Organic Food Not Healthier Than Chemically Produced Food?
Thanks to GMProMagazine for this link to this report from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. This is a review of the research on ag products and meat that shows shows small statistical differences between food produced using organic methods and food producing using conventional chemical system. Read the summary here.
Interesting stuff. Chemical food higher in nitrogen. Organic food higher in phosphorus and higher titratable acidity.
But given the choice – this writer is sticking to organics. Yeah, call it bias, call it whatever you like but here’s my thinking on much of this kind of stuff. I “know” that growing food organically won’t hurt me. Period. My body has genetically adapted to this stuff. My problem is that many of the “scientifically proven” data comes back a few years later to bite us in the butt. Yes – this chemical is really, really safe… oh wait, it’s not now that we have this test and understand this health issue.
So. My take is maybe chemical food is “equally” nutritious (the ag producers/marketers are going to want you to believe this for sure) and maybe in ten years they’ll find out the opposite. If I’m wrong – I’ve been eating safe food for 10 years and no harm done except a slightly higher purchased food cost. If I’m right to avoid chemical food, I’ve dodged one bullet in life.
Where’s my risk to staying organic? None.
Where’s my risk to moving to full chemically produce food? I don’t know. And it’s that “I don’t know” – and the track record of the testing and research I simply don’t trust.
My take is that big ag and big chemical have brought this lack of trust onto themselves by their history.
But the study is interesting and I thought you might like to know about it.
I don’t think that nutrition is the issue. The issue is the CHEMICAL being ingested into our system and the effect of these chemicals in our bodies. I don’t even want to get into the side effects of chemically laded foods.
So the argument is not nutrition, it’s the chemicals and some lobbyist with vested interest on all the genetically modified and chemical manufactures would like us to believe that going organic is not worth it!
It is worth it! It’s what mother nature intended us to do.
I thought some of the point of growing organic food was that it was better for the planet, so what if the other stuff is nutritionally “equivalent”. I don’t think that even matters in the long run but I will take the side benefit of eating unadulterated food.
Yeah, they may have the same nutrition, but they both may not have the same effect on our bodies. Who cares about the nutrition issue when the chemicals on most produce could causing who knows what kind of damage on our bodies.
Price is an issue for a lot of people. This summer I bought 2 organically raised whole chickens at a Farmer’s Market. They were $2.64/pound, while in the grocery store they were .77/pound. That is 3 times higher for organic. Of course, growing one’s own veg and fruits is very inexpensive, but buying it not so much so.
The issue of which type of food is more nutritious for humans may still be up in the air but which type of cultivation method (chemical or organic) is better for the soil food web is not disputable.
Chemicals (fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides) wipe out the living microbes in the soil. Then a grower is left with no living matter in the soil. Common sense says that is not a good thing. Ag chemical companies will dispute if it is a good thing or not since their answer is too dump more chemicals into the soil and more money into their bank account. Money talks, common sense walks.
See you in Raleigh/Durham Doug!
Also read the Aug. 31st Time magazine cover story…The Real Cost of Cheap Food…
Gang – none of the important notes you’re raising surprises me nor can I disagree with anything you’re raising. Which is why our gardens are organic.
I’m not sure how the study was conducted, but perhaps the organic food was not fresh at the time? I can’t help thinking that a fresh pick ear of corn is more nutritious than one that has sat on the shelf for several days.
I’m not sure price is really a valid reason to NOT buy organic. e.g. take the example mentioned by prairiepetunia, ($0.77/lb conventional chicken vs $2.64/lb organic chicken) and break it down like this:
Assume birds weigh 5 lbs
assume 2 meals for 4 people (incl using ‘remainders’ for soup, stew,etc)
meat cost per meal conventional: 5lb x $0.77/lb / 8 meals = $0.48/meal
meat cost per meal organic: 5lb x $2.64/lb / 8 meals = 1.65/meal
Difference about $1.17/meal
Even at this very high differential price per pound, the organic choice is only a little more than a buck a meal more expensive. (So don’t drink a Coke with your meal, have water instead )
The same analysis holds up in my neck of the woods. Here supermarket chicken usually sells for around $1.99/lb; I sell my organic chicken for $3.75/lb, and I sell all I can raise at that price. Difference per meal about $1.10.
I think if people did this analysis and realized the hidden costs of that $0.77 lb chicken, organic would shape up a lot better (sure TASTES better!)
@Scott – very interesting analysis. Appreciate you taking the time to do that for us.