Organic foods reduce exposure to pesticide residue. If budgets are tight, prioritize organic versions of the “dirty dozen,” which includes twelve most-contaminated fruits and vegetables.
Be careful when purchasing food with an organic label; other terms, like “natural”, don’t always mean the same thing. Check our guide on food labels for more details.
1. Less Pesticides
Organic doesn’t guarantee pesticide-free production. Many organic chemicals like lime-sulfur solution or glyphosate (an organophosphorus herbicide) can be just as toxic to human health than synthetic pesticides and some even carry the DANGER signal word, disallowing organic production altogether.
On a positive note, most synthetic and organic pesticides break down during harvest or processing and can be washed off, decreasing exposure when food reaches consumers. Yet conventional and organic foods still may contain residue from pesticides used on farms or airborne bacteria from spraying operations that remains on them after reaching customers’ tables.
Organic farming does not use neonicotinoids, an insecticide class known to harm birds, bees and other pollinators species. Research has also indicated that consumers of organic produce tend to have healthier eating habits and consume a wider variety of whole foods than non-organic consumers; perhaps explaining why observational studies have linked organic diets with lower risks of metabolic syndrome, high BMI, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, infertility and allergic sensitisation.
2. Less Chemicals
People choose organic food for various reasons. Concerns can range from pesticide exposure and taste preference, to animal welfare and environmental impacts. While marketers often claim otherwise, organic produce does not always remain pesticide-free after harvest and processing; residual residue may remain on some food items even without use of pesticides in production.
Organic produce and other products often have much lower levels of residue compared to conventionally produced food items, with very few synthetic substances allowed in organic farming or food processing. A National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances provides an authoritative resource of synthetic and non-synthetic chemicals that may or may not be permitted for organic crop and livestock production and processing operations, including natural toxins such as arsenic and strychnine. The National List is reviewed periodically as new scientific and technical information becomes available, in order to continuously improve organic standards and products. The USDA’s National Organic Program is overseen by a committee consisting of farmers, processors, retailers, environmentalists and scientists.
3. Better Health
Organic foods are great for the environment, but are they healthier for us too? All organic products must meet certain safety standards to be labeled organic; however, for extra health benefits it may be worth shelling out extra for organic options.
Organic produce typically contains higher concentrations of vitamins C, E and carotenoids than its non-organic counterpart. Furthermore, its levels of the toxic heavy metal cadmium tend to be significantly reduced.
Organic options tend to contain less antibiotics and growth hormones. But even if you don’t buy organic, choosing meat that has been certified Humane or American Grassfed Association will guarantee that the animal was raised humanely and fed a natural diet of grass or other forage sources.
Though its precise benefits remain difficult to quantify, studies have linked organic foods with reduced cancer risks and greater antioxidant activity – yet further long-term studies are required in order to confirm these claims.
4. Better Environment
Instead of polluting soil and water with dangerous chemicals, organic farming practices seek to restore and protect natural ecosystems by improving soil and water quality, increasing biodiversity, supporting local communities, and decreasing greenhouse gas emissions.
Organic production prohibits GMOs and synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and fertilisers, so choosing organic food helps you avoid these potentially harmful ingredients. Furthermore, due to restrictions placed upon it by law such as not using sewage sludge or irradiation processes for production purposes organic products tend to be more environmentally friendly than their non-organic counterparts.
The organic label is regulated by both national and international governing standards to ensure it stands for transparency, integrity and consistent enforcement of strict environmental standards. Although demand for organic food products continues to increase worldwide, their market remains relatively small relative to overall food industry growth. IFOAM Organics Europe works hard to increase consumer understanding and confidence in organic certification as well as to shape policy and regulations which will give meaning and purpose behind organic certification.
