Organic Food From China Not Organic At All, Here’s Why
Is the organic bubble about to pop?
When you find a good deal on organic foods, it may just be too good to be true if it comes from China or Turkey. While Turkey is suspected to deliberately falsify its “organic” soybeans flooding the U.S., China has a different problem. There is a concerted effort for many Chinese growers to produce organic food but unfortunately it might not be possible.
China Scrambles to Feed Their Own
Economic growth has stoked appetites in China and has stirred a taste for Western cuisine. As a result China has gone on public health campaigns warning the public to cut back on meat in order to keep up with demands for dwindling supplies. China tries to grasp arable land in other countries like the U.S., Russia, South America, Africa and more to feed their population. As little as 20% of their arable land is usable due to startling amounts of pollution. So how can they be producing organic for the rest of the world?
How does severe pollution fit into the organic picture. Answer, it doesn’t. The U.S. has strict standards for organic, but China doesn’t have them, and we have weak inspections on imports. So how can that food be considered organic?
Watch out, Despite Public Opposition, Big Ag Makes Inroads In China.
-Heather Callaghan, Editor
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Food imported from China and labelled “organic” is anything but.
With more and more people learning about the importance of eating healthy and safe produce, consumer demand for all things “organic” has skyrocketed. In the US alone, annual organic food sales have grown by 20% and the increased demand is significantly outpacing domestic supplies, forcing many grocers and food vendors to look internationally to keep their businesses stocked. Most of these organic imports are grown in the European Union, where organic standards are weaker than those of the US. However, many of these “organic” products are from China, whose food industry standards for safety and quality are notoriously low. Much of this “organic” produce grown in China is so unsafe, that the farmers who grow it won’t eat it themselves. Isn’t that the whole point of choosing organic in the first place?
It turns out that much of the food labelled “organic” was never grown with the intention of being organic, but rather as a means to circumvent China’s reputation for substandard produce. US Customs personnel often reject entire shipments of food from China due to the addition of dangerous and unsavory additives, the presence of drug residues, mislabeling, or the poor hygienic state of the food. In an effort to get around these bulk rejections of food, some Chinese food exporters have taken to labeling their products “organic,” especially those foods that appear dirty or unusual. In addition, the “organic” label in China has no meaning as collusion between the government and manufacturers has led to rampant mislabeling, and China’s government has no established system for determining what is or is not organic.
Dead fish being removed after a fertilizer factory dumped huge amounts of ammonia into the Fu river     Credit – NYT
Even if “organically grown” food from China was in fact that, the quality of the water used in the production of food intended for export is so contaminated that a person could fall ill just by handling it. Much of China’s industrial-scale agriculture is found along the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers, both of which are extremely polluted. This is because thousands upon thousands of Chinese factories also line these same rivers, adding their chemical waste to the same water used to irrigate the country’s food supply. In one such recent case, a chemical fertilizer plant dumped such excessive amounts of ammonia into the Fu river, a tributary of the Yangtze river, that an estimated 110 tons of dead fish had to be removed. However, the ammonia-laden river continued to be used for industrial and agricultural use.
Other chemicals and heavy metals have been found in very high and unsafe amounts in these rivers, as well as the food produced with that water. Perchlorate, a precursor to rocket fuel, has been found in China’s sewage as well as its rice, bottled drinking water, and milk. It is throughout the entire water supply and contaminate any would-be organic produce.
Perchlorate is an endocrine-disruptor and is also toxic. It can cause improper regulation of the metabolism, thyroid problems, as well as developmental problems in children and infants. Does that sound healthy and organic? Obviously not. Luckily, some of China’s “organic” products are more likely to be contaminated than others. Fish, chicken, apples, rice, mushrooms, green peas, black pepper, and garlic were found to be the most contaminated foods from China and are to be avoided. As always, the only way to be completely sure that your food is free of chemicals and additives is to grow it yourself. Vegetable gardens can fit in even the smallest of spaces, are attractive, help local insects (including bees), and can provide you and your family with delicious food that is completely safe.
-Via Trueactivist.com
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