If I had a dollar for every time I read an article that included the line "organic foods are no healthier than conventional", I'd be rich. If you know how studies work, you know they are the stuff of big business. They are very complicated and costly to run. Depending on how they are structured, they may not show clear proof of anything. I'm also taken aback at the very idea that such studies need to be held. Organic farming puts fewer chemicals into the earth, our general environment, and the mouths of those who eat their yields. Not to mention, fewer chemicals is a better choice for those who touch, tend to and harvest the produce. Organic animal farming practices benefit the animal and those who consume it later. Running a study to prove that organic farming doesn't result in foods with more nutrients seems besides the point. Kind of like doing a study to prove that treating people politely doesn't make anyone live longer. Does that therefore mean we should immediately stop being polite?
Furthermore, who are these folks paying for the expensive studies to find out if organic is "better" for us? They're not my local organic farmer that's for sure; he's not rich enough. I wonder though, might a corporate giant like McCain Foods have the money for that sort of thing, especially if it showed that its products are no different from organic products? But I digress...
Take a look at Nicholas Kristof's article about some fat mice who helped scientists understand that some of the typical toxins in our environment are wreaking havoc with our immune systems and potentially contributing to obesity. "Among chemical disruptors identified as 'obesogens' are materials in plastics, canned foods, foam cushions and jet fuel." Take note: we're not talking about industrial chemicals that normal people aren't exposed to. Rather these are chemicals present in our every day life. As for their effects, they are numerous, for example: "women with a pesticide residue in their blood bore babies who were more likely to be overweight at 14 months of age".
When I say that I think we should choose organic foods more often, I'm not suggesting that doing so will stave off cancer or make you live longer. However, when you understand that today's non-organic farming practices are so focussed on increasing production and maximising profits, you realize that you cannot depend on conventional grocery store food to keep you healthy. To the contrary, most of that food is exposing you - and thousands of poor migrant workers - to potentially harmful chemicals. It's a much better solution to give your money to folks who are doing what's right for the environment and our collective health: the small-scale organic farmers. They're not doing anything extraordinary; just farming the way it used to be before profit became the main criteria for success. But I'm betting that our local organic farmers will be the ones to bring us all back to health.
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