On Thu, 3 Mar 2005, shroomer wrote:

>
> "aem" > wrote in message
> oups.com...
>> shroomer wrote:
>>> "Sheldon" > wrote in message
>>> ups.com...
>>>>
>> [snip OP]
>>>> Organic Foods is a belief system (a religion if you will), if you
>>>> believe it's organic then it is... but in the US there is no
>>>> government Standard.
>>>
>>> See http://tinyurl.com/3m22m for specifications for USDA organic
>>> regulations. There are very specific rules for legally labeling food
>>> as organic. It includes certification, permissible farming methods,
>>> and testing. There are some pesticides permitted in organic
>>> agriculture. However, they are of the type that have a very short
>>> half-life and are used by a very small percentage of organic farmers.
>>> Organic agriculture isn't just about the use of fertilizers, it's
>>> also about responsible use of the land and water.
>>
>> Sounds to me like you agree with Sheldon: "responsible use of the land
>> and water" is pretty much equivalent to "a belief system."
>
> Hardly. Organic farming reduces the amount of pesticides and fertilizers
> going into the earth thus preserving the quality of water and soil. This has
> far reaching effects in maintaining the balance of the ecosystem. Further,
> it reduces the contaminants that eventually find their way into the food we
> eat and the water that we drink, both directly and indirectly. This is not
> a "belief system", but scientific facts.

then dispute this:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/q..._uids=12042017

Scientific facts my arse!

Lena