Organic food has not been grown with pesticides, growth substances, or other toxic chemicals, and has not been genetically engineered. With regard to animals, "free-range" is the term given to those who have been raised on organic crops, have not been given hormones or antibiotics and have not been fed diseased members of their own species for monetary savings. (By genetic engineering, I am referring not to traditional cross-pollination for breeding, but taking a gene from one species and inserting it into another in order to produce a desired trait or characteristic). Unless a product is labeled "organic" somewhere on the package, it is not organic. Unfortunately, it is non-organic food that is most available to us in grocery stores and restaurants.

Despite protests from scientists, big businesses (DuPont, Kellogg, etc.) and even our government that genetic engineering and pesticide-laden crops are safe for human consumption, they are certainly not. These entities do not have the best interest of us, future generations and the longevity of the Earth in their hearts. Increasing short-term financial gain at the expense of our health is the motivation for such disregard to nature's boundaries and cycles. Genetic engineering accompanied with the use of toxic chemicals has created and will continue to create many ecological and human health problems that could ultimately be detrimental not only to our survival as a species but to life on Earth as we know it. As noted by Professor of Genetics, Richard Lewontin, at Harvard University, you can always intervene and change something in an ecosystem, "but there's no way of knowing what all the down-stream effects will be or how it might affect the environment. We have such a miserably poor understanding of how the organism develops from its DNA that I would be surprised if we don't get one shock after another."

Essentially, the process of genetic engineering involves extracting a gene from one species and splicing it into another species' DNA structure. This gene exchange is not necessarily from one plant species to another or one fruit species to another; it could be from an animal to a fruit. An example of this would be removing a gene for tolerance to freezing temperatures from a cold water fish and inserting it into an apple's DNA for greater survival chances in colder climates. However, the apple is no longer an apple. Though it may look, smell and taste like an apple, on a core, genetic level it is not an apple. Its DNA has been altered. Another problem is that artificially introduced genes do not always express themselves in the desired way, if they express at all. The bigger issue is that inter-species breeding often results in sterile offspring, such as the crossing of a horse and donkey producing a sterile mule. This is nature's safe-lock for ensuring a healthy propagation of the lineage, whether it be plant or animal. Scientists performing genetic alterations are violating an inherent law of nature that forbids inter-species breeding.

The result of this desecration in the human population has been an increase of chronic illnesses and new physiological disorders, such as higher cancer rates, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia and ADHD, etc., over the last 20 years at least. As stated in the January 1998 "Precautionary Principle" (based on a meeting between an international group of scientists, government officials and environmental activists), "The release and use of toxic substances, the exploitation of resources, and physical alterations of the environment have had substantial unintended consequences affecting human health and the environment. Some of these concerns are high rates of learning deficiencies, asthma, cancer, birth defects and species extinction, along with global climate change, stratospheric ozone depletion and world-wide contamination with toxic substances and nuclear materials." Indeed, cancer rates over the last fifty years have almost doubled and are still increasing.

The use of genetically engineered hormones, such as rBST (also known as rBGH), which are most prevalent in our meat and dairy products, are contributing to growing cancer rates, though many other factors are responsible as well. Another phenomenon directly correlated to synthetic hormones being injected into our animals is girls developing breasts and beginning menstruation at younger than normal ages. These are just a couple examples of how the effects of tampering with our food chain is manifesting physically in the population. The effects, however, are far more widespread.

The use of pesticides and antibiotics create insects with higher tolerances to toxic chemicals and tougher strains of bacteria that become increasingly more difficult to eradicate. This results in the need for more powerful, toxic chemicals and drugs becoming a vicious cycle. Already scientists cannot keep up with the alarming rate that bacterial mutations are occurring due to our overuse of antibiotics and antibacterial soaps.

It is important to keep in mind that we eat what our food (animal, vegetable or fruit) has eaten. Chemicals sprayed on crops and antibiotics given to animals are not only stored in their tissues, but in ours after ingestion, thus wreaking havoc on our adaptable, yet delicate systems. We are not separate from our environment or immune to the consequences of a deteriorating environment created by humanity as a whole. It is our duty as a species to do what we can to preserve and protect our environment for our future generations. It is human nature to protect our young, but we are going against this without much thought or concern as a whole about the health of our children and our children's children.

We need to bring more consciousness to our food choices. Although we may not have the perfect diet, we can strive to bring greater awareness to our dietary choices for the sake of our health as well as the health of our planet. Humankind as a whole needs to become aware of the impact our choices have on our home. Our bodies are stressed enough from the poor quality of our air and water without adding unnaturally bred and chemically contaminated food to it.

The higher the demand for organic foods, the cheaper and more readily available they will be to consumers. Support organics by buying organically as much as possible and eating at organic restaurants.