Organic Food: Really? Or Just a Marketing Ploy?

Organic food is the fastest growing area of the American food industry, and its price is just too high. Many buy organic because they want to avoid pesticides. But organic systems in fact cannot ensure that their products are entirely free of pesticides.

According to the National Standard, “by themselves, organic practices cannot ensure that organic products are entirely free of residues of prohibited substances and other contaminants, since exposure to such compounds from the atmosphere, soil, ground water and other sources may be well beyond the control of the operator.”

Most organic growers rarely use natural or biological pesticides, preferring to mitigate pests and disease with mechanical and cultural means, such as insect predators, use of disease-resistant plant varietals, and beneficial soil micro-organisms. However, a study found that some pesticides used in organic farming could have a bad effect to our health. According to genticliteracyproject.org, the most used pesticide in organic farming (about 90%) is Bt (the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis) which could attack the cells in our gut, piercing holes in our intestines. Another insecticide that is also very commonly used is Spinosad which can cause irritation.

The studies on health benefits in consuming organic food show mixed results. Some studies have found that biological food can contain a small amounts of vitamin C and omega-3 fatty acids, while others do not show significant differences. In fact, a Danish study in 2018 found that the risk of insecticides was like drinking a glass of wine every three months. The toxicity of any substance usually depends on its concentration, it does not matter whether it is natural.

Some support organic because they believe organic is more environmentally friendly. Organic systems use less energy, but greenhouse gas emissions are similar with conventional farming. Despite using fewer pesticides, more land is needed for organic farming to produce the same output of crops.

Despite all the cons listed so far, organic food is still believed to be more beneficial to our health than conventional produce given the lower level of pesticide residues contained. Sometimes, what you eat is more important than how it is produced. If you want to eat healthier, eat a balanced diet. Or, pick the food with lower pesticides as shown below: 

Choose the clean 15 or live dangerously with the dirty dozen?

Reference:

Ashutosh Viramgama, Reality About Organic Food – Healthier Or Just A Scam? https://ashutoshviramgama.com/

Susan Safyan, Organics: Hype or Hope? https://www.alive.com/