Organic Foods are a Waste of Money?
Organic foods are hot – more and more consumers are looking for the term "organic."
But is organic "stuff" worth the extra money? Sometimes organic produce costs at least double what "conventional" produce costs.
So why do people spend the extra money?
1. Less pesticides
2. More nutrients
3. More flavor
But are these valid reasons?
According to research published just the other day in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition …
… not a chance. Organic foods didn’t turn out to be any "better" than conventionally grown foods.
Here’s the deal — the goal of the study was to measure the differences in nutrient content between organic vs. conventional food.
Very simply the researchers scoured the literature, studies published over a 50 year time span, and looked at the nutrient differences, if any.
Their conclusions? "There is no evidence of a difference in nutrient quality between organic and conventional foods … "
So is this the be all and end all? Should we boycott Whole Foods — turning our noses up at the organic food "industry?" foods?
Not quite. Here’s how we feel about this.
First, more important than organic … simply eat more fruits and vegetables. Produce is great for you — whether you’re trying to lose fat, improve health, decrease your risk of disease, etc. With the average American eating just 2 servings total per day, eating organic isn’t my main concern…eating MORE fruits and vegetables is my concern.
We also believe local is actually more important than organic. Local … meaning foods that are grown close to where you live, like those found at Farmer’s Markets. An organic food flown 3000 miles to your grocery store is not even close to the same as a fresh vegetable picked that morning from a farm that’s just a short drive from your house. It’s also a great way to support the local economy since you’re helping local farmers.
While I mentioned this very recent study that compared some nutrient differences in conventional and organic produce, there are also other "issues" with organic foods that are a concern for many
- Are they better for the environment?
- Are there less pesticides used in production, meaning we eat less pesticides?
- Are they safer with the recent disease outbreaks that have popped up lately (e coli, salmonella, etc)?
There are still a lot of questions to be answered. Remember that this study was just one of many … and all studies need others to support (or refute) the claims.
Here’s our take as of now:
- Eat more produce, organic or not
- Buy local
If you are thinking about buying organic produce, but cost is a factor, focus on those fruits and veggies where you eat the skin vs. those you don’t. For example, you peel a banana, but eat the entire raspberry — the raspberry would therefore be more to ‘go organic’
What do you think? Is organic worth it? Why do you (or don’t you) buy organic foods? Leave us a comment.
July 31st, 2009 at 1:40 pm
I think it is very important to buy organic food. As the daughter of a two time breast cancer survivor I have made it my goal to really work on the ‘prevention model’ vs. the ‘treatment’ model. Regardless of what studies say regarding nutrient content, I am not convinced. What company is going to come out and say that the gov’t has ‘corrupted’ our food source and has been doing so for years and years and years, with the use of pesticides and chemicals. And if by chance the studies are correct, I don’t want the pesticides and chemicals in my food or the foods of my family. We are a middle class family, we go ‘without’ to purchase almost entirely organic foods, and best of all local foods. My children are some of the healthiest kids I know. We only visit for the well check, and have never had to see the doctor for any sort of illness. The way we eat keeps their immune system in top notch to fight any illness that comes their way. Our children are 7 and 4 and they have NEVER been on an antibiotic. We spend very little on health care because we don’t need to and I think this is because of the foods that I bring into our home. I highly encourage everyone to watch the documentaries: King Corn, The Future of Food, and the one I most recently watched at Village 8, Food, Inc.
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July 31st, 2009 at 5:26 pm
I don’t think organic foods are a waste of money. I don’t buy all organic food, but like Chris/Kara stated above, I tend to buy organic foods that have a edible skin or no skin like berries, apples or celery. We have what I guess would be considered a large family and it isn’t always economical to buy organic. I don’t want my family consuming foods that have pesticides or chemicals and I try to avoid them as much as possible.
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August 1st, 2009 at 5:20 am
Any time we can eat foods with fewer pesticides we are doing better. Pesticides are poison. Why do we think that is ok? I’m disappointed in this posting. If you are going to push for quality foods (see recent blog posts) then be consistent and push for *quality foods* without added poisons. Although I can’t buy all organic foods, there are some things that I will only buy organic and I strive to buy more and more.
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August 1st, 2009 at 8:29 am
I look for organic locally grown foods to purchase for our family whenever possible. I like the idea of eating foods not treated with pesticides or genetically engineered, and I also want to support local farmers in our area. It is better for the environment, our family, and our farming community.
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August 1st, 2009 at 8:53 pm
My wife and I used to eat almost exclusively organic foods for about 3 years. Then due to financial reasons, we cut back to only organic produce. And to be honest, I can tell a difference. Not just in the taste, but the way my body reacts and processes the food. Please excuse the details but my sweat has a more pungent odor as do other bodily functions. My body does not do as well on conventionally farmed foods. Many people don\’t realize the difference when going from conventional to organic. But they notice a huge difference when going back from organic to conventional.
I agree with the post that eating more fruits and vegetables should be a goal, but not the goal. I think eating more produce is an intermediate step with organic produce being the final step. In addition, I have found research stating organic produce does have a higher nutrient quantity. However, if its being shipped from S.America, odds are any benefit is going to be lost. And be prepared to pony up the dough. Although, Trader Joe\’s does have pretty competitive prices. Especially with organic foods.
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August 3rd, 2009 at 11:04 am
I agree with Chris that people need to eat more fruits and veggies, organic or not. That should be the first point for teaching people to eat healthy. Sure, organic is great but shifting to overall healthy eating should be the first step in revamping someone’s nutrition plan!
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August 4th, 2009 at 2:14 pm
Many people I know with “all or nothing” thinking claim that they don’t by non-organic produce because it is not the same quality as organic. However, I’ve noticed that these people skip fruits and veggies, in general. I believe that this article is a great message, indicating that non-organic produce is better than no produce in the diet.
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August 5th, 2009 at 12:08 pm
Love the take-home message of eat more produce, and get it locally if possible.
The organic vs. conventional farming debate to often distracts people from this simple truth so thanks for promoting.
One logical flaw in the conclusion of the scientists studying this – and in the media reporting of it – is that the burden of proof lies not with organic farming to prove itself better, but for conventional farming to prove itself as good as organic.
For millennia, there was no “organic” farming, there was just farming and it was always organic. “Conventional” farming (using pesticides, no crop rotation or letting the soil rest, etc.) has existed for less than a century.
The way we’ve done farming for thousands of years (i.e., “organic”) is by assumption the standard. So conventional farming proponents need to prove it is equivalent to organic, NOT the other way around.
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August 9th, 2009 at 5:09 pm
I love the info on buy local and support our local community business owners,etc. and you get the freshest stuff in your stomach!
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June 17th, 2011 at 9:07 am
Just to throw a wrench in the mix:
Much of the organic produce found in major supermarkets (trader joes, Whole Foods, safeway, etc) is grown on the exact same farm as the non organic. It’s just a few rows where the seeds don’t get sprayed and the seeds might be a bit different. I know this because my distant family owns a broccoli farm, and they have a few rows of organic and the rest is normal.
I think the take home message in this article is really important. America needs to focus on replacing neon orance cheetos with carrots, before they worry about where those carrots come from. I also think that local is probably much more important than buying the organic apple from safeway.
Overall as a young single woman in a down turn economy, I can’t always afford to spend the extra $ on organic. I think it’s a little ridiculous that rich people feel that they are better people just because they have the money to afford organic produce and other expensive products. If these companies really wanted change, they’d make their products at a price point affordable to those with less.
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