Consumers buying more organic products, new data show

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP-Excite

By MARY CLARE JALONICK

WASHINGTON (AP) — Consumer interest in the organic label continues to grow.

The organic industry says U.S. sales of their products jumped 11 percent last year alone, to more than $39 billion, despite tight domestic supplies of organic ingredients. And the number of U.S. organic operations has grown by 250 percent since the government started certifying organic products 2002, according to new Agriculture Department data released Wednesday.

Industry data show organics now make up 5 percent of total food sales in the United States. But much of the growth is also in nonfood items like textiles and personal care items. The Organic Trade Association says those nonfood sales jumped almost 14 percent last year and totaled more than $3 billion.

The industry has been rapidly growing since the United States put strict rules in place for organic labeling 13 years ago — some critics say growing too much, as food giants like General Mills and Kellogg have entered the organic game and many small organic food companies have grown into large businesses.

FULL story at link.


Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20150415/us-growth-of-organics-da951d8ebc.html

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

1. More products are actually being labeled.

You can't buy choose to buy organic unless it's labeled so you know that it is.

Another good label (or phrase) to look for on tuna or other fish is '100% troll caught or pole (better) caught'. That's how you know they were caught in ways that minimize by-catch. Tuna without such is most likely caught using large nets that catch everything in their path, resulting in the deaths of all sorts of other fish, as well as turtles and other marine life.

[chernabog]

8. Why do you care about the death of some marine life

and not all marine life? Why are tuna the lesser species that deserve to die?

[pnwmom]

9. Because at least the tuna get eaten. Other fish get thrown out. n/t

[chernabog]

11. I have a crazy idea...

Maybe just dont eat fish.

[pnwmom]

12. Don't eat fish if you don't want to eat fish.

It's not a crazy idea, it's your preference.

[chernabog]

13. Don't pretend like you care about marine life if you eat fish

[pnwmom]

16. Anyone who wants to continue eating fish MUST care about marine life.

Without marine life there would be no fish to eat.



And without healthy oceans the whole planet is in peril.

[chernabog]

20. Killing and eating dead animals

Does not make for a healthy ocean or planet.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

22. Go tell it to the lions, tigers, sealions, penguins, and every other animal out there that doesn't

just eat nuts, fruits, berries or grass.

They all kill and eat dead animals. We're animals too, just like them.

[chernabog]

24. Haha

Now you are just being ridiculous. I guess you can't tell the difference between a human and animal, which is kind of frightening. By your argument, humans can go kill each other without consequence, and mate without consequence. Go try and be like a lion and see what happens.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

26. No, that's not my argument, that's your own ridiculous oversimplification thereof.

And now it's off to the 'ignore' list with you, since I can see I'm wasting my time reading anything you write.

[closeupready]

38. I like eating dead animals. They are tasty.

Animals are not civilians, however, and therefore, are not protected by social mores and laws in the same way that humans are protected by social mores and laws.

Some argue that humans are omnivorous and do not need to be carnivores; I say bullshit. I need to eat red meat.

[chernabog]

39. Do you recognize climate change

and the direct impact you are having on furthering the planet into a state of decline?
I can see you have no compassion towards animals so I guess I shouldn't be surprised you don't care about the Earth. Those are some extreme right wing views you have. You shouldn't be posting on this progressive forum.

[closeupready]

40. Do you recognize "Name Removed" in this thread?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=1059859

[chernabog]

44. No?

I guess you do not recognize climate change. I suggest you do some research.

[Orrex]

41. AUTOMATED MESSAGE: Results of your Jury Service

On Wed Apr 15, 2015, 02:01 PM an alert was sent on the following post:

I like eating dead animals. They are tasty.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=1068031

REASON FOR ALERT

This post is disruptive, hurtful, rude, insensitive, over-the-top, or otherwise inappropriate.

ALERTER'S COMMENTS

Extreme right wing views

You served on a randomly-selected Jury of DU members which reviewed this post. The review was completed at Wed Apr 15, 2015, 02:09 PM, and the Jury voted 0-7 to LEAVE IT.

Juror #1 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #2 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #3 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #4 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: This is not right wing! Many people like meat. There is nothing over the top with this post. You just disagree.
Juror #5 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #6 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: "Extreme right wing views?" I'm not seeing it.
Juror #7 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: I don't see any right wing views, certainly not extreme ones.

Thank you very much for participating in our Jury system, and we hope you will be able to participate again in the future.

[closeupready]

42. Thanks, Orrex.

(And also this alert gave me a mild chuckle... )

[Orrex]

43. Of course you'd laugh

You're an extreme right-wing carnivore.

[closeupready]

46. LDO lol

[chernabog]

33. Thank you

There does not seem to be enough animal lovers on this message board.

[chernabog]

37. Exactly

Everything you just said is correct. I will add that consuming animal products is also extremely cruel and unnecessary.

[mucifer]

81. Agreed!

[yeoman6987]

76. Fish have great vitamins and it is recommended that

You eat five potions of fish a week. I had tuna fish sandwich yesterday which is very good for you. We have to eat something. What do you eat instead of fish?

[chernabog]

77. Plant based foods

And I get all the vitamins I need from it.

[yeoman6987]

79. I was sorta interested in healthier food and less meat

Until Linda McCarthy died eating exclusively plant based diet and I thought something is wrong if you can get cancer from exclusively leaving fish and animals out of your diet. Too risky. I am using the motto of everything in moderation now. A lack of something the body needs causes havoc in our bodies and we could end up dead.

[Autumn Colors]

82. I think you mean Linda McCARTNEY, not McCarthy (n/t)

[yeoman6987]

83. True

Thanks!

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

18. I go by closeness to extinction.

If I'm going to eat fish, I want it to be from a type that isn't already an endangered species, and whose capture doesn't result in the death of other species that already are endangered. (And yes, certain types of tuna are already overfished and should be avoided as well.) I'd prefer all species a chance at continued existence.

[chernabog]

19. So if one species is not close to extinction

You feel it is ok to kill it and eat it's dead body... Got it.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

21. I'm not a vegetarian, if that's what you mean.

I hate to break it to you, but I think you'll find there are billions of us around. And, btw, most of those fish aren't vegetarians either. They're killing smaller things and eating their dead bodies as well.

[chernabog]

23. I can tell.

Fish are fish, not humans. They need to eat other fish to survive, Humans do not. What argument are you trying to make?

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

25. What argument am I trying to make?

That whether or not we 'need to eat other animals to survive', it is perfectly natural for us to do so. Nature is not some sort of cuddly lion laying down with lamb deal. There is nothing more 'evil' about me eating a fish than another fish eating that fish.

Where the human race has fallen out of sync with nature is that we found ways to overpopulate and take far more of the world than we should without nature correcting that overpopulation quickly.

[chernabog]

29. You don't need to eat animals to survive

So why don't you try and think progressively instead of having this archaic view of the world. Is it also not "perfectly natural" to mate with as many people as possible? Can you control that instinct? If so, why can't you control your desire to eat dead animals?

[d_legendary1]

47. Yes you do.

We're omnivores for a reason. There are nutrients in animals that we need vs. nutrients in plants that are hard to come by (soy protien vs. whey protien, Omega 3, etc.) and are essential for brain development. Also you're not counting the amount of animals that DIE from the harvesting of the veggies that go into your plate (don't give a damn about organic or whatever label you eat). You want to eat more veggies you can have my share. In the mean time I'm going to sear a nice USDA choice NY strip steak on my BBQ and eat with some mixed veggies, loaded mash potatoes, and down it with some Merlot. Cheers!

[chernabog]

48. Can you back that claim with science?

No, you cannot.

[d_legendary1]

50. I don't need science to back up the fact that people have preferences.

Or that humans have the ability to eat meat and veggies.

[chernabog]

52. That is not the part of your reply I was asking about

I think you know that though.

[d_legendary1]

53. Fine. Just cuz you asked.

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/protein/

From the Havard Department of Nutrition:

•Animal sources of protein tend to deliver all the amino acids we need.


•Other protein sources, such as fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts and seeds, lack one or more essential amino acids.

If you want to eat low grade protien then be my guest. I'll be chewing on that steak later.

[chernabog]

54. What's a low grade protein?

http://m.circ.ahajournals.org/content/105/25/e197.full

[d_legendary1]

61. If you bothered reading the information that you asked for

you would have seen that plant proteins lack certain ammino acids that are found in meats and dairy products. Hell, that poorly written article that takes sources from various places (including a book written in 1957) states the same thing Havard says. That's what differentiates protein quality. With that said we as ominvores need different types of foods in order to stay healthy. You're more than welcome to keep eating veggies, but some of us like chicken in our salad.

[chernabog]

62. I dont consume animal products

And I am healthy. I get complete protein from plant based sources and am not missing anything.
Do you care about animals? Do you care about climate change and water shortages?

[d_legendary1]

63. I love animals

They're delicious!

[chernabog]

64. So you don't care about animals

And you don't care about climate change. You sound exactly like a right winger.

[d_legendary1]

65. Resorting to name calling just because I eat meat?

Really? And what does that have to do with climate change? Are you aware that burning carbons (i.e. cars, trucks, coal) contribute more to pollution than that myth you're pushing about cow farts (I know where you are going with climate change BTW)?

[chernabog]

66. You are utterly wrong

http://www.fao.org/ag/magazine/0612sp1.htm

Animal agriculture is responsible for 18% of greenhouse gas emissions, more than all transportation combined.

[d_legendary1]

67. Read the EPA website. Its much fresher than some article written in 2006

http://epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/usinventoryreport.html

There's even a pie chart too, in case you don't feel like reading, you know, ACTUAL FACTS

BTW agriculture accounts for 9% of green house gases. Also methane has a much shorter life compared to carbon dioxide and we produce more carbon dioxide than methane. So again, cow farts are NOT the main source for global warming.

[chernabog]

68. What I posted was global

You only posted US, so again you are wrong.

[d_legendary1]

69. You know the EPA also has global figures too

but since you're too lazy to look it up yourself (to push whatever agenda you believe in) here are the global stats:

http://epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/global.html

Big ol pie chart too! Guess what? Carbon still accounts for 77% of all green house gases produced by man. But don't let that get in the way of your diet. Methane accounts for 14%. Once again cow farts are not destroying the planet. They are aiding, but they are not the main culprit.

[chernabog]

70. I love that chart

It confirms what I originally wrote. Don't forget that methane has 86 times the global warming power of CO2

[d_legendary1]

73. And a shorter life span

vs. CO². You forgot to mention that part. Cuz squirrel!

[chernabog]

74. How about nitrous oxide?

296x more powerful than CO2 and stays in the atmosphere for 150 years. Livestock is responsible for 65%

[d_legendary1]

75. Still not a greenhouse gas we produce in abundance

Now you're reaching.

[mucifer]

80. It's not the cow farts. It's the land and the amount of grains and water

each cow has to consume to grow and thrive. It's not sustainable.

This was published in November 2014 :
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25383533

[tridim]

2. It felt good telling a fellow Costco shopper the other day...

That the frozen "Wild Blueberries" are much better (taste and nutrition) than the more expensive "Organic Blueberries".

She was so grateful for the advice, I could tell she was having a problem deciding.

I'm definitely not on the "organic" bandwagon as defined by corporations and the government agencies who work for them.

[pnwmom]

10. That's your opinion. Nutritionally they're the same.

Taste is a matter of taste. I prefer mine without pesticides, and washing isn't enough. So organic, wild or not, would be the best.

[SoLeftIAmRight]

14. not sure that you can make that claim

about nutrition. Not interested in science science science debate. Food science has a very long way to go.

[ag_dude]

58. If you're going to dismiss the science, you can say anything you want...

...aint it great?

[SoLeftIAmRight]

59. when right over your head

but that is ok

[ag_dude]

60. evidently they both did

[tridim]

28. Because she appreciated the advice.

Wild blueberries are organic.

[tridim]

36. Smaller, tastier, more nutritions, grown in the wild, no pesticides.

AKA REAL organic produce as opposed to corporate "organic" produce.

[marle35]

56. Not exactly

Wild blueberries can have pesticides applied to them and still be labelled as wild. However, Wymans (the brand sold at Costco) uses "Integrated Pest Management" (IPM) which means they keep the pesticides to a minimum. Looking at their website, it does seem like their products are safer. It wouldn't be enough for the purist, but I would definitely buy the brand as it's a great value.

[appalachiablue]

3. K & R How strange that many think organic is a novelty movement. It was the norm for food, clothing

and household products 50+ years ago. I remember how my parents and grands lived, gardened, cooked and ate. They were slim, active and walked, and lived in neighborhoods, not huge automobile dependent suburbs. None had chronic diseases before old age or took daily prescription medications. Most also interacted with nature and lived not far from farms and rural communities. The changes happening now and the return to much healthier and sensible cultural practices of not so long ago are inspiring.

[SoLeftIAmRight]

4. I like "organic"

The big farm organic still does not get us to where we need to go.

We need many millions of new farmers that want to produce good soil and understand that we need many integrated high variety low impact farms.

[moonbeam23]

6. So true

and what we really need is KNOWLEDGE; people to teach others how to do this, starting in middle school...

[jtuck004]

49. No longer enough arable land, and water is running out of our aquifers faster than we

replenish it

Besides which, people ran SCREAMING from the farms first chance they got as we industrialized. And they would kill you and anyone else for their food before anyone could make them go back. Most people are too lazy to garden, much less farm, and - not being unfair - it's a terrible, back-breaking way to make a living. Not a fucking thing romantic about it when you realize what it takes to pay your bills or lose your home.

The only thing easy about farming is writing about it.

It's not 1800 with a few million people. It's 2015 with 400+ million and more coming every freakin' day. the efforts you see now are so seriously pathetic that they make documentaries out of them so they aren't just invisible.

Most likely what we will get is millions of people starving as our system breaks.

Or, I may be an optimist.

Btw - I don't disagree with you about what is needed, I just think people will let the world burn up, or at least hundreds of millions of their neighbors die, before they do that much work again.

I should add - I grow organic, handcrafted garlic, as well as cook a few things for sale. So I know exactly how much work this is, and what it takes to make any money at this.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

55. Which garlic do you grow?

I'm an inchelium red fan myself, although I don't sell it. Whatever I grow beyond what I'll use I give to friends and family.

[moonbeam23]

5. We eat 90% organic

Food is cheaper than doctors...

[appalachiablue]

45. +10 Wow, that's great & so simple. Will use it with a relative soon-

~~ ORGANIC FOOD IS CHEAPER THAN DOCTORS ~~

[niyad]

7. in a thread about that group in texas "raising the dead", a poster compared buying organic

to the belief in these weird sects.

[SoLeftIAmRight]

15. some people are not able to think

It is not about the food as much it is about the soil.

Dirt should be good.

[niyad]

17. was trying to locate a book on soil written about 23 years ago, and, in googling just

now, found a whole lot more on this very important subject.

[kentauros]

84. There's plenty to read on that topic

at the Rodale Institute's site, including one I just saw about organic farming being key to reversing climate change (presumably through greater soil health)

You might also like this site, Journey to Forever, and their page on soil health.

What book were you looking for, if you don't mind my asking?

[niyad]

85. thank you for that wonderful information. will spend some time with it today.

trouble is, I don't remember the name of the book, which came out about 23 years ago, thought it was simply "soil", but, in googling, found there are any number of them. oh well, that much more to read and study.

[KT2000]

32. rush out the articles

that say there is no difference - and heck - throw in a few that say organic is bad for you!

[mountain grammy]

34. This is good news because it'll force the food industry to change.

We are in a rural area, but our local grocers are carrying more and more organic and natural foods. For a while, we belonged to an organic co op, but are now finding these foods in the store at a lower price.
We're not all organic yet, but we're getting there. I wish I had to will power to go vegetarian, but don't, so we try to stick with local, humanely grown meat products.

[merrily]

51. 13 years ago. 2002. Bushco put strict regulations in place?

If no one is checking/inspecting, can we really trust that large companies are complying with the strict regulations on the honor system.

because small government.

[midnight]

57. Monsanto knows this too.

http://www.wired.com/2014/01/new-monsanto-vegetables/

[Nevernose]

71. I believe most pro-organic arguments are bullshit.

There are numerous studies and tests done, for instance, that show organics don't taste better (most people eating them can't tell the difference), organcs aren't healthier or more nutritious, et cetera.

However, when they're reasonably priced, I go organic. Why? Better for the environment. Fewer pesticides is good for the environment; fewer petroleum-based fertilizer is good for the environment. We all have to share this muddy rock, and I'd like to share it with bees and with as few algae blooms as possible.

[Omaha Steve]

72. Roundup is absorbed into the plant cells

Those would be plants we eat.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026489947

[Nevernose]

78. That's GMO, not organic

And even the GMO thing doesn't bother me -- most of it seems to make foods grow better, and not be about Frankenscience.

Round-Up resistance bothers me, though, for environmental reasons: if that gene gets loose, no more food. Plus it's bullshit if a farmer can't save her own seeds for the next crop; that's fundamental to the nature of farming. So I'm opposed to some GMO things, but not others.