Final Project: Research Guide

Organic Diets:
A Research Guide

Overview:

In recent years there has been a growing trend in the United States in which organic food consumption has been promoted as a means to improve food safety and consumer health. In addition to the issue of organic food consumption, there is the related matter of organic food production, organic farming, and finding means of sustainable agriculture. As the public becomes more informed of how food is produced for local and global markets, there is a rising concern over how food production can be sustained in the coming years while minimizing the impact to the environment. As the food being produced becomes more biologically engineered, there is also a growing concern over the safety of food. The purpose of this research guide is to provide resources that provide information on what is organic food and an organic diet, how does adopting an organic diet affect nutrition and health, and how organic food production differs from mainstream food production and what is the impact on the environment.

Library of Congress Subject Headings:

• Natural foods
• Organic living
• Organic farming

Keywords:

• Organic diet
• Organic farming
• Sustainable agriculture
• Natural food
• Food safety
• Environmental resources
  
  Research suggestions: Search for “Organic diet” AND “Sustainable agriculture”, or “Natural food” AND “Environmental resources” or “Organic farming” AND “Food safety” in keyword terms.

Reference Sources:

1) Hoag, Dana L. Agricultural Crisis in America: a reference handbook. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 1999.

Call number: HD 1761.H56 1999

This reference book discusses various factors affecting agriculture in the United States including modernization, urbanization and land use, and population growth. The issue surrounding adoption of an organic diet deals directly with issues of agriculture and conservation of environment resources.

2) Grover, Jan, ed. Food Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2008.

Call number: TX 360.46 F62 2008

This reference book discusses the issues of nutrition and food policy in the United States. In particular, the book addresses questions of how the production and consumption of organic foods could impact health and the environment.

3) Hanrahan, Clare, ed. Global Resources Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2008.

Call number: HC85.G58 2008

This reference book discusses the limitations of our global resources, what agricultural policies should be pursued, what our energy alternatives are, and how our resources can be preserved. This book looks at several issues that relate to pursuing organic diets in terms of environmental impact and conservation of natural resources.

Print Books:

1) Lawrence, Geoffrey, Lyons, Kristen, and Wallington, Tabatha, Food security, nutrition and sustainability, Sterling, Virginia: EARTHSCAN, 2009.

This book discusses the issues of food security, nutrition and sustainability in a globalized world in relation to agricultural policy, dominating health issues, and environmental impacts. In deciding whether to adopt an organic diet, research should be made into the issues of organic farming and sustainable agriculture and how organic foods may impact personal health.

2) Burke, Cindy, To Buy or Not to Buy Organic: What you need to know to buy the healthiest, safest, and most Earth-friendly food, New York: De Capo Press, 2007.

The author of this book is a former food journalist and chef who writes about becoming truly informed and educated about what constitutes “organic” food, how to locate and purchase organic products, and how an organic lifestyle may benefit your health.

3) Fromartz, Samuel, Organic, inc.: Natural foods and how they grew, Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2007.

In this book, the author discusses the rise of organic food production in recent years and how it has impacted the American economy and food industry. The author looks into the roots of the recent movement toward organic food consumption, whether organic food is healthier or safer than food that is mass produced, and how food choices are changing.

Periodicals:

1) Amber Waves: The economics of food, farming, natural resources and rural America, SIRS Government Reporter.

This magazine is produced and published by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Services and is available both in printed and electronic format. The publication may be found through the SIRS database or directly from the government’s website. This magazine reports on current research and issues dealing with agriculture in relation to the global economy, food safety, environment, nutrition and national policy. Although this periodical may be considered academic in that it focuses on research, it is written to help inform public of different issues concerning agriculture in America. When researching organic diet, this resource is important in that it provides up-to-date information the United States food policy and studies in nutrition and food production.

2) Environmental Health Perspectives, Research Triangle Park, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

This periodical is a scholarly journal published by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences with a target audience of academics and researchers seeking information on current studies concerning the environment and health. Online, full-text articles from this magazine may be found in the ProQuest database under the Publications tab. Many articles in this periodical report on scientific research conducted on the impact of different forms of agricultural farming, such as the use of pesticides or the organic farming trend, and how they impact food production, consumption and health.

3) Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.

This academic journal is an international publication that reports on findings of different studies conducted throughout the world that deals with sustainable agriculture and food production. Abstracts of articles from this publication may be found on the ProQuest database searching under the term “food”. One of the biggest environmental issues concerning organic food is the development of sustainable agriculture and production of healthful food for the world’s populations.

Website Resources:

1) United States Food and Drug Administration

http://www.fda.gov/Food/default.htm

This government website publishes up-to-date information to the public on food and drug safety, health, and nutrition among other related topics. In terms of researching organic diet and food production, the website provides warnings to consumers on foods that have been found to pose health risks. This website provides access to information on organic food production and reports on studies conducted on the health benefits and dangers of organic food consumption.

2) U.S. Department of Agriculture: Alternative Farming Information Center

http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/pubs/ofp/ofp.shtml

This website produced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture provides access to information that focuses on topics of sustainable and alternative means of agriculture. This website provides links to publications on bibliographies, resources guides, databases and directories for searchers of information on sustainable agriculture. Topics may include organic farming and food production, renewable energy option, ecological pest management, and crop and livestock diversification. In searching for information on organic diet and food production, this website greatly facilitates access to government findings.