10 Top Reasons to Go Organic.docx

10 Top Reasons to Go Organic.docx

《10 Top Reasons to Go Organic.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《10 Top Reasons to Go Organic.docx（11页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。

10TopReasonstoGoOrganic

PROPOSEDORGANICFOODREQUIREMENTS

TheUnitedStatesDepartmentofAgriculturehasproposednationalrequirementsfororganicfoodproducts.Theproposalcomesmorethantwoyearsafterthefirstfederalefforttoestablishsuchrulesfailedtowinpublicapproval.

OrganicfoodisoneofthefastestgrowingareasinAmericanagriculture.TheAgricultureDepartmentestimatesthatAmericanfarmerssold6,000milliondollarsworthoforganicfoodlastyear.

Organicfarmersdonotusechemicalstoincreasetheircropsortocontrolinsects,weedsanddisease.Manypeoplebelieveeatingorganicfoodismorehealthfulthaneatingfoodproducedwithchemicals.Andpeoplearewillingtopaymorefororganicfoodproducts.

TheAgricultureDepartmentsaystherearemorethan12,000organicfarmersintheUnitedStates.Mostofthefarmersproduceonlyasmallamountoffood.However,thenumberoforganicfarmersisincreasingatarateofabout12percenteachyear.

Currently,differentprivateandstateorganizationsestablishorganicfoodrequirementsintheUnitedStates.Eachorganizationusesitsownrulestodecidewhichproductsmaybecalledorganic.

Thenewproposaldescribesthemethodsandsubstancesthatmaybeusedinproducingandtreatingorganiccropsandfarmproducts.ItestablishesrulessothatAmericansknowexactlywhattheyarebuyingwhentheypurchaseorganicfood.

Theproposalbarstheuseofgeneticengineering,thetechnologyofchangingthegenesoflivingthings.Itbarstheuseofwasteproductstofertilizeorganicfood.Itbarsirradiationtreatmentstokillbacteriaonfoodproducts.Theproposalalsobarsfeedingantibioticdrugstofarmanimals.Itsaysfarmersmustfeedanimalsonlyorganicfood.

TheAgricultureDepartmentsaysthenewruleswillhelpfarmersexporttheirorganicproductsmoreeasily.AgricultureSecretaryDanGlickmancallstheproposalthemostcompleteandstrongestorganicgroupofrulesintheworld.HesaidAmericanswillknowwhattheyarebuying.And,farmerswillknowwhatisexpectedofthem.

Agrouprepresentingtheorganicagricultureindustrywelcomedtheproposal.Thegrouphassoughtnationalrequirementsfororganicfoodformorethantenyears.

ThisVOASpecialEnglishAgricultureReportwaswrittenbyGeorgeGrow.ThisisBillWhite.

10TopReasonstoGoOrganic

1.Organicproduceisnotcoveredinacocktailofpoisonouschemicals.Theaverageconventionally-grownapplehas20-30artificialpoisonsonitsskin,evenafterrinsing.Trustyourinstincts,andgoorganic!

2.Freshorganicproducecontainsonaverage50%morevitamins,minerals,enzymesandothermicro-nutrientsthanintensivelyfarmedproduce.Sciencesaysthatit'sgoodforyou.

3.Goingorganicistheonlypracticalwaytoavoideatinggeneticallymodified（GM）food.Andbybuyingorganicfood,youareregisteringyourmistrustofGMO'sanddoingyourbittoprotestagainstthem.

4.Ifyoueatdairyormeatproducts,goingorganichasneverbeenmoreessentialtosafeguardyouandyourfamily'shealth.Intensively-reareddairycowsandfarmanimalsarefedadangerouscocktailofanti-biotics,growthpromotingdrugs,anti-parasitedrugsandmanyothermedicinesonadailybasis,whethertheyhaveanillnessornot.Thesedrugsarepasseddirectlyontotheconsumersoftheirdairyproduceormeat.,whichmustbeacontributingfactortomeat-relateddiseaseslikecoronariesandhighbloodpressure.

5.About99%ofnon-organicfarmanimalsintheUKarenowfedGMsoya.AndtherehasneverbeenareportedcaseofBSEinorganiccattleintheUK.Commonsensesaysthatorganicissafefood.

6.Organicproducesimplytastessomuchbetter.Fruitandvegetablesfullofjuiceandflavour,andsomanydifferentvarietiestotry!

Thereareabout100differentkindsoforganicpotatoesinproductionintheUK,andthat'sjustpotatoes!

7.Organicfarmssupportandnurtureourbeautifulanddiversewildlife.Overthelastthirtyyears,intensivefarmingintheUKhasledtodramaticerosionofthesoil,afallofupto70%ofwildbirdsinsomeareas,thedestructionofancienthedgerows,andthenearextinctionofsomeofthemostbeautifulspeciesofbutterflies,frogs,grass-snakesandwildmammals.

8.Organicfoodisnotreallymoreexpensivethanintensivelyfarmedfoods,aswepayforconventionalfoodsthroughourtaxes.Wespendbillionofpoundseveryyearcleaningupthemessthatagro-chemicalsmaketoournaturalwatersupply.AndtheBSEcrisiscostus4billionpounds.Goorganicforagenuinemorecost-effectivefuture.

9.Intensivefarmingcanseriouslydamagefarmworkers'health.Therearemuchhigherinstancesofcancer,respiratoryproblemsandothermajordiseasesinfarmworkersfromnon-organicfarms.Thisisparticularlytrueindevelopingcountries,andforagrochemicalfarmsgrowingcotton.Sogoorganicifyoucareaboutotherpeople.

10.Andifyousimplyliketheideaofyourchildrenandgrandchildrenbeingabletovisitthecountrysideandplayintheforestsandfieldsjustlikewedidwhenwewereyoung,goorganicforthesakeofallofourfutures.

Fatherofhybridricehopestogrowmorecropsonlessland

20世纪60年代，在中国“绿色革命”的大潮中，出现了一位攻下“杂交水稻”难题的科技新星，这就是被誉为“杂交水稻之父”的袁隆平。

他的名字价值1000亿，是当今中国最值钱的名字，但他的最大愿望却是“让天下的人都吃饱饭”。

ProfessorYuanLongping,thefatherofhybridrice,expressedthehopethathewouldgrowmorecropsonlessfarmland.The77-year-oldscientististhepioneerofhybridriceresearchandhehasbeencarryingouthisworksincethe1960s.Thescientistinventedhybridriceandwasalsothefirsttosuccessfullychangetheself-pollinating（自花传粉）characteristicsofrice.Hishardworkanddevotionmadelarge-scalefarmingofhybridricepossible,thusmakingthenationself-reliantonrice.

Talkingaboutfarmers’happinessandtheirstrongresponsetohybridrice,ProfessorYuanrecalledhowanoldfarmerinHunanProvincebecameoverjoyedduringphase1.“Thankyouforteachingmehowtoplantthesuperhybridrice.I’veneverhadsuchagoodharvestinfortyyearsofricefarming.Ihavethehighestregardforyouandyourfellowscientists,”theprofessorsaid,recallingthewordsofthefarmer.

Apartfrombeinghighlyproductive,thehybridriceisalsotasty.Recallinganotherincident,ProfessorYuansaidthreeyearsagosomereportersfromHongKongandShenzhenhadachancetotastetherice.Ayoungfemalereporterhad2bowlsofrice.Onanotheroccasion,arichbusinessmanevenhadthreebowlsofriceandtookhomesomeofthericeforhisfamily.

UnderthesuperricebreedingprogrammesetupbyChina’sMinistryofAgriculture,atotalof10.5tonsofhybridriceperhectarewasproducedinphaseIfrom1996to2000.Theproductiontargetwasincreasedto12tonsperhectareinphaseIIfrom2001to2005,withthetargetachievedin2004.ProfessorYuansaidphaseIIIbreedingwaswellunderway,andhewasconfidentthatthetargetcouldbeachievedin2010.ProfessorYuan’sachievementsinhybridriceresearchhavewonhimalargenumberofinternationalawards,liketheUNESCO（UnitedNationsEducational,ScientificandCulturalOrganization）SciencePrize.

Answerthefollowingquestions:

1.What’sProfessorYuanLongping’shope?

2.WhywasanoldfarmerinHunanProvincesopleased?

3.What’sthemainideaofthethirdparagraph?

4.AccordingtoProfessorYuanLongping,whenwillthephaseIIIproductiontargetbeachieved?

Key:

1.Growingmorecropsonlessfarmland.

2.BecausehehadagoodriceharvestafterplantingthesuperhybridriceinventedbyProfessorYuan.

3.ThehybridriceProfessorYuanLongpinginventedtastesverynice.

4.In2010.

"Whyisitthatwhensomebodygetsdeathlysickwithcancerorsomething,andadoctorrecommendsthattheygoonanorganicdiet?

Ithinkallthesepeopleknowthatthere'sadifference."

"Ifyougetonachemicalsystem,theonlywayyoucankeepgoingistokeepaddingmoreandmorepowerfulchemicals.Ifyougetonanorganicsystem,itwillperpetuateitself.Youdon'tneedtokeepaddingmoreandmorefertilizerbecauseitisanaturalsystem.It'slikethedifferencebetweenpayinginterestonaloanandgettingpaidinterestonyoursavings."

"It'salonghardstruggle,becausethattransitionperiodtogetyourfarmawayfromchemicalsandconvertitbacktoanaturalwaytakesatleastfouryears."

"Thenicepartaboutorganicisthatit'seconomicallyviable,andthereasonisthatyoudon'thavetospendalotofmoney,becausetheGoodLorddesignedthecyclesofnatureinordertodoititself."

Organicallycertifiedcropsmustbegrownonsoilthathasbeenchemical-freeforatleastfouryears.Organiclivestockcannotbefednon-organicfeedoradministeredanytypeofdrugpastacertainage.ThisstyleoffarmingisthemostradicalformofconservationistfarminginKnoxCounty.ThenumberoffarmsinKnoxCountyissmall,buttheyhaveproducedyieldscompetitivewithnon-organicfields.Organicfarmersadvocatetheirproduceasahealthyalternativetochemicallygrownfoods.InterestinorganicfoodhasremainedrelativelystableamongKnoxCountyconsumers.Thehigherpriceoforganicfoodhascontinuedtoinhibitorganicfood'sentranceintothemainstream.Therehasbeenagrowinginterest,however,amongparentsofsmallchildren.

YuanLongping,aChineseagriculturalist,wasborninQianyang,HunanProvincein1930.ProfessorYuangraduatedfromSouthwestAgricultureCollegein1953andhassincedevotedhimselftoagriculturaleducationandresearch.HeiscurrentlyanacademicianoftheChineseAcademyofEngineering,DirectorGeneralofChinaNationalHybridRiceResearchandDevelopmentCenter,HonoraryPresidentoftheHunanAcademyofAgricultura