填空题 The United States Department of Agriculture{{U}} {{U}} 1 {{/U}} {{/U}}for organic food products. The requirements come more than{{U}} {{U}} 2 {{/U}} {{/U}}after Congress ordered the development of such rules.
Currently, different state and{{U}} {{U}} 3 {{/U}} {{/U}}establish organic food requirements in the United States. Each group uses its own rules to decide what products may be called organic.
Organic food is one of{{U}} {{U}} 4 {{/U}} {{/U}}in American agriculture. The Agriculture Department estimates that American farmers sold{{U}} {{U}} 5 {{/U}} {{/U}}worth of organic food last year.
Farmers who grow organic food{{U}} {{U}} 6 {{/U}} {{/U}}to increase their crops or to control insects and disease. Many people believe that eating organic food is{{U}} {{U}} 7 {{/U}} {{/U}}than eating food produced with chemicals. Some people{{U}} {{U}} 8 {{/U}} {{/U}}pay more for such food products.
{{U}} {{U}} 9 {{/U}} {{/U}}says there are more than{{U}} {{U}} 10 {{/U}} {{/U}}in the United States who grow food organically. Most of them produce only{{U}} {{U}} 11 {{/U}} {{/U}}food. Yet, the number of organic farmers is{{U}} {{U}} 12 {{/U}} {{/U}}of about 12 percent each year.
The new requirements set rules for what food products{{U}} {{U}} 13 {{/U}} {{/U}}. For example, at least 95 percent of{{U}} {{U}} 14 {{/U}} {{/U}}called organic must be organic. {{U}} {{U}} 15 {{/U}} {{/U}}will be permitted to{{U}} {{U}} 16 {{/U}} {{/U}}"made with organic ingredients" if at least 70 percent of their materials are organic.
In addition, a state or private agency approved by the Agriculture Department must document which farms or businesses{{U}} {{U}} 17 {{/U}} {{/U}}organic foods.
The rules bar the use of genetic engineering, the process of changing the genes of living things. They bar the use of waste products to{{U}} {{U}} 18 {{/U}} {{/U}}to fertilize organic food. They also bar treatments with radiation to kill bacteria on food products.
Farmers and food companies have 18 months to start obeying{{U}} {{U}} 19 {{/U}} {{/U}}. Americans will begin to see the effect of the rules in their local stores by the summer of 2001.
Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman{{U}} {{U}} 20 {{/U}} {{/U}}. He called them the strongest and most complete organic food rules in the world.