We did a taste test to determine whether people thought organic food tastes better than conventional food. To view our results click here. |
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Others buy organics because they know that organic animals are treated better than conventional animals. The organic animals are given plenty of room and no antibiotics or hormones. Organic animals are fed no meat products. They are fed only organically grown feed and grass.
Some people buy organic food only at local stores because it’s fresh and it hasn’t traveled many miles. For example if a load of food traveled on a train for 3,000 miles the train would pollute the air and contribute to global warming.
Not Everyone Agrees
Some people are not sure whether organic foods are really healthier than conventional foods. The federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) tested and found that the levels of chemical residue on fruits and vegetables are safe to eat. The FDA also found that medicines and drugs used in raising conventional animals are at safe levels.
What We Think
We think organic food is better for you. When you buy organics, you don’t have a chance of having chemicals in your food. The animals are treated better because they get more space. Organics are also better because if you spray chemicals on plants they may get into water sources and then animals like fish may get sick. Organic farming also is better for the land because it uses natural nutrients instead of man-made chemicals.
What Others Think
Research Purpose: We did this survey because we wanted to find out if people thought organic or conventoinal food is better. We also wanted to find out how often people buy organic food.
Methods: Our team thought of these questions: On a scale of one to ten, what kind of food does your family buy? On a scale of one to ten, which type of food do you think is better? We conducted our suvey by handing out surveys to other people in fourth and in sixth grade with these questions on them.
Results: These are the results for question one. The one means never buys organic, the ten means always buys organic, and the five means buys both equally. The question mark means the person didn't know the answer.
Question One: What type of food does your family buy?
| Scale | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | ? | Total |
| Answer | 1 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 18 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 54 |
Maximum: 18 ---Minimum: 1---Range: 17---Median:5 ---Mean: 5.3 ---Mode: 5
Results: These are the results for question two. The one means the person thinks conventional food is the best, the ten means the person thinks that organic food is best, and the five means the person thinks both foods are equal. The question mark means the person didn't know the answer.
Question Two: Which type of food do you think is better?
| Scale | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | ? | Total |
| Answer | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 18 | 1 | 54 |
Maximum: 18 ---Minimum: 0---Range: 18---Median:8---Mean: 7.2---Mode: 10
Discussion:The results of our survey are supposed to show on a scale of one to ten how much people buy organic food. It also showed on a scale of one to ten which kind of food they liked better. The results of question one were that most people bought each food equally. The results of question two were that most people thought organic food was better. Altogether our results were that people buy both foods equally, but liked organic food better. People probably bought organics less than they liked it because it is more expensive and they might not live next to an organic farm or store. Most people think organic food is healthier because the foods are not sprayed with pesticides and do not include added hormones. Most people also think that organic food is better for the environment.
To see the survey comments click here.
References
10 Good Reasons To Go Organic. Organic Trade Association. http://www.ota.com/organic_and_you/10reasons.html
Top Ten Eco-Friendly Reasons to Buy Organic Meat & Dairy. Care2.com staff. http://www.care2.com
FDA Warms Milk Producers to Remove "Hormone Free" Claims from the Labeling of Dairy Products. http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2003/NEW00943.html
FDA Reports on Pesticides in Foods. http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~/rd/pesticid/html