Organic products are increasingly purchased with the belief that they provide their families with healthier food options, but it’s essential that buyers first understand what organic certification entails before making a purchase decision.
Pesticide residues cannot be eliminated completely, but investing in organic produce on the Dirty Dozen list can be an excellent start.
Health Benefits
Many consumers choose organic products because they believe they are healthier than conventional counterparts. Some studies have indeed confirmed this belief, finding that organic food contains more vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants than non-organic varieties; other research, however, may have come up empty-handed.
Organic products offer significant health advantages to consumers, such as reduced pesticide residues and antibiotic-resistant bacteria exposure. Furthermore, the flavor is typically improved due to lack of artificial flavors or preservatives found in conventional food items.
Consumers must be wary of foods that claim to be organic but fail to meet certification guidelines, including cookies and chips that only appear healthy on paper but contain unhealthy fats and sugars. When purchasing organic products, be wary of products with labels claiming “USDA Organic”, as these may not actually meet these standards. Also be wary of manufacturers using the organic label as an illusionary health benefit when marketing unhealthy junk foods as organic.
Environmental Benefits
Organic farming replenishes soil nutrients while supporting biodiversity, making it better for the environment than conventional methods. Furthermore, it eschews synthetic pesticides and fertilizers which pollute nearby water sources; instead using natural ways such as planting between rows or employing predatory insects which don’t damage healthy crops as easily.
Organic products tend to contain fewer chemical residues than conventional counterparts, helping farm workers and their families avoid toxic exposures. Reducing pesticide usage also saves energy while cutting emissions that contribute to climate change.
To reduce the environmental impact of your food choices, focus on organic purchases. This could involve purchasing seasonal produce or selecting fruits and vegetables from the “dirty dozen,” compiled by Environmental Working Group in the US.
Ethical Concerns
Organic movements wholeheartedly support eating locally grown produce; however, most organic produce does not come from local suppliers and must still be imported, an issue which significantly contributes to environmental degradation.
Another ethical concern related to organic products is their possible unfair trade practices. With more and more organic farmers opting for labor-intensive agriculture models that shift costs from external inputs onto them directly, there has been an upsurge of interest in ethical trade – some even linking their brands with fair-trade labels for ethical business dealings.
Concerns have also been expressed over the use of antibiotics on livestock. Non-organic farms that administer antibiotics routinely to their animals risk creating resistant strains of bacteria that could pass on through meat and dairy products to us when we eat them, while organic farming prohibits such practices, offering hope to human health by not exposing ourselves to any antibiotics through eating organic products.
Cost
Organic produce has become an emblem for healthful eating, but is it worth paying extra? When on a budget it can be beneficial to focus on purchasing foods most contaminated by pesticides; such as seasonal vegetables and fruits as well as prioritizing those from the “Dirty Dozen”, which contain chemical residues.
A recent ERS study estimated retail price premiums for 17 organic and nonorganic products and found that all but spinach were more costly. Most relative premiums did not show a consistent increasing or decreasing trend throughout their 7-year study period.
Reasons for fluctuations vary and can include consumer demand, supply and distribution channels as well as local factors like weather and competition. Price premiums also can differ across stores and product categories – for instance a market basket of organic goods from Waterville Hilltop Red Apple Market costs more than at Whole Foods.
