Pound for pound babies consume two to four times more fruits and vegetables than adults and are exposed to a higher proportion of potential contaminants.

Earth’s Best promotes organic farming based on a desire to protect the environment and to keep potentially harmful pesticides out of our earth and food supply. We hope your baby will have not only good food to grow up on, but a cleaner and safer world to grow up in.

Numerous studies support the enhanced nutritional quality of organic foods. Some people find that organic fruits and vegetables taste better too.

Organic food does not contain food additives which can cause health problems such as heart disease, osteoporosis, migraines and hyperactivity.

Genetically modified crops and ingredients are not allowed under organic standards.

How do we define organic food?

Organic food is grown by farmers who use farming methods that create a balance with nature. These farmers focus on soil improvement and rely on biological systems. These organic farmers produce high quality food with minimal impact on the environment.

The word ‘organic’ on a food label means that the food has been grown under the following guidelines:

• No synthetic pesticides, herbicides or soil fumigants
• No genetic engineering
• No sewer sludge
• No hormones or any type of drug to stimulate and encourage growth animal growth
• Improving soil quality as well as the fertility
• Protects groundwater quality
• Reduces soil erosion
• Relies on natural biological systems for pest and weed control

Is organic better for us and the environment?

It is better for us because by eating organic foods you can:

• Limit your exposure to synthetic insecticides, fungicides and herbicides
• Limit your intake of growth hormones and antibiotics
• Limit your intake of genetically modified foods

It is better for the environment because:

• It produces a safer, healthier environment
• It reduces soil erosion and improves quality
• Increases the diversity of wildlife
• It creates safer working conditions for the worker.

Why does organic food sometimes cost more?

Prices for o\rganic foods reflect many of the same costs as conventional items in terms of growing, harvesting, transportation and storage. Organically produced foods must meet stricter regulations governing all of these steps, so the process is often more labor- and management-intensive, and farming tends to be on a smaller scale. There is also mounting evidence that if all the indirect costs of conventional food production—cleanup of polluted water, replacement of eroded soils, costs of health care for farmers and their workers—were factored into the price of food, organic foods would cost the same or, more likely, be cheaper.

For more information on nutrition, visit the following websites:

www.hc-sc.gc.ca (Health Canada - click on Healthy Living)