The Effects Of Organic Food On Globalization

The organic food movement is rapidly growing and expanding. Major corporations such as Wal-Mart are adding organic food to their stock which could result in the globalization of the organic food movement. Advocates for and against the globalization of organic agriculture bring up valid points for consideration. Although the globalization of organic food would be beneficial to both human and environmental health, certain safeguards need to be enforced to prevent the principles of organic food movement from being led astray.

Many advocates of conventional farming argue that organic agriculture would not yield enough supply to meet global demand.

Instead, they argue for the continued use of conventional farming methods such as genetically modified crops, use of growth hormones, food irradiation, and chemical fertilizers and pesticides in order to produce high yields. Yet, many studies have shown that world hunger is not due to shortage of food production. On the contrary, the world actually produces more than enough food to feed the globe. World hunger actually exists due to inefficient and unequal distribution systems and poor farming methods. The conventional industrial farming system leaves millions of people without adequate nutrition and causes many local farmers to face unemployment due to low commodity prices caused by oversupply.

Advocates of organic agriculture see globalization as a viable solution to world hunger. Many developing countries have undertaken community based organic agricultural models that showed low tech sustainable organic agriculture provides many benefits. In particular, organic agriculture yielded more crops, provided a surplus for local farmers to sell, gave more profit back to the community, and boosted confidence and empowered the community. The practice of organic agriculture was also cost effective and affordable in that farmers were able to train other farmers and provide employment to members of their community. The expected benefits of organic agriculture, such as improved soil quality, reduction in pesticides and diseases, and improvements in taste and nutrients were also apparent.

While advocates of the organic food movement are eager to see it spread globally, they urge precaution. Many view the adoption of the organic food movement by major corporations like Wal-Mart as a two-fold purpose. While companies like Wal-Mart could be beneficial in making organic food more globally available to people at affordable prices, it could also weaken organic food standards and regulations. Advocates of the globalization do not want to see the homogenization of organic food or have it fall to centralized control. Instead, they believe the globalization of organic food should focus more on local control and specificity.

Globalization of organic food should be modeled on community based organic agriculture. Strengthening of local communities can prevent inefficient and unequal distribution practices that result from the model of globalized industrial farming. Buying and supporting local organic food markets and farmers can reform the current global food economy and benefit both the health of humanity and the planet.

Brookes, Julian. Why Did the Chicken Cross the Globe? Organic Food and the Global Economy.  21 Aug. 2006 [http://www.motherjones.com/mojoblog/archives /2006/07/why_did_the_chi.html.] 

Leu, Andre. "Organic Agriculture Can Feed the World."  21 Aug. 2006 [http://home.woh.rr.com/billkrisjohnson/Kris/organ icagriculture.htm.]