Should You Buy Organic?

By Author: Eric Johnson
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Should you buy organic foods?

Last week I stood in the produce section of my local grocery store looking at bananas. I pondered going with the USDA-stamped organic variety for 79 cents a pound or the non-organic for 49 cents a pound. I start thinking about organic milk, apples, lettuce, broccoli, meats, cereals and even organic potato chips. If I bought organic across the board I could take my $120 a week grocery bill to almost $200.

Are organic foods really worth the higher price tag? What does organic really mean? Is organic truly safer and more nutritious? What about taste? With these and other questions in mind, I began my research. Here's what I found.

What does organic mean?

The term organic refers to the way food is produced. Organic produce is grown without man-made pesticides and fertilizers. Organic farmers use birds, insects and traps to reduce pests and disease. They use natural fertilizers such as compost and manure. To minimize weeds, organic farmers till the soil, mulch and hand-pick weeds.

The term organic for animals means they are not given routine antibiotics ...
... and growth hormones to prevent disease or spur animal growth and productivity. Organic farmers work to prevent disease and increase productivity by providing animals with a clean environment, more access to outdoors, managed grazing and a balanced diet.

Are organic foods safer and more nutritious?

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), there is no conclusive evidence that organic foods are safer or more nutritious than non-organic. Most experts agree the very small quantities of fertilizers and pesticides that may remain on produce do not pose a meaningful health risk. Advocates of organic foods disagree.

Is organic farming better for the environment?

Organic farming is designed to conserve water and soil. While those benefits are important, some believe that because organic farming is not as efficient as conventional farming, more land is required to produce the same amount of food. As demand for organic products grows, so will the demand for additional farmland. This may cause further encroachment on land and animals in their natural state.

Does organic food taste better?

Some people believe there is a taste difference, others do not. Fresher product, whether organic or not, is usually the most effective way to get the best tasting product.

How do I know if a product is really organic?

The USDA strictly manages the labeling of food as organic. Products that are 100% organic such as organic produce and dairy can use the USDA organic label.

Products with multiple ingredients, such as snacks and cereals must have 95% organic ingredients to use the organic label.

Products with more than 70% organic ingredients can be labeled as made with organic ingredients.

Products with less than 70% organic ingredients cannot use the word organic in their labeling. They can however call out organic ingredients in the ingredient listing on the package.

Keep in mind that labeling such as free range or hormone free do not necessarily mean these products are organic.

Why the debate over organic vs. non-organic foods?

Organic food producers, non-organic food producers, environmentalists, grocery retailers, some pharmaceutical companies and others have all staked their positions on the topic. Each has an agenda to protect. And as you might imagine, for every study that supports the organic production of food, there is one that does not.

Organic farmers support organic farming because an increase in demand for their products increases their profits. For the same reason, non-organic farmers support non-organic farming techniques.

Environmentalists support organic farming because they believe it is more sustainable and therefore better for the environment.

Grocery retailers support organic foods because the higher retails and better margins result in higher profits. This is why you will continue to see more advertising of organic products by retailers and manufacturers.

Manufacturers of antibiotics used for animals and manufacturers of man-made fertilizers and pesticides support non-organic foods because they sell those items to non-organic producers of food. Increases in organic farming can reduce these companies' sales and profits.

It's important to understand what each player has to gain or lose as you evaluate their argument for or against something.

So what do you do now?

If you decide to buy organic, but the cost is an obstacle, consider purchasing organic for the items you use most. Milk, eggs, fruit or meat might be good places to start.

Buy the freshest product available. Whether organic or not, this will help ensure the highest quality.

Buy local products when possible whether they are organic or not. Local products are often fresher because they travel shorter distances.

Foods labeled organic are not necessarily good for you. Many still contain high levels of fat, sugars and sodium.

Wash your produce well before eating. You can also peel some produce to avoid any remaining pesticides. But keep in mind that with many fruits and vegetables, the bulk of nutrients are contained in the skin.

It seems buying (or not buying) organic foods is really a personal choice. You can make a good argument in either direction. So individuals must make their own decision based on what feels right to them. Understanding the basics and the various agendas involved is a good start.