parts of Europe, hormone-injected meats are illegal. Why is it legal in America?
Organic meat comes from animals that are not killed in slaughterhouses, are treated humanely and not pumped with various hormones and pesticides. Organic meat bought at the grocery store can still be questionable, however. Just because there is a sticker that states that the food is organic does not really prove that it is.
The issue revolving around the food we consume in America does not just concern meat eaters; there are concerns with the way agriculture is grown as well. Many fruits and vegetables are injected with pesticides, herbicides and toxic chemicals. Some are even genetically engineered.
An article from CNN.com, “The good, the bad, and the genetically engineered,” stated, “Critics warn that tinkering with genes [of fruits and vegetables] could introduce toxins and other harmful chemicals into our food supply.”
Often times, it seems as though there is not much we can do, but there is. Being conscious and aware of what we consume is vital. Check the label and know where the produce is coming from. Also, as consumers, demanding to know what food products are chemically treated with will bring greater awareness and put pressure on the food industry to clean up its act.
Organic produce is expensive, but in the long run it is your body and your health that are at risk. One day, in a perfect world, we will have universal health care, no wars, will love our neighbors and be able to afford to eat organically.
Until that beautiful day, cut back on the new shoes and buy some good food. Go organic.
Ivana Karapandzic is a senior theatre arts major and a contributing writer for the Daily Forty-Niner.
