It’s no secret that China is polluted. Beijing sits in a cloudy haze of pollution from nearby factories, coal-fired power plants, and traffic that increases dramatically by the day, making the city one of the most air polluted in the world. In preparation for the 2008 summer Olympics China spent billions of dollars trying to control emissions that could hinder athlete’s performances on game day.
China’s pollution problem doesn’t stop with air quality. In a country with virtually no environmental laws it should be no surprise that their water is polluted as well. It doesn’t take a rocket-scientist to know that rain falling through polluted air results in polluted water. It only adds fuel to the fire to know that their river and streams are full of toxic waste dumped by local factories due to the lack of guidelines and the lack of options in an over populated industrial country.
So how does one of the most polluted countries in the world produce “organic” food to be sold in the United States? It doesn’t.
“Organic” certifies a process of how food is grown or produced. It certifies that the farmer doesn’t add pesticides, herbicides, petroleum-based fertilizer, metals or synthetic chemicals to the crop (among other things). A “certified organic farmer” can use POLLUTED water on their crops and will still be cleared to label it “organic”. So even though the Chinese farmer may be following organic process standards, he may be using irrigation water that’s wildly contaminated with metals, chemicals and even pesticide residues and he may be spraying hormone drugs on the crops coming from a nearby pharmaceutical factory upstream. The scary possibilities are endless.
Lets not place all of the blame on China though. After all, the USDA organic standards place NO LIMITS on levels of heavy metals contamination of certified organic foods. Even further, there is no limit on the contamination of PCBs, BPA and other synthetic chemicals that’s allowed in certified organic foods, superfoods and supplements. With loose standards like these, is it any wonder that China can pass the “organic” test?
My advice to you? Use your common sense and pay attention to labels. BUY LOCAL whenever possible…your body and your local economy will thank you for it. Last, but certainly not least, ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS consider your water source. Water is the primary component for ALL life. Even the best of intentions can be worthless if the source water isn’t the BEST that money can buy.
CHANGING THE WAY THE WORLD LOOKS AT WATER…
ONE DROP AT A TIME!
CLICK HERE for PURE water options!
Fabulous article!!!
Sent from my iPhone
Thank you!