eating organic

Here is an article I wrote for Azizah Magazine (www.azizahmagazine.com) to be published this fall.

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“Eat organic”, “go organic”, “eat naturally” are catch phrases that seem to find their way into mainstream media these days. Mostly targeted to women, fashion, pregnancy and parenting magazines, national newspapers are overloaded with information pertaining to this new healthy trend of organic and natural foods. Or is it more than a trend and real lifestyle change? Three years ago, I set myself on a mission to find out what the buzz was worth. To give myself a little jumpstart, I created a simple survey to gauge the interest level for eating organic foods, and to find out whether people thought it was necessary or even a social responsibility as Muslims to eat pure and wholesome foods. The results varied a little, and perhaps reflect the geographic constraints of obtaining organic foods.

The big stuff

When I was pregnant with my first son in 2002, I started to examine the sources of foods I ate. If you stop to think about, eating is one of our most intimate activities of daily living. And as Muslims, we further strive to ensure that every bite of our food is pure and clean. Thus I took upon myself the task of challenging my diet and making my future family a healthy one.

To start eating more healthily, it was necessary to examine the sugar content in our foods. Thereafter, I reviewed our dairy, fruit juices, breads, pastas, and “snacks”, which for us, meant that Oreos and Doritos would soon be questioned. Upon learning about the unnecessary effects from the most common additive: refined sugars, I promptly switched from white to whole wheat bread. Sugar is perhaps the biggest nemesis to our diet and creeps into our foods in a variety of forms, such as sucrose, fructose, glucose, maltose, and lactose. Now I had to read the ingredients for bread without high fructose corn syrup, which extended my stay in the bread aisle. Next I thought about dairy. When I considered what was going into the cows from which I was drinking milk and eating cheese, butter and yogurt, organic dairy from cows treated without antibiotics, hormones and other vague stimulants was a no-brainer. What about eggs? Just as the treatment of cows prompted organic, I now brought home cage-free eggs, the brown ones that usually ran almost $2 more than the average generic carton. This was one item that my husband enjoyed better right away. Probably the toughest switch to make was our produce selection. There was simply a plethora of produce that we could have purchased organic. Further, by the time I actually got to the produce section of Whole Foods, I was overwhelmed at the prices. However, in my research of produce items, I came across the Environmental Working Group’s report on the 12 most pesticide-laden produce (commonly referred as, “the dirty dozen”) which you should buy organic:

· Apples

· Bell Peppers

· Celery

· Cherries

· Imported Grapes

· Nectarines

· Peaches

· Pears

· Potatoes

· Red Raspberries

· Spinach

· Strawberries

(This report can be found online and you can print out a wallet-size card to take with you to the grocery store at http://www.foodnews.org/reportcard.php). After reading the report, we did not need further convincing that is was really important for my health and the health of my growing baby to eat food with the least amount of contamination. Sounds reasonable, right? I decided that since I relied upon my daily intake of fruits and vegetables for sustenance, I would pay the price asked of me, and make an effort to search for better price alternatives. That led me to locate my local farmers market and other cooperative agreements (ex. Organic Valley). Additionally, if you can learn about the methodology of regional fruit picking, such as strawberries, you can learn which farms use more/less pesticides. That way, you can support that farm indicated on the packaging, although it may not be organic, but you will have the comfort of knowing it was grown without as many pesticides.

The little stuff

So now what about genetically modified organisms (“GMO”) and chemically altered ingredients? In just the past decade, more and more staple foods are genetically altered. Soybean oil in soup, genetically-modified corn syrup in ketchup, cereal, chips, cookies, bread and more foods are consumed daily. A government report, issued in July 2004, from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) concluded that biotech foods may pose hidden health hazards, and children are especially vulnerable. However, there are certain benefits to such modified foods, the scientists’ claim, such as making cattle leaner and engineering greater and yield healthier oils from canola and soybeans. There is a Swedish initiative to genetically engineer rice which would contain loads of beta carotene to help those who are vitamin A deficient. Opponents would argue, why not boost the production of sweet potatoes and carrots and other vitamin A-rich foods?

Is this a social responsibility?

Coming from a business background, I couldn’t help but wonder, what was the value proposition of eating organic foods? Is it so we can say we are eating consciously and doing good to our bodies? Is it to be inclusive among a growing trend? As Muslims, we are commanded to eat food that is in its most pure and wholesome form (tayyib), thus I felt personally responsible to do a better job of purchasing quality food for my family. Yet after spending hundreds of dollars in organic and naturally prepared foods and definitely feeling better, I wondered, was that the end or was that a means to a spiritual end?

Taking initiative

Shireen Pishdadi, of Faith in Place (faithinplace.org) is a major organizer of an initiative called TAQWA Eco Food Cooperative, based in Chicago, Illinois. She seeks out farmers in southern Illinois who grow their livestock in the most wholesome manner possible and avoids factory farming. “One cannot put a price on their health or their children's health”, Pishdadi states, “and as we keep supporting factory farming (a global industry), we are helping to put the small sustainable farmer out of business and depriving our future generations the choice of wholesome food.” The TAQWA Coop has a commitment to cultivate livestock that is organic, sustainable & pasture-raised, with animals that are humanely raised and slaughtered and ecologically sustained under fair and honorable working conditions and just economic practices. This commitment directly speaks to consumers such as Mahruq Khan, of Chicago, Illinois. I find it somewhat contradictory, she claims, to purchase halal meat when the animal from which that meat came from was not grazing on a free range, and probably did not lead a healthy/happy life. In the brief surveys I conducted, I asked my respondents whether they felt it was a social responsibility of Muslims to eat organic or natural foods. Lara Suleiman, a communications student from Hinsdale, Illinois, agrees that Muslims should be responsible for eating food that is tayyib. “I also think it should be a responsibility of every person, Muslims or not, that cares about their health and the welfare of their children.” Regarding the quality of the meat consumed, Mahruq Khan of Chicago, Illinois “find[s] it somewhat contradictory to purchase halal meat when the animal from which that meat came from was not grazing on a free range, and probably did not lead a healthy/happy life.” Many Muslims today lack awareness of the details pertaining to the food industry; yet, if known, would promptly take strides to create an industry for Muslims to eat wholesome foods. An additional deterrent is the premium charged for such foods, yet such prices will eventually decrease with increased demand and supply. Ultimately, making a change to eat organic or natural foods is a change of lifestyle and requires an integration of awareness and appreciation for entrepreneurship (local farms).

What can you do?

I asked her to give the Azizah readership a parting message. What is something you can start with today? The catalyst for change, she firmly believes, is awareness of the food industry. Know where your food comes from and its methodology! Next, look into local cooperatives and support farmers markets. And finally, Muslims should give up cheap food, claims Pishdadi, food is not cheap, but we get it cheap because we pay for it with our health and with war. Shopping at Whole Foods is not the ultimate solution, rather Muslims need to work together to build a better food industry. There are certainly greater and more global issues for Muslims of this day to confront with, however, as Pishdadi believes, factory farming ultimately supports the energy business which hurts Muslims in the Middle East. “These and many other reasons are why Muslims should stop patronizing this global industry, which is owned and run by [four or five] mega corporations and look to the local farmers for wholesome sustenance.” Further, she asserts, Muslims should be at the front of this initiative because we have been commanded to eat food that is pure.