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1. Family

   For the health of your family

   Research shows that when you choose organic, you're getting more of the good stuff and none of the toxic synthetic chemicals. Studies have demonstrated that organic can have positive impacts on our health, because organic foods may provide:

2. Healthy Soil

   Organic farming starts with healthy soil. Farmers put nutrients back into the earth using sustainable methods like crop rotation, cover crops, hand weeding, mulch, manure and compost. Healthy soil grows more nutritious food and is able to store carbon dioxide helping to combat climate change.

3. Healthy Environment

   Organic farming combats climate change by storing carbon dioxide in healthy soil and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Organic farmers are prohibited from using toxic chemicals that pollute the environment.

4. Who conducted this study?

   This study was conducted by researchers at Emory University, in collaboration with The Organic Center.

5. Humane Animal Treatment

   Organic farmers accommodate the natural behavior of their livestock. They provide them with safe, cage-free living conditions and access to the outdoors so they can roam and graze.

6. Minimal Processing

   Organic foods go through minimal processing. No artificial colors, flavors or preservatives are allowed.

7. Strict Regulations

   Organic farmers and processors go rigorous announced and unannounced inspections to ensure they are following all production and processing regulations.

8. No Toxic Persistent Pesticides

   Organic farmers are prohibited from using toxic persistent pesticides that pollute the environment, harm pollinators, and contaminant your food.

9. No Synthetic Nitrogen Fertilizers

   Chemical fertilizer used in conventional agriculture is one of the largest polluters of our drinking water today.

10. No Antibiotics or Synthetic Growth Hormones

    Organic meat and dairy is free of antibiotics and synthetic growth hormones. The use of antibiotics in agriculture has led to antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Synthetic growth hormones have been found to harm the health of people and livestock.

11. No Genetic Engineering (GMOs)

    Genetically engineered crops and seeds are prohibited from use in organic farming.

12. No Sewage Sludge or Irradiation

    Organic farmers are prohibited from using sewage sludge to fertilize their fields. Organic food processors are prohibited from exposing food or packaging to ionizing radiation.

13. The Organic Center

    The Hall of the States,
    444 N. Capitol St. NW,
    Suite 445A, Washington D.C. 20001
    Tel: 202-403-8520
    info@organic-center.org

14. Jessica Shade

    Jessica Shade
    Director of Science Programs
    jshade@organic-center.org

15. Why did FDA ban sulfa drugs?

    Shockingly, the use of sulfamethazine and sulfathiazole for lactating cows has long been banned by the FDA due to concerns about the impact of the drugs on human health.

16. Milk Study Slideshow 1

    New study shows not all milk is created equal.

    Organic milk has more of the good stuff and none of the antibiotics, growth hormones or controversial pesticides.

17. Resources

    Kids and adults alike love dairy products: milk, yogurt, cheese, ice cream, butter, pizza, and more are all favorites in our kitchens and restaurants.

    The Organic Center's new report - The Benefits of Organic Dairy - will help you understand why not all dairy products are created equal. The report explains new research findings that show that organic is an easy way to avoid contaminants in milk, giving consumers an option that doesn’t include even trace amounts of pesticides, antibiotics, or synthetic growth hormones.

18. Graphs

19. Omega-3 Fatty Acids

    Omega-3 and Omega-6 are essential fatty acids that we need to be healthy, but our bodies don’t produce them naturally, so we must obtain them through our diets. While both are important, there’s a healthy balance that must be achieved. Most Americans are getting too much omega-6 in their diets and too little omega-3.

20. Antioxidants and Nutritional Minerals

    Organic milk has been found to have higher concentrations of nutritional minerals and antioxidants – like iron, vitamin E, selenium, and carotenoids – than non-organic milk.  Foods that are high in antioxidants – like organic milk – help our bodies fight against free radicals that can cause oxidative damage in our cells that can contribute to coronary diseases and some cancers.

21. Why is the good stuff good?

    Why is the good stuff good?

22. What about the bad stuff?

    What about the bad stuff?

23. Antibiotics

    Using antibiotics in agriculture can lead to antibiotic-resistant infections in animals that can be passed to humans. Many classes of antibiotics that are used in the human health system such as penicillin are also used in livestock production. If bacteria in livestock become resistant to the same antibiotics that we would use to fight them, we have little to no defense against many bacterial infections. Antibiotics residues were found in 60% of conventional milk samples. Two of the antibiotics found are illegal for use in agriculture. 

24. Synthetic Growth Hormones

    While growth hormones are naturally produced by animals, the use of synthetic growth hormones has gained popularity in conventional dairy operations because they promote the production of milk. These hormones make their way into the milk we drink and can lead to changes in endocrine function which can affect our growth, brain development and reproductive capabilities. This study found that bovine growth hormone (bGH) residue levels were found to be 20 times higher in conventional milk than organic.

25. Controversial Pesticides

    This study found residues from a number of controversial pesticides in conventional milk samples, while the organic samples tested clean. Here's a rundown of what was found:

26. What are sulfonamide antibiotics and why should I be concerned?

    Sulfonamides are antibiotics that have been prohibited for use in lactating dairy cows since the 1990’s (with the exception of approved use of sulfadimethoxine, sulfabromomethazine, and sulfaethoxypyridazine. Sulfonamides work systemically, which means that once taken, they distribute throughout all body tissues.

27. Antibiotics Results

    Because the overuse of antibiotics can increase resistance to those antibiotics and make them less effective for both humans and animals, the FDA has set limits on detectable levels of antibiotics in food. In this study, antibiotics were not found in organic samples, but were detected in 60% of conventional milk samples. Specifically, amoxicillin, oxytetracycline, sulfamethazine, sulfadimethoxine, and sulfathiazole were all detected in conventional milk.

28. Growth Hormone Results

    While there is no federal limit set for cow-derived hormones in milk, this study found levels of the bovine growth hormone (bGH) to be 20 times higher in conventional milk than organic. The study said that since growth hormones are produced naturally by dairy cattle, some level of bGH can be expected in all milk samples. The dramatically higher residues found in conventional milk “suggests that the difference reflects the use of synthetic growth hormones” in conventional dairy, according to the study.

29. Pesticide Results

    The results found no residues of commonly-used pesticides in any of the organic milk samples, but residues in up to 60 percent of the conventional samples. 

30. DOWNLOAD

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    Download The Organic Center’s full report – The Benefits of Organic Dairy – to learn more.

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