Organic foods or organic farming are a combination of ecology and food. Unlike Holistic therapies, the market of organic foods has grown at a rapid pace, only since 1990. It now represents a market of about $.46 bilion, if not more. As a result, farmers had to develop organic farms to be able to handle the needs. Even though the need is more and more important, less than 1 % of all farmland on the planet are organic.

What is the consumer really buying with organic foods ? We basically want to eat fruit and vegetables that have been grown without pesticides or any other synthetically compounds. When it comes to livestock, we want to make sure that there are no antibiotics or by products used to feed them.

The beauty of organic farming methods is that farmers and even researchers are looking for natural methods to fight againt insects, weeds and other factors that might create challenges in the growth of their crops. Several of pesticides are being approved for organic use. They are called green pesticides. Also, compost tea is sometimes promoted and can be effective, but there is a concern over whether these are ineffective or even harmful when not made correctly. There is anyway another method that reduces the ability of disease to spread : polyculture and crop rotation.

All these techniques are being use everywhere now. Standards exist on each continent and are strictly monitored by a legislation of standards. The market is strongest in North America and Europe, but also in Australia and Asia.

But it sounds too good to be true. As a matter of fact, a study published i 2002 showed that organically grown foods consistently had about one third as many residues as conventionally grown foods. Also, consumers may choose to buy organic fruit, vegetables and meat because they believe them to be more nutritious than other foods, but there is no scientific evidence that supports this view. There is no good evidence that consumption of organic food is beneficial to health in relation to nutrient content either.

With only 20 years on the market, organic foods still have a long way to go, unlike Holistic health that has been around since the middle age.