The Myths of Organic Myths

I’ve just returned from a trip to Florida. It was my first real vacation in well over a decade. I answered a few emails, but beside that, I did nothing work wise. It was marvelous, and I admit, a good mental-health exercise.

Right before I left for my trip, my friend Suzi sent me an email with an MSN article (here) entitled 6 Myths About Organic Food. She wanted to know if I agreed with the writer’s take? The answer: Yes and No!

Myth 1: ORGANIC FOOD IS ALWAYS BETTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

The article’s first “Myth” says that organic isn’t always better for the environment, because it is less productive and therefore has to use more land than industrial ag, with the writer citing Dennis Avery of the Hudson Institute as her expert. Dennis is a great defender of industrial ag, and is funded by the corporations who bring you industrial food. My take on this: The myth is not a myth, and organic production is always better for the environment.

There have been numerous studies that show that organic can be just as productive per acre. A good resource that references a number of these studies is in an article entitled Can Organic Farming “Feed the World” (here), at the University of California’s Agroecology and Sustainability Center.

Also, the week I left for my trip, the International Assessment of Agricultural Science and Technology for Development report was released. This report was the result of three years worth of work by 400 scientists through the auspices of the United Nation’s Environment Program. (See the report here.) The findings: “Modern agriculture has brought significant increases in food production. But the benefits have been spread unevenly and have come at an increasingly intolerable price, paid by small-scale farmers, workers, rural communities and the environment.” The bottom line findings of this report support that we need more small-scale farmers producing food sustainably, rather than more industrial agriculture.

Myth 2: IT'S MORE NUTRITIOUS

According to the writer, Myth 2 is that organic is more nutritious. She say’s studies keep flip-flopping on this, though she doesn’t cite specific studies, so I can’t say where she got her information. The studies I see (and there are lots of them coming out now) show that organic food is more nutritious. The best summary paper on the research that I know of on this topic is here. The findings of this researcher:

Organic crops contained significantly more vitamin C, iron, magnesium, and phosphorus and significantly less nitrates than conventional crops. There were nonsignificant trends showing less protein but of a better quality and a higher content of nutritionally significant minerals with lower amounts of some heavy metals in organic crops compared to conventional ones. Conclusions: There appear to be genuine differences in the nutrient content of organic and conventional crops.

Myth 3: IT TASTES BETTER

Our writer says that organic tastes better is a myth. She points out that fresh, local, in-season tastes better than something shipped around the world, and I agree. Taste is impacted by more than just how a food is grown...

Myth 4: YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE AS CAREFUL ABOUT WASHING IT.

She says it is a myth that you don’t have to worry about washing organic produce, and I agree. Hell, most of the time I even wash produce I grow in my own garden, though I do have to cop to occasionally just popping things directly in my mouth while I’m harvesting. Manure can be used in growing either conventional or organic crops, and a lot of people handle your food before you get it, so they could have been ill when handling it. Bottom line: Wash your produce.

Myth 5: YOU'RE SUPPORTING SMALL FARMS OR ECO-COMPANIES

She says that when you buy organic you may be buying from a major company, because most have gotten into organic since it is the fastest growing segment of the food economy. She’s correct. But you can go out of your way to buy locally by visiting your farmer’s market in season, and you can seek out smaller-scale eco-companies.

Myth 6: IT'S BETTER FOR YOU.

She writes: “Not if it's organic chips, organic soda, or organic cookies. Cane sugar is still sugar and fried chips are still fried, no matter what kind of compost was or wasn't heaped onto the potatoes. Sorry!” She’s right that junk food is still junk food, but I still would rather have my junk food with fewer pesticides, and if I am going to have sugar, I’d rather have real sugar than high-fructose corn syrup, so I will call this one a yes and no answer.