Organic foods have been around since the mid-1900s but it has become the latest health trend in recent years. People eagerly jump onto the organic-everything bandwagon for many reasons. Organic produce are supposedly more nutritious， healthier， safer and tastier than regular foods that come from modern farming practices. Still， many people vaguely understand the differences between organic and conventional foods. To make it more confusing， there are many different organic labels designed by the food industry. It is quite common for a shopper to misunderstand the meaning of organic labels. Consumers easily fall into the trap of buying anything labeled as organic， thinking it has a protected health-halo around it. Eating organic is a great way to establish a healthier and greener lifestyle； however， it is just as important to know the subtle differences of the various kinds of organic. This knowledge gives you an upper hand advantage to achieve your health goals.Organic in the agricultural context refers to the way produce are grown naturally in a farm. The process excludes the use of synthetic fertilizers， pesticides， herbicides on crops or chemical wastes and hormones on livestock. Therefore， any plants or animals that have been genetically modified are not considered organic. Before the mid twentieth century， most foods were organically grown because small farms were prevalent. As new technologies improved agriculture， modern farming took over and revolutionized how our foods are grown. Large-scale farms produce crops with the help of man-made fertilizers to achieve more appealing， bigger cash crops. Livestocks are injected with hormones to grow bigger so they are more profitable in the long run. Nowadays， most conventional foods are grown with aid from pesticides， herbicides， and synthetic fertilizers. Most foods in the market are considered non-organic and have been genetically modified， unless the labels say otherwise. As conventional farming practices changed the food industry， the organic movement began as a way to combat the non-organic foods by advocating organisms. Many people were interested in going back to the natural way of farming because of health and environmental concerns. New farming practices results in contaminating the surrounding environment with toxins and wastes. Chemicals from conventional farming simultaneously affect the quality of the soil and often harm organisms and species in nearby ecosystems. The same chemicals also harm the humans when we consume foods that have gone through growing aids causing abnormal， unhealthy side effects. To end the contamination cycle， organic farming is a good solution. Farmers use natural， green-contentious techniques that benefits both the people and environment. Today， the organic movement has garnered success in supporters whom continue to fuel healthy lifestyle choices. However， many people contemplate whether it is worth it choosing to buy an organic product over a non-organic product. After all， there is a big price discrepancy. Organic foods are usually always more expensive than regular foods. Is it worth the extra bucks？ Shoppers often assume "organic" with better， without doing their research first. There have been many studies conducted comparing those who eat organic and those who eat non-organic. The results are often blurry， never indicating true consistency or a big discrepancy in differences in health between the two groups. Although research is unclear， it is still important to keep in mind the popular saying： "You are what you eat." Our dietary composition influences our health and well-being. A healthy， well-rounded diet leads to a healthy lifestyle. Eating organic is reassuring because you know that you are eating the most natural， chemical free foods you can find. Still， it is important to be acquainted with the different kinds of organic labels out in the market so you are in full power of what you are feeding your body.Before you become a full pledged organic consumer， you should become acquainted with the many organic labels in the marketplace. In the United States， many packaged foods include the word "organic" but subtle differences in word choice means entirely different things. If you are a fully adamant organic shopper， keep an out eye out for the USDA （United States Department of Agriculture） organic seal -- which certifies a product to be organically farmed and free of synthetic materials. Here are four main organic labels to pay attention to： 1."100% Organic" means that all the ingredients and processing aids are organic and it is usually accompanied by a USDA seal. 2."Organic" means that at least 95 percent or more of the ingredients are organic and these products are also allowed the USDA seal. Warning： There is a five percent margin in which the ingredients are not organic meaning it can be chemically induced or may contain synthetic additives and hormones. 3."Made with Organic Ingredients" contains at least 70 percent organic ingredients （USDA seal is not allowed）.4. "Less than 70% Organic Ingredients" means only the organic ingredients will be listed （USDA seal is not allowed）.As a smart shopper， you may start to question why there are so many organic labels or why there is such loose regulation on the word "organic." For example， an uninformed consumer may easily fall into the trap of buying tofu labeled "Made with Organic Ingredients" thinking it is 100 percent organic when in reality it only has to contain 70 percent organic ingredients. Marketing and advertising words like "organic，" "natural，" and "gluten-free" do a good job attracting consumers who want to be healthy but it is just as important to do your research on the behind the scenes process. To avoid confusion of shopping organic， you can always take the natural route and grow some of your own fruits and vegetables. This way， you are 100 percent sure that your food is safe to eat. The best part is knowing exactly where the food from your plate comes from and not having to be skeptical about your food quality. For shoppers who are not comfortable with switching to a purely-organic diet and lifestyle， it is wise to have a wide mixed assortment of organic and conventional foods. Also， have a wide selection of different food sources， such as local farmer's markets and grocery stores. This way， you can be assured that you are getting the nutrients you need from organic foods and the affordable prices on conventional foods.If you do choose to eat organic， or have already converted， you have the reassurance that you are consuming healthy and by supporting organic， you are playing a role in protecting our environment. In addition， you are getting the perks of consuming tastier foods that are richer in nutrients. When consumers demand for organic foods， they are also encouraging small farms that continue to produce clean， healthy foods. Supporting organic means these farmers will continue to produce foods that are not linked with synthetic chemicals. It is a win-win situation. You can consume foods without worrying about the affects of chemicals and wastes or possibly consuming potentially harmful toxics. Our environment will benefit from safe and clean farming practices as well. Farming and food is a never-ending cycle because humans need to energy from food to survive. So why not practice sustainability with our food choices？ Choosing to eat organic is a way to help our own health and the living organisms in our ecosystems.