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Kelley Gaffney
Paradigm Shift Paper
10/28/15
CAS 137H
Here Come the Organics
The prevalence of organic everything, is becoming increasingly
common in grocery stores, even large retailers like Wal-Mart. Whether
it is organic fruits and vegetables or organic toothpaste the organic
movement is in full swing. This movement has been on the rise for
many decades with several significant events that have served as a
catalyst. The results of this shift to organic food is plentiful and
prevalent in todays society. Organic food is defined as organic
produce and other ingredients that are grown without the use of
pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, genetically modified
organisms, or ionizing radiation. Animals that produce meat, poultry,
eggs, and dairy products do not take antibiotics or growth hormones
(Organic FAQ). The organic movement is the sudden prevalence of
organic foods in grocery stores and the increase in their consumption.
The shift to organic foods has been a slow and steady one with four
events that significantly accelerated the pace and made organic food a
common part of todays society. The shift began with the publication of

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Rachel Carsons book and was propelled forward by the Food Inc.
Documentary. Overall this shift has created many different results in
the people and the stores of todays society.
The initial shift in the organic movement was the captivating
novel by Rachel Carson, Silent Springs, which was published in 1962.
This book focuses on the indiscriminate use of chemical pesticides,
mainly DDT. It concentrates on the deadly effects of DDT on plants and
animals.
It meticulously described how DDT entered the food chain and
accumulated in the fatty tissues of animals, including human beings,
and caused cancer and genetic damage. A single application on a crop,
she wrote, killed insects for weeks and months, and not only the
targeted insects but countless more, and remained toxic in the
environment even after it was diluted by rainwater. Carson concluded
that DDT and other pesticides had irrevocably harmed birds and
animals and had contaminated the entire world food supply (The
Story of Silent Springs).
The reaction to this book was vast; it affected everyone from the
average citizen to the President of the United States. Silent Springs
created a resentment of chemical industries by the American people.
Since Carson put an immense amount of thought and research into her
book many scientists supported it, giving it more leverage. The public

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reaction to the book prompted the President at the time, John F.
Kennedy to order the Presidents Science Advisory Committee to
examine the issues talked about in the book. When the issues were
verified DDT was banned. This book raised public awareness toward
nature and the vulnerability of it to human interaction, which led to the
regulation of the industry and the environment. It played a large part in
creating what we know of today as environmentalism. The opposition
and backlash toward the chemical pesticide industry that this book
influenced led to the growth of the organic industry.
The second shift in making organic foods more prevalent and
starting the organic movement was the passing of the Organic Foods
Production Act of 1990 by the US Congress. This act was a response to
the expansion of the organic food industry prompts activists across
the United States to form regional groups and create organic standards
by which to certify farmers and their crops (Growth of) that
happened in the 1970s. Also, in 1990 the sales of organic food had
reached an estimated $1 billion (Growth of). This demonstrated
that the United States had a rising movement that they had to attend
to, which they did through the creation of this act. The act stated that
(1) to establish national standards governing the marketing of certain
agricultural products as organically produced products; (2) to assure
consumers that organically produced products meet a consistent
standard; and (3) to facilitate interstate commerce in fresh and

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processed food that is organically produced (Organic Foods
Production). The Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 not only set
standards for what was considered organic, but also created the
National Organic Standards or National Organic Program (NOP) which,
is a regulatory program housed within the USDA Agricultural
Marketing Service. We are responsible for developing national
standards for organically-produced agricultural products. These
standards assure consumers that products with the USDA organic seal
meet consistent, uniform standards. Our regulations do not address
food safety or nutrition (National Organic Program). The creation of
this act and program demonstrated that the government was taking an
interest in organic foods, implying that it had reached a point in the
movement where it was becoming popular and important. Given that
the consumption of organic food had increased significantly enough to
have to define what was organic.
The most significant shift was the creation of the documentary
Food, Inc. that was released in 2008. A synopsis of this film is,
In Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our
nation's food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly
that's been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of
our government's regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA. Our nation's
food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often

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put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American
farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment. We have
bigger-breasted chickens, the perfect pork chop, insecticide-resistant
soybean seeds, even tomatoes that won't go bad, but we also have
new strains of E. coli the harmful bacteria that causes illness for an
estimated 73,000 Americans annually. We are riddled with widespread
obesity, particularly among children, and an epidemic level of diabetes
among adults (Food, Inc).
This film opened the eyes of Americans to how food was actually
produced and to what we were actually eating and feeding our
children. It created outrage from consumers on the lies that were being
fed to them; however, it also created outrage from the companies
portrayed in the film for the horrid portrayal of their companies. An
example of the sensation it has created is #foodinc now means
sustainable, healthy agriculture to tweeters. The media coverage for
the film stretches from one end of the spectrum to the other with
accolades and condemnations from advocates and foes of industrial
agriculture (Newman, Sarah). Another reaction to this film was, The
film's Social Action campaign is devoted to removing soda and junk
food from all federally funded nutrition programswell, and about
100,000 other people also agree and are signing our petition
(Newman, Sarah). This film created an outpour of responses to eat
healthier and to be informed what was in our food, which led to the

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increase in organic food consumption. In 2008 a study by the Hartman
Group reveals that nearly 70% of U.S. consumers buy organic products
at least occasionally, with organic fruits and vegetables the most
popular type of organic foods purchased (Growth of). The overall
effect of this film was the greatest shift in the organic movement. The
deliverance of the truth about what we were eating created a shift
toward organic foods that guaranteed what we were eating didnt
contain pesticides and the animals were raised properly.
The final shift of the organic movement can also be seen as a
result of the movement and prevalence of organic foods; the creation
of an increased amount of organic products and their commonness in
grocery stores today. The creation of stores that focus solely on organic
foods, Whole Foods, and stores that have a large selection of organic
brands that is always increasing, Wegmans. Stores like Wegmans have
created an organic version of their own products and now have over
3,000 organic items throughout the store (Wegmans Organic). They
started their organic farm in New York in 2007 and have been
increasing their organic products to keep up with the increasing
demand (Wegmans Organic). Wegmans also has a section
designated to all organic and gluten free products called the Natures
Market that shows the prevalence of those buying organic products.
Whole foods began in Austin, Texas in 1980 and as of 2012 has 340
stores (Growth of). The creation of Whole Foods, which is a store

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that focuses solely on organic foods, this is seen in their core values.
They are we seek the highest quality natural and organic products
availablewe serve and support local and global communities.we
practice and advance environmental stewardship(Our Core
Values). The values of this store and the success of a store that sells
organic foods are a result and key shift in the organic movement. In
2011, the organics market tops $30 billion, representing a 9.5% growth
over previous years (Growth of).. (The Cost Of...). Overall, the
success of stores such as Wegmans and Whole Foods in organic food
sales points to the success and growth of the organic movement. For
example, Locavore- A person whose diet consists only or principally
of locally grown or produced food (Oxford). Even, FrankenfoodGenetically modified food (Oxford). The fact that terms have been
created to go along with the movement contribute to the prevalence of
it and the magnitude of its effects. Additionally, the thought that only
the rich can buy organic has been disputed in recent years. This can
be seen by the change in prices of organic food. The USDA estimates
that organically-produced food can cost anywhere from 10 to 30
percent more than conventionally mass-produced food (Elliot, Sara).
Another perspective on this came from Consumer Reports, we
compared more than 100 product pairings in all. On average, organic
foods were 47 percent more expensive, but the range was huge. In a
couple of instances, the organic product was actually cheaper, by as

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much as 13 percent for honey at Amazon Fresh. In fact, depending on
where we shoppedfor the same price or less than their conventional
counterparts (The Cost Of). The increase of consumption of
organic foods is also shown through the general statistics from the
Organic Trade Association, they show a significant in organic food
consumption. Sales of organic food and non-food products in the
United States broke through another record in 2014, totaling $39.1
billion, up 11.3 percent from the previous year. Organic sales now near
a milestone 5 percent share of the total food market (Market
Analysis). Furthermore, the creation of stereotypes, new terms,
decrease in prices, and increase in its purchases are the most
prevalent results of the shift to organic culture.
In conclusion, the shift to organic food has been a slow one up
until a few years ago where it took off. since 2012, more than 90
percent of retailers have increased the number of organic foods they
sell (The Cost Of). This caused it to now be in the forefront of all
Americans minds, A recent Consumer Reports survey shows that 84%
of American consumers purchase organic food (Market Analysis).
Through the publication of Silent Springs and the production of Food
Inc. society has shifted toward organic products, creating a prevalence
and significant increase in their consumption. Overall, the influence of
different aspects of society have created a more health conscious and

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organically centered society. Since many would rather know what
theyre eating and that it is safe.

Works Cited
Elliott, Sara. "How much more does organic food cost and why?"
howstuffworks.com. InfoSpace LLC, 12 December 2011.
HowStuffWorks.com. 28 Oct. 2015.
Food Inc. A Robert Kenner Film. pbs.org. American Documentary, Inc., 2015. Web. 28
Oct. 2015.
Growth of the Organics Industry. wholefoodsmarket com. Whole Foods Market, 2015.
Web. 28 Oct. 2015.
Market Analysis. ota.com. Organic Trade Association, 2015. Web. 28 Oct. 2015.
National Organic Program. usda.gov. United States Department of Agriculture
Agricultural Marketing Services, 2015. Web. 28 Oct. 2015.

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Newman, Sarah. From Fries to Fennel, How Food, Inc. is changing America.
huffingtonpost.com. Huffington Post Inc., 19 Oct. 2009. Web. 28 Oct. 2015.
Organic FAQ. organic.com. Forestel Design, 2015. Web. 28 Oct. 2015.
Organic Foods Production Act of 1990. ams.usda.gov. Food, Agriculture, Conservation,
and Trade Act of 1990 (Public Law 101-624), 16 Nov. 2005. Web. 28 Oct. 2015.
Our Core Values. wholefoodsmarket.com. Whole Foods Market, 2015. Web. 28 Oct.
2015.
oxforddictionaries.com. Oxford Dictionaries, 2015. Web. 28, Oct. 2015.
Rudarakanchana, Nat. Heres Who Eats Natural and Organic Foods, and Why: Market
Research. ibtimes.com. International Business Times, 23 Oct. 2013. Web. 28 Oct.
2015.
The Cost of Organic Food. consumerreports.org. Consumer Reports, 19 March 2015.
Web. 28 Oct. 2015.
The Story of Silent Springs. nrdc.org. Natural Resources Defense Council, 05 Dec.
2013. Web. 28 Oct. 2015.
Wegmans Organic. wegmans.com.. Wegmans Food Markets, Inc., 2015. Web. 28 Oct.
2015.

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