Stephen Kitselman
English
21 July 2011
Organic Foods are not Worth the Expense
Health-conscious consumers have an interest in knowing if the extra money they spend on organic food is justified. The organic food industry, therefore, has a large financial interest in convincing the public that the food they sell is healthier, tastier, safer, and better for the environment.
Organic Foods are not Healthier
One of the main reasons people pay up to three times more for organic foods is based on the belief that organic foods are nutritionally superior; however, this popular belief is not backed by science. A recent study lead by Dr. Alan Dangour, a professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, reviewed over 160 scientific articles on the comparative nutritional content of organic and conventional foods published in the last 50 years (Dangour et al. 680).
After intensive review of the literature, Dangour and his team of researchers found that “there is no evidence to support the selection of organically produced foodstuffs over conventionally produced foodstuffs to increase the intake of specific nutrients or nutritionally relevant substances” (Dangour et al. 684).
Across eleven different nutrient categories, including vitamin c and calcium, the study showed no evidence of a significant difference in content (Dangour et al. 682).
The study did show some minor differences, mainly that organically produced crops contained higher levels of phosphorous and acidity and conventionally produced crops contained higher levels of nitrate. However, the Dangour study suggested these small differences have no impact on the nutritional quality of the crops (Dangour et al. 682).
The Term Paper on Organic Nitrogen Soil Nitrate Crop
. ; ; . ; ; . ; ; . ; ; . ; ; .; ; . ; ; . ; ; . ; ; . ; ; .; ; . ; ; . ; ; . ; ; .; ; . ; ; Use of Nitrogen as a Fertilizer In 1898, the president of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, Sir William Crookes, startled a distinguished scientific audience when he declared during his presidential address that "England and all civilized nations stand in deadly peril of not having ...
While some critics suggested the Dangour study failed to credit organic crops as healthier due to lower nitrate concentrations, more recent studies actually suggest that dietary nitrate is not only safe, but also beneficial. A comprehensive review published by The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, debunked the fictional belief that nitrate is a cancer-causing chemical and a public health hazard (Hord et al. 1).
In fact, the review showed that the existing data supports higher levels of nitrate in food, as nitrates “play essential physiologic roles supporting cardiovascular health and gastrointestinal immune function” (Hord et al. 8).
Another recent study published in Medical Hypotheses, found that eating fruits and vegetables high in nitrates might help lower obesity, diabetes, hypertension, pulmonary hypertension, osteoporosis, and coronary artery disease (Ralt 794-95).
Therefore, if anything, the Dangour study proved that conventionally grown crops are healthier than organically grown crops due to the benefits derived from higher levels of dietary nitrate.
Organic Foods are not Tastier
Many people purchase high-priced organic food items based on the idea that organic foods will invariably taste better than those grown using conventional methods. In a comprehensive review of objective taste tests, Bourn and Prescott of the Department of Food Science at the University of Otago in New Zealand found that “there is yet to be convincing evidence that organic produce differs in sensory terms from conventional produce, let alone that there is some taste advantage” (Bourn, Prescott 22).
Therefore, anyone who buys organic food for its increase in perceived taste quality is in fact buying it under a false notion and is likely to be doing so simply because of a self-fulfilling prophecy based on their preconceived notions about organic food.
Organic Foods are not Safer
A majority of people buy expensive organic food assuming that it is pesticide free, and therefore a safer alternative to foods grown using conventional methods of pest eradication. The truth is that a food can be classified as certified organic while having been treated with pesticides. The only difference is that the pesticide used on organic foods must be natural and not synthetic. There was for many years an assumption that a natural pesticide would pose less of a health risk and would cause less environmental damage than one of synthetic origins; however, this is not the case. A study conducted at the Environmental Chemistry and Toxicology Laboratory in the Department of Environmental Science at the University of California, Berkeley showed that Rotenone, a natural pesticide used on organic food products, induces Parkinson-like symptoms in rats and poses a major health risk to humans (Pierluigi et al. 1).
The Term Paper on Organic Foods 2
In spite of the increasing popularity of Organic food these days, most of the people do not have a clear idea regarding the definition of organic food. In simple words, Organic foods are those foods that are produced, processed and packaged without using chemicals. They have been accepted due to their perceived health benefits over conventional food. The organic industry is growing rapidly and has ...
Thankfully, this pesticide was discontinued in 2005, but it goes to show that simply because a pesticide is natural doesn’t necessarily mean that it is safe.
Furthermore, organic foods also pose major health risks due to the harmful pathogens that result from using natural fertilizers. It has been found that food products produced on organic farms have a 10% risk of being contaminated with E. coli, a pathogen that is spread through the use of manure instead of artificial fertilizers (Mukherjee et al. abstract).
This is much higher than the 2% risk of E coli in food products produced on conventional farms (Mukherjee et al. abstract).
Therefore, natural and certified organic foods are not necessarily safer for human consumption than conventionally grown foods.
Organic Foods are not Better for the Environment
Perhaps the largest incentive to pay loads of money for organic foods is based on the belief that it is the most ecologically conscientious choice. However, simply because a product is produced using certified organic methods does not mean it is better for the environment than a product produced using conventional methods. In fact, most organic farms refuse to implement technological advancements that could dramatically reduce the environmentally harmful effects of farming, for example, implementing pest/plant-specific synthetic pesticides.
The Essay on What Is Organic Food And Why Should I Care?
In today’s world, there are an exorbitant amount of meal choices and food options. We are constantly searching for nutritious foods so that we may live healthy lives. In regard to purchasing healthy foods, organic food is growing in popularity due to an increased concern for food safety and environmental protection. Organic food refers to crops or livestock that are grown on the farm without the ...
A study conducted by scientists from the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, found that synthetic pesticides designed to control infestation of specific pests, or to be used on specific plants, may be better for the environment than natural pesticides (Bahlai et al. 3).
The test showed that “carefully designed integrated pest management systems are likely the best strategy for minimizing environmental impact of agriculture” (Bahlai et al. 3).
Despite the less harmful effects from these synthetic pesticides, certified organic farmers may reject the technology simply based on ideology.
Additionally, organic food production is not better for the environment because it produces about 20% less food per unit than conventional food production. Therefore, if all farms were to switch to organic farming methods, either more people would suffer from hunger and malnutrition or, more likely, more natural habitats would have to be destroyed in order to make room for more organic farms. While synthetic fertilizers and pesticides may cause harm to natural habitats, at least with conventional farms the natural habitats will remain unplowed.
In conclusion, organic foods are not worth the expense. Despite popular belief, scientific research has proven that organic foods are not healthier, tastier, safer, or better for the environment. Therefore, there is no justifiable basis to pay more for an organic product that fails to deliver its certified promise.
Works Cited
Dangour, A., Lock, K., Hayter, A., Aikenhead, A., Allen, E., & Uauy, R. (2010).
Nutrition-related health effects of organic foods: a systematic review American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 92 (1), 203-210 DOI: 10.3945/ajcn.2010.29269
Hord NG, Tang Y, Bryan NS. 2009. Food sources of nitrates and nitrites: the physio- logic context for potential health benefits. Am J Clin Nutr 90:1–10. Available from: http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/90/1/1.
The Essay on Organic Food vs. Non Organic Food
In today’s society you walk into a grocery store and you always have the option of organic or non organic food. There are even grocery stores dedicated to organic foods like Trader Joe’s, Sprouts and Whole Food market. I personally have gone organic and will never go back to eating or drinking non organic food. Organic food may be pricey but less hormones, less cow puss and blood in your milk, and ...
Mader, P. (2002).
Soil Fertility and Biodiversity in Organic Farming Science, 296 (5573), 1694-1697 DOI: 10.1126/science.1071148
Ralt D. 2009. Does No metabolism play a role in the effects of vegetables in health? Nitric oxide formation via the reduction of nitrites and nitrates. Med Hypotheses 73(5):794–6.
