About Organic Farming:
According to many organizations, direct genetic manipulation of a crop may have some dangerous side effects. However, simple hybridization and crossbreeding might not be harmful. Herbicide residue might remain in the tissues of plant, and also that administered genes might enter into wild plants.
In 2007, environment groups were successful in stopping plantation of Monsanto's roundup alfalfa on the basis that the evolution of this plant had not gone through all the environmental testing regimes. Also in 2006, biotech companies were prohibited to plant corn within the borders of Mexico.
These concerns of customers along with issues like factory farming, environmental health, and animal cruelty led to the demand of organic and ethically-processed food products. Consumers are ready to offer more price for such products. As per the statistics of the Organic Trade Association, sale of organic food products increased by 25 percent in 2006. Also, organic food products constitute around 3 percent among the total food products in U.S. These numbers are expected to increase.
To cash this popularity of organic foods, many food industries are concentrating on the production of organic food. A leading industry in organic food, Whole Foods has earned the largest profit margin per square foot of the food store. Wal-Mart has started to provide organic products from 2006.
Though organic farming is good for the environment, and also such products are good for health, there is a certain downside to it. To deal with competition in this field, most retailers will certainly demand less prices from organic farmers. This in turn will affect the organic farmers. It is also possible to tie up with other countries like China for organic products. However, the definition of what is organic is different for each country.