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Eating Organic
Is It Healthier? By Johnathon Allen
While there is some disagreement over whether or not organic foods really taste better (Consumer Reports recently conducted a taste-test between conventionally grown carrots, apples and tomatoes and organic ones purchased directly from a farmers' market; the panel failed to identify any significant differences in flavor), there is little argument that organic farming is friendlier to both livestock and the environment.
"Organic foods are certainly better for you, but organic farming has a lot more to do with sustainable agriculture," says Karen Armstrong-Cummings, managing director of the Commodity Growers Cooperative in Lexington, Ky. "Organic systems don't use toxic pesticides or fertilizers. Rather, they are based on the cultivation of biological diversity and replenishment of soil nutrients. The damage agribusiness inflicts on the environment is abundant and compounds itself every year. Organic techniques are viable over the long term."
The Environmental Working Group (EWG), based in Washington, D.C., released a study called Forbidden Fruit in which samples from the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) own records were analyzed. Not only were there major discrepancies in the FDA's reported contamination figures, but nearly half of the registered contaminates were illegal pesticides that have been banned due to their carcinogenic/toxic properties.
According to the report, the 10 most contaminated non-organic foods (in order) were: strawberries, red/green bell peppers, spinach, cherries, peaches, cantaloupe, celery, apples, blackberries and green peas.
According to the EWG, "A person eating the USDA's recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables per day will consume illegal pesticides at least 75 times per year. By contrast, the average consumer must eat 100 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables in order to eat from a shipment tested for pesticides by the FDA. Which means that the average American is 15 times more likely to et an illegal pesticide than to eat from a shipment tested by the FDA."