So... if you have read my my food philosophy you already know that this post is not geared towards turning you vegetarian, while I have plenty of vegetarian days and even weeks, I enjoy meat on a regular basis! Additionally if you have read any of my other blog posts you have probably figured out by now that I am a huge advocate for choosing organic produce! I might actually be an even bigger advocate for buying organic meat!
According to the FDA in order for food to meet organic standards the following must be true.
- They must be grown and processed using organic farming methods that recycle resources and promote biodiversity, which are 2 key elements of environmentally sustainable agriculture. Environmentally sustainable refers to the practice of maintaining the integrity of the soil for future use while still yielding profitable crops from it year after year. This is sometimes accomplished by the process of rotating crops.
- Crops must be grown without the use of synthetic pesticides, bioengineered genes (GMO), petroleum-based fertilizers and sewage sludge based fertilizer.
- Organic livestock must have access to the outdoors and be given no antibiotics or growth hormones.
If you notice, organic livestock actually has a component to it that we don't have to worry about in produce and that is precisely why I am particularly passionate about buying organic meats. While most all the points I will make about choosing organic foods are applicable to both plant based produce as well as animal based, I am going to focus more on the animal based produce for this post.
I will discuss each point in the organic standards individually but the only thing worth saying about point number 1 is that it doesn't much pertain to meat other than to say that this should be true of the grazing land the animals feed off of before they find their ways to our tables.
Point number 2 has several components. The first is that pesticides are not used. I won't spend much time on this either, other than to say that if you don't already know... pesticides are really bad for you, they are poison and you should avoid consuming them as much as possible. Organically raised livestock should be grazing on land free of pesticides.
On the subject of GMO's or genetically modified organisms... I am just beginning to research and understand these myself but this is what I know so far. To keep it simple, basically scientists are finding ways to isolate certain genes in one plant that are highly desirable, they then transfer these genes to another plant so that it now has the same desirable trait. A good example of this would be a plant that is highly resistant to pests or is very tolerant of cold weather. These are traits that all plants could benefit from so the idea would be to genetically modify all plants to have these characteristics. When you first hear this it sounds like a fantastic idea... and one that would drastically increase the crop yields for many farmers... but then comes the bad news. Plants, and all living organisms for that matter, are very smart. If you have ever had a garden you know that weed control is a huge problem that must be controlled and sometimes despite your best efforts the weeds always manage to thrive even when the rest of your crops are suffering. When you begin to talk about genetically modifying crops to be resistant to so many things you will inevitably get weeds that are also able to take on those same characteristics, thus creating super weeds that become harder and harder to control. Not only that but when you begin to genetically modify something there are many unknowns, like how the human body will react to consuming something that is not in its original state or how it will effect the entire ecosystem of our beneficial pollenating bugs. There have already been instances reported where GMO crops have negatively impacted the ecosystem of beneficial bugs. This is an extremely abbreviated version of why I have chosen to not support GMO food but if you are interested in reading more on the subject, I have found a really great article that weighs the pro's and con's so you can decide for yourself. You can find the article here.
Point number 3 is, in my opinion, is what makes eating organic meat so very important. I touched on the use of antibiotics and growth hormones briefly in my post about dairy which you can find here. But we will discuss them again here. Let's start with growth hormones. These are given to animals for obvious reasons, the farmers want the animals to grow bigger as fast as possible because that is what yields the quickest return for them. These hormones have been known to cause health problems in some animals and they have also been found lingering in many of the conventional dairy products we consume. These hormones are one of the major reasons why many parents are adamant about giving their children organic milk. If the hormones are causing the animals to mature faster you can bet that they are doing the same thing to our children. Many people believe these hormones are responsible for causing children to begin hitting puberty earlier and earlier and growing bigger than our previous ancestors.
Moving along to the subject of antibiotics, I am going to use some of my medical background to help explain why giving animals who aren't sick antibiotics just to prevent illness (which is what conventional farmers do) is oh so bad for our population as a whole! Now, before I get started I am going to squash a common misconception in the rear right off the bat! Many people think the reason we don't promote the use of antibiotics in livestock is because we get traces of the medication in the meat we consume, while it is possible this could be true, there is no research I have found to support this so I can't present it to you as a valid point. I try to make sure there is actual research supporting all the information I present. Ok now that I got that out of the way, here is a little tid bit of information on how antibiotics work to treat bugs.
In the hospital setting one of the things we are constantly battling are referred to as "multi-drug resistant super bugs." In laymen's terms that means a bacteria that has developed an immunity to so many different kids of antibiotics that we have a very limited formulary to choose from and the ones that will actually treat it are very strong and can cause liver and kidney damage among other side effects. I mentioned earlier that all living organisms are very smart, and bacteria are absolutely no exception! When we treat a bacteria with a certain antibiotic it is so very important that we eradicate the bacteria in its entirety and the reason for this is because bacteria are so smart that if we don't kill absolutely ALL of them the few stragglers that are left will figure out a way to morph themselves to become resistant to that particular antibiotic so that the next time we try to use it it will not work thus causing us to have to use a stronger more powerful antibiotic. This is why it is imperative that when you are given a prescription for 10 days of antibiotics you take the FULL 10 days, don't stop when you start to feel better!!! This is how bugs become multi-drug resistant! Are you starting to see why giving unnecessary antibiotics to animals is such a bad thing! They are creating the super-bugs and they are passing them on to the human population. So... you may be thinking but I never come in contact with livestock so I'm not at risk! NOT TRUE!!! Just because you are not directly exposed to the animals that may be a cause of a super-bug doesn't mean that 25 people down the line you won't be exposed to that particular bug. To continue on my soapbox it is also worth mentioning that you should only be taking antibiotics when absolutely necessary! Don't run to your doctor for every single runny nose you or your child might have and ask for antibiotics, many times its a viral infection that will go away on its own!
On the topic of free range. Organically raised livestock must have access to outdoor pastures. In my opinion it is a no-brainer why this is so important. Livestock raised indoors is not only a breeding ground for infection because they are literally living in their own poo but it is also just inhumane, not to mention the fact they are likely being fed a GMO corn diet. Enough said.
I have one last point to discuss. Red meat has found itself with an extremely bad reputation as of lately because of it's "high" saturated fat content. Multiple studies have come out recently that prove that free-range organically raised beef is far superior in nutritional value than that of grain fed, non-pasture raised beef. Organic beef is not only very low in saturated fat but it also gives you 2-6 times more Omega-3 fatty acids which is the "good fat." So if you choose organic you no longer have to feel guilty for eating red meat. The most budget friendly organic beef that I have found is Blackgate farms. It is almost always in stock at Mama Jeans and is 5.99/ lb.
It is also worth noting that it is nearly impossible to find "organic" chicken here in Springfield MO. That being said, there are some things to be aware of when shopping for chicken. Always make sure that the chicken says it is free range or pasture raised and antibiotic and hormone free. These are usually advertised on the package. Also make sure you are buying from a reputable source that knows where their produce comes from. Buy directly from your farmer at the farmers market or at a local store that knows their farmers personally. I buy mine from Mama Jeans or the farmer's markets, whichever is easier that week.
I will admit that one of the biggest expenses in changing to a mostly organic diet is the cost of organic meat. Chicken especially can be more pricey, but my suggestion would be to evaluate the amount and frequency of your meat consumption. Could you decrease the amount of meat in a certain dish and make up for it by adding more veggies? This has become a very common practice for my husband and I, as well as finding vegetarian recipes to throw into the mix. I think you will find many of the recipes on my blog are heavy on the veggies and light on the meat!
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