Most grocery stores now sell food products labeled “organic” due to increased demand. Organic food became popular in the 1990s and has maintained an upward trend ever since. Although there are more and more supermarkets offering organic food products on their shelves, non-organic food products seem to outnumber organic food products. Organic food products are labeled with a green and brown sticker that says USDA ORGANIC. When most Americans see this label they think what they are buying is better than the average product. But do they have any proof that organic is better? For some reason, all a product needs is a little sticker that says organic, and people automatically assume it's healthier. No one ever stops to wonder what this sticker means. Instead they simply trust that organic is healthier than products that are sprayed with chemicals. The rise of organic food has created the illusion that organic food is healthier and has nutritional benefits that surpass those of conventional food products. What is organic food? To understand this government-created illusion, the definition of organic must be addressed. According to Robert Paarlberg, author of Food Politics, “organic foods are produced without man-made (i.e. synthetic) fertilizers or pesticides” instead “organic farmers use composted animal manure and plant cover crops that they can later turn into soil” ( Paarlberg, 139). This definition suggests that organic farming is not necessarily free of toxic chemicals, but that the chemicals used on organic farms are natural chemicals, or in other words, naturally occurring chemicals. Another definition of organic food is that it is "produced by farmers who em...... middle of paper...." The Local Food Movement. Amy Francis. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2010. At Issue. Gale Opposing views in context. Web. April 9, 2011. Paarlberg, Robert L. Food Policy: What Everyone Needs to Know New York, NY: Oxford UP, 2010. Print. “Foreword to “Organic Foods are a Positive Trend.” ?'.” Food. Ed. Jan Grover. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2008. Current Controversies. Gale Opposed Viewpoints In Context. Web. April 9, 2011.Samuel Fromartz Organic, Inc.: Natural Foods and How They Grew. Orlando, FL: Harcourt Books, 2006.Shapin, Steven. “Paradise Sold: What Do You Buy When You Buy Organic?” The New Yorker May 15, 2006. Web, April 12, 2011. “Should I Buy Organic Food?” Agricultural library. Ed. Mary V. Gold. October 2008. Web. 2011. .