Natural Food: Organic Versus Non Organic

Is organic better than non organic? Organic food cost more but is it really healthier? There are arguments for both sides. Organically grown fruits and vegetables do not use man-made pesticides and herbicides and there are over 400 pesticides used in non-organic farming. Pesticides of course, are designed to kill living organisms. Modern agriculture techniques using pesticides and herbicides yield much larger crops using them, thus increasing their profits. These farmers tend to have very large farms, while organic farms tend to be family owned and operated. The costs of growing food non organically seem less expensive until you consider the costs borne by the taxpayer such as, federal subsides, regulation and testing of pesticides and the clean up and disposal of hazardous wastes. This is not to mention the effects on the environment. Even in remote areas of the earth scientist are noticing the impact of these toxic chemicals. Birds, wind, and water run off, are spreading them into our lakes, rivers and oceans. There is evidence that these toxins are in aquatic creatures, wildlife and humans.


How do these toxins make their way up the food chain to humans? Some is in the animals we consume because they graze on plants where run off has occurred, but some residue remains on the plants themselves. Even washing them, does not remove all residues. Some fruits and vegetables are more susceptible to this: with pesticides penetrating under the outer layers. The EPA considers 60% of all herbicides, 30% of all insecticides, and 90% of all fungicides, as potentially cancer causing agents. The EPA approved many of these long before research linked them to cancer and other diseases.

Over 30 billion tons, of topsoil is eroded each year across the United States and Europe, due to non-organic methods of farming. This is due to the vast amount of areas where farmers plant the same crop year after year.

Organic farmers rotate crops and grow crops of “green manures” to conserve the soil and preserve nutrients. Green manures are plants like soy, and legumes, that when plowed under the soil, it is revitalized. These practices conserve the topsoil and ready it for another crop. Many organic farmers have livestock or chickens where they harness their output as well. They make use of natural fertilizers through composting. By integrating livestock and utilizing these natural manures, earthworms and other soil organisms can easily replenish the soil.

Even if organic food saves the earth and doesn’t poison us with toxins, is that enough to make it worth the extra cost? If you’re not sure consider this. Why are we eating fruits and vegetables for in the first place? It’s for a little thing called antioxidants. That’s the stuff that keeps us healthy enough to fight off those toxins. Could there be a difference in the amount of antioxidants between organic and non-organic foods. The answer turns out to be yes.

Flavonoids are phenolic compounds that have potent antioxidant activity within them. These are produced in plants in response to plant stressors, such as insects and competition for nutrients from other plants. “If an aphid is nibbling on a leaf, the plant produces phenolics to defend itself. Bitter or harsh phenolics guard the plant from these pests.” Says, Alyson Mitchell, PH.D and food scientist at the University of California. When pesticides are applied the need for the plant to produce phenolics is reduced and so are the antioxidants. “This explains why the level of antioxidants is much higher in organically grown foods.” Mitchell says.

Organic farmers do use natural fertilizers like manure. Some have come to question the safety of manure on crops due to the recent food recall of peanut products. Using manures as a fertilizer is a source of various bacteria’s like Ecoli. Those who are against organic farming contend that without pesticides a plant is virtually unprotected against fungi. Fungi are natural carcinogens. While it may be true that there are natural occurring carcinogens to be concern with, to any logical person, organic farming remains the obvious healthier choice.


By  Renee Rotto