On any day at the supermarket, consumers have the option of buying foods from conventional produce farms that use chemical pesticides and herbicides or organic foods—grown on farms that use only natural products to keep pests and weeds away from the produce.

Organic foods are clearly more expensive and some consumers wonder if the extra expense is worth it.

While foods not grown using organic techniques definitely will contain residues of one or more types of pesticides, one study done in 2002 revealed that organic produce routinely contain pesticide residue as well, but only one-third as much as conventional produce.  Even so, the potential for ingesting pesticides from organic foods still exists so this type of food needs to be washed just like other produce.  Unfortunately, no standards exist as to how much pesticide consumption is tolerable.

Another important point that detractors of organic produce make is the finding that up to half of all “natural chemicals” used in food production have been found to be cancer-causing when tested in a laboratory.  Chemists debate whether any chemicals put on foods is safe and there are those who doubt that any chemical food residue truly has the ability to cause cancer—regardless of whether they are organic or conventionally-grown.

There are those who are actively looking at organic foods and their ability to sustain the population of the earth.  Some of these researchers feel that organic agriculture alone is incapable of keeping up with the world’s food demands.  In addition, some agriculturists feel that the soil benefits found in organic farming is solely due to good crop rotation and has little to do with the actual organic techniques. 

Organic farmers have a greater time keeping their crops free of mold, pests and other diseases, resulting in a lesser quality of produce and in greater crop losses by the end of the growing season.  One researcher claimed that growing only organic tomatoes, for example, would consume more than 600 percent more land than tomatoes grown using conventional methods.

Most people believe that organic produce is completely free of pesticides and that no pesticides are used in the growing of 

organic crops.  This is, in fact, not true.  Organic farmers aim to use as little pesticides as possible but such chemicals are still used to some extent.  In addition, some organic pesticides contain an excess of copper—a heavy metal. Copper leaches into the soil, builds up and can cause health problems just like other pesticides.

Other pesticides approved for use in organic farming have some toxicity as well. The pesticide known as sabadilla has been shown to be toxic to honeybees and is being studied as a potentially toxic substance in larger animals and humans. Interestingly, while organic pesticides must be extensively tested before they are allowed to be used to grow produce, “organic pesticides” do not have the same requirements and may be as toxic as their conventional counterparts.

Organic foods are more expensive to grow and are thus more expensive to purchase than regular foods.  This means that organic foods are less available to individuals living at lower income levels.  The cost difference for organic foods is approximately ten to forty percent higher in average cost when compared to olrganic foods. 

Every family has to make its own decision as to whether or not to go “organic” and buy only organically-grown foods.  Some experts feel it is worth the extra cost to consumers to buy organic foods, while others question the actual benefit of buying them.

  

Organic foods have become easier and easier to obtain in recent years. Still, many consumers wonder if this type of food is healthy enough to be worth the often extra cost. Many of the benefits of organic foods have come to consumers through word of mouth and the promotions put on by advocates of organic eating.  Fortunately, there has been research and several solid arguments supporting the use of organic foods in everyday eating.

Several recent studies on farms which produce organic foods determined that organic farms don’t release synthetic pesticides into the ground, the air and, most importantly, the water table.  Some of the inorganic, chemical pesticides are known to be harmful to wildlife and other animals. 

Organic farms also are superior to conventional farms when it comes to maintaining 

surrounding natural ecosystems. This includes, maintaining healthy populations of natural plants, insects and indigenous animals.

 They also rotate crops more often to maintain a healthy soil.

When researchers calculated the energy use per unit area or per unit of yield of organic food-producing farms, it was found that organic farms used less energy and generated less packaging and chemical waste than conventional produce farms.  

The yield in organic produce farms is about 20 percent less when those farms used half the fertilizer and 97 percent less pesticide than conventional farming.  Others feel that organically-used soil is of a higher quality and maintains higher water retention than farms that raise produce conventionally.  This factor may improve the yield of organic farms during 

years when rainfall is less than average.  

In one study on organic farming techniques, a comparison of an organic farm and a conventional farm during a drought season, the yields of soybeans were between 50 and 90 percent better than the regular farms.  

Organic corn yields were mixed but, on average, the farms were on par with conventional farms.

Consider the risk of pesticide exposure on farm workers. Farm workers on organic farms are spared the health risks of being exposed to pesticides, which are great, even when used correctly.    Pesticides made from organophosphates, in particular, 

can cause serious acute health problems with over-exposure. 

 Long term exposure, unfortunately, is associated with breathing problems, memory problems, skin conditions, cancer, miscarriages and birth defects.

To make matters worse, those who eat food not grown in an organic fashion can be exposed to both pesticides and herbicides that remain on the food.  This is why all produce from conventional farms should be washed carefully. Exposure to certain herbicides is known to cause birth defects, even in small doses.

 Sadly, one recent study showed that the greatest source of pesticides in babies is through the dietary consumption of food not grown in an organic fashion. 

On a happier note, another study found that a group of children who were switched from a regular diet to an organic diet dramatically reduced their levels or organophosphate pesticide exposure.  In addition, studies have shown that organic food actually tastes better in taste tests than conventional food.

If you want to keep your family as healthy as possible, consider making the switch to organic foods.  The benefits to the environment and likely to your family’s health are considerable.