Go Organic or Not?

With everyone from scientists to celebrities to universities touting environmental perspective and responsibility, an argument that circulates fairly regularly is whether to go organic or not? Is it really worth it to choose organic produce? From the consumer’s side, going organic seems logical, wise—who wants to consume extra chemicals? For the producer, treating crops with chemicals and being around them frequently appears to have a correlation with developing certain kinds of cancer. However, on the other hand, the evidence that chemically-treated or genetically-modified foods will hurt your health is not conclusive, not to mention, “organic” can mean so many different things in different states that you cannot always be certain that “organic” is “organic.” For a producer, using chemicals means beating the pests that can destroy a crop and increasing yield, both in number and size, which means more money.

So, as in all arguments, the answer to the question “Is organic worth it?” depends largely upon what a consumer values—sustainability of ecosystems, taking no risks when it comes to health, or saving money. But, of course, as anyone who has ever been on a diet can tell you, a commitment to make healthy food choices doesn’t have to be an all or none commitment. Another way of arguing whether eating organic is worth it for the consumer is to propose an organic diet be more observant of some data that exists from tests done on various organic fruits and vegetables. Tests by the USDA indicate that certain fruits and vegetables are more likely to have detectable levels of pesticides, while others are much less likely (http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/food/diet-nutrition/organic-products/organic-foods/overview/when-to-buy-organic-ov.htm). Often, it is produce that is “exposed” (lacking thick skins), like berries and potatoes that are found to contain chemicals, while produce like bananas and avocados are less likely to have detectable levels. On the issue of eating organic, there does seem to be some value in arguing a middle ground—buy organic when the data suggests an increased risk for consuming pesticides.

An argument that avoids taking the middle road is an argument that looks at the non-monetary reasons that consumers might overlook organic choices and identifies potential remedies for those reasons. The fact of the matter is that the use of pesticides and insecticides has influenced our expectations of what produce looks like. If you’ve ever had a vegetable garden, you know that a beautiful, evenly red and round tomato is not nearly as common as the grocery store would lead us to believe. Untreated produce usually just looks less pleasant. In the meat market, a nicely marbled steak simply takes longer to create without growth hormones. In a society that often looks for both quick fills—the fastest, most convenient meal—and the most aesthetically pleasing object—pretty, flawless produce—changing our expectations of food may be more productive than arguing whether buying and growing organic produce is worthwhile. If as a culture we recognize our own biases and bad habits when it comes to food, we may be able to foster an attitude that encourages us to make healthy and socially responsible food choices without going back to the one dimensional question of “Go organic?”