Organic food contributes to better health through reduced pesticide exposure for all and increased nutritional quality. Who benefits? Farmworkers, consumers and children.
Farm workers live in communities near the application of toxic pesticides, where pesticide drift and water contamination are common. Farmworkers, both pesticide applicators and fieldworkers who tend to and harvest the crops, come into frequent contact with pesticides. Their families and children are then exposed to these pesticides through contact with them and their clothing.
For consumers, not only is the production of organic food better for their health and the environment than conventional production, in addition to lacking the toxic residues of conventional foods, organic food is more nutritious. Pesticide residues in food are regulated by the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA), but the tolerance levels assigned for certain pesticides, though determined “allowable”, still pose potential health risks.
Children are particularly susceptible to the effects of pesticide exposure because they have developing organ systems that are more vulnerable and less able to detoxify toxic chemicals. The only way to avoid pesticide residues is to switch to organic foods. Research has shown that switching children to an organic diet drastically reduces their exposure to organophosphates, a class of pesticides that includes the common and toxic malathion and chlorpyrifos. The most important organic food products to purchase for children are not only those that contain high residues in conventional form, but those that they consume in great quantity. For example, if children drink a lot of juice, purchasing organic juice is particularly important to reduce their pesticide exposure.
Stoop Juice has posted videos on youtube illustrating how to prepare many of their organic juices and smoothies ideal for kids and grown ups alike. Take a look and continued healthy living.