Why Buy Organic?

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Green Means

Why Buy Organic

By Shannon Scott

            What’s the difference between conventional and organic farming?

            Organic farming practices encourage soil and water conservation, reduce pollution, and avoid harmful chemicals like weed killers.

             Organic farming utilizes more sophisticated, time honored crop rotations and mulching to control weeds and maintain soil quality.  Soil integrity and quality proves critical to farm longevity.  The following chart, from the Mayo Clinic website, lists key difference between conventional and organic farming

Conventional	Organic
Apply chemical fertilizers to promote plant growth.	Apply natural fertilizers, such as manure or compost, to feed soil and plants.
Spray insecticides to reduce pests and disease.	Use beneficial insects and birds, mating disruption or traps to reduce pests and disease.
Use herbicides to manage weeds.	Rotate crops, till, hand weed or mulch to manage weeds.
Give animals antibiotics, growth hormones and medications to prevent disease and spur growth.	Give animals organic feed and allow them access to the outdoors. Use preventive measures — such as rotational grazing, a balanced diet and clean housing — to help minimize disease.

            I know many who naysay when it comes to buying organic products.  They argue that a person is more likely to get food poisoning from organic produce, it’s a waste of the extra money, there’s no difference in nutritional value, you can’t tell the taste difference, products might not really be organic, and so forth. 

            There’s no research or evidence that organic foods are more likely to cause food poisoning, except maybe when it comes to raw milk versus pasteurized.  Beef and poultry cause most food poisoning outbreaks, more often than not caused by poor cleanliness standards in processing and negligence in preparation.  Organic isn’t an issue.  If there is a decision between risking food poisoning from organic food versus cancer, neurological disorders or other chemical caused illnesses from non-organic heavy herbicide/pesticide loads, I’ll take organic.

            Any food can become contaminated in the production and preparation process.  Meat and poultry top the food poisoning lists, as well as eggs, shell fish, and some produce like lettuce.  Let’s face it, most food poisoning comes from contaminated processing and handling.  Slaughter houses don’t have pristine cleanliness records, nor do mass handled, mass produced anything.  Organics are as safe or safer to eat than most mass market foods – so chow down.

            Organic foods prove to be much better values than alternative choices.  With organics, a consumer is getting real food with nutritional merit, not red and yellow dyes, excessive fillers, and artificial additives that most of us cannot even pronounce.  You pay for food, not artificial ingredients. 

            Given what we know about chemical fertilizers and herbicides degrading farmland, that the science regarding long term human environmental health of genetically modified crops is not in yet, and that non-organic processed foods have so many harmful artificial filler ingredients, organic foods also appear to be of lasting value for our farmland’s future.

            Regarding whether or not organic food is more nutritious, one of the largest studies comparing organic and conventional nutritional values, conducted by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine over a 50 year period, from 1958 to 2008, concluded primarily that,  “Conventionally produced crops have significantly higher nitrogen levels”, no doubt due to intense chemical fertilizers. “Organically produced crops had significantly higher phosphorus and acidity.”  These results don’t seem to tell us a lot regarding vitamins and more common essential human minerals, so it’s safe to say that data is inconclusive.  Other major studies have shown that organic produce tests higher in micronutrients and antioxidants than non-organic.

            Sadly, it’s true, foods labeled organic, might not really be organic.  It’s up us consumers to be savvy shoppers, scrutinize labels and inform ourselves on what to look for when shopping so we don’t get scammed.

            The U.S. Department of Agriculture establishes standards and certifications for organic food products.  These standards regulate how foods are grown, handled, and processed.

            Any organic product must be USDA certified, and is usually labeled as such. Only producers who sell less than $5,000 per year are exempt, yet still required to follow guidelines.

            Foods that are completely organic, such as fruits, can carry the USDA Organic.  Products certified 95% or more organic can display the USDA seal.

            Products that contain a minimum of 70% organic ingredients may be labeled “made with organic ingredients” but will not have the USDA seal.  Anything less than 70% cannot be labeled organic at all, but may be labeled as containing organic ingredients.

            In short, organics are better for the environment and human health than alternative products.  Jim Riddle, the University of Minnesota Outreach Coordinator, has an excellent slide presentation on why we should support organic growers and products, steeped with science resources from soil preservation to nutrition the presentation can be found at: http://swroc.cfans.umn.edu/prod/groups/cfans/@pub/@cfans/@swroc/documents/asset/cfans_asset_366337.pdf

Shannon Scott is a green home owner, designer, and builder.  She and her husband live in northwestern Nevada in a straw bale home they designed and built without hired help.