Olea Stevens, Suzana Kayan, Oksana Kayan, Aziz Alnassar Sustainability Ad Campaign 11-26-13

You Are What You Eat: Eat Organic

The purpose of our campaign, in a nutshell, is to promote organic agriculture. We want consumers to buy and eat organic food in order to protect their health and the health of agricultural workers. Buying organic, locally grown food will also support small farmers and help them to withstand the pressures of going corporate. And you will feel great eating it! The benefits of eating organic food are ample. For one, eating organic protects consumers health, by keeping their diets free of pesticides and herbicides. After all, bugs eat a lot of things that would be inedible to humans. If pesticides are killing bugs, what are the consequences of pesticides on the human body? Choosing to eat organic will decrease your exposure to pesticides, and make you feel great. Studies show that agricultural workers whose job is to apply pesticides/herbicides often suffer from health problems which correlate with long-term exposure to the chemicals. Health problems that have possible-correlation to pesticide use include cancer, hypertension, and arteriosclerosis, among others (Igbedioh, 1991). Buying organic food doesnt support this type of employee exploitation. Buying organic and locally grown foods will let consumers feel good about their purchases, because they will know that no ones health was jeopardized in the production process.

Organic agriculture is also more sustainable in that it maintains the health of the soil better than conventional agriculture. Conventional agriculture strips the soil of nutrients. Then fertilizer is applied, putting no nutrients back into the soil. Organic agriculture, however, uses manure to replenish the bounty of the soil and keep it rich with nutrients. Consumers should shop at the farmers market to get good deals on fresh organic produce. Buying local organic food supports small farmers who may otherwise give into corporate takeover. Buying small-farm produce will help to ensure that locally produced foods will continue to be available, and that they will not be taken over by huge corporations. One downfall of organic food is the price. Organic foods are generally cheaper than their conventional equivalents and therefore unaffordable for many. According to Battistoni (2012), the U.S. spends only about 6% of total household expenditure on food, while France and Kenya, for instance, pay 14% and 45% respectively. Apparently, U.S. consumers dont realize the true value of food. Paying a little more for good food, should not be a problem for consumers. Consumers need to realize that quality food is an investment in their health. After all, would you rather be eating pesticides, or have a little extra money? Return your iPhones and buy organic! Another downfall of organic agriculture is that the crop yields are lower than that of conventional agriculture. Some say that there is no way organic agriculture can feed the worlds enormous population. Before the development of pesticides, however, the world was doing fine with organic agriculture. Todays larger population means more people to feed, but also means that there are more people to produce food. Instead, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (2005), 1.9% of employed workforce works in agriculture (2000) as opposed to 41% in 1900 (p. 2). If more people worked in the agricultural field, then perhaps enough organic food could be produced to feed the world.

Consumers should buy/eat organic foods for their health and that of agricultural workers, and to support local organic farms. Feel good and guilt-free about supporting small farmers while eating delicious and wholesome organic food. You are what you eat, so eat right (organic) and feel good!

References Battistoni, Alyssa. (2012, February 1). America spends less on food than any other country. Mother Jones. Igbedioh, S. O. (1991). Effects of agricultural pesticides on humans, animals, and higher plants in developing countries. Archives of Environmental Health, 46(4), 218. Retrieved from: http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA11119862&v=2.1&u=s1185784&it=r& p=AONE&sw=w&asid=af8bf84a2340fd0e9fc6155096f50563 United States Department of Agriculture. (2005). The 20th century transformation of U.S. agriculture and farm policy. Economic information bulletin: no. 3. Retrieved from: http://www.ers.usda.gov/media/259572/eib3_1_.pdf