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The trend of organic foods has been growing in a frenzy across America. Major supermarkets, such as Publix and Wal-Mart, now offer a selection of organic foods and a plethora of natural food markets exist to choose from in most areas. Personal health concerns have been on the rise as the general public becomes more educated on common harmful methods of food production. The dangerous, but widely used, approaches of agribusiness corporations are polluting our bodies and our environment at an alarming rate. More and more people are turning to the greater safety of natural foods.

The term "organic food" refers to techniques used in production. Certified organic standards require that no food labeled "organic" can be treated with chemical pesticides, radiation, genetic engineering, or have any contact with sewage sludge. Before 1940, almost all farming was organic. As industrialization bloomed, chemists isolated what they believed to be the most important nutrients in soil. In an effort by commercial food producers to maximize efficiency and profit, synthetic fertilizers were made. Most commercial fertilizers contain high levels of toxins including, but not limited to, arsenic, lead, mercury and dioxin. All four of those examples have been proven to cause serious health problems in humans. Often the toxic levels found in these fertilizers were so high that they couldn't legally be sent to a public landfill. Current commercial agriculture uses extravagant amounts of precious freshwater. Additionally, recent studies show that as much as 90% of all the surface water in the U.S. now contains some pesticide residue washed off from farming fields.

Dramatically negative statistics have emerged regarding commercial cultivation and its results. Some non-organic farmers, such as some conventional rice farmers, frequently set fire to fields after harvest. The reasoning behind this practice is to reduce disease and insect problems. Unfortunately, the resulting emissions contribute greenhouse gases to our air. Furthermore, while in storage and transit, grains and flours are often fumigated. The residue may then be transferred to people while they are consuming these products. Is a fumigated food really what you want in your stomach?

Organic farmers plant different crops year to year, which discourages bugs that are generally attracted to one specific crop. Rotating crops that way diminishes the need for unsafe manufactured fertilizer, which then lowers water and air pollution.

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