The Organic Food Debate: An Introduction

photo by roxanna shohadaee

Recently Stanford University published a meta-analysis that combined data from 237 studies, which focused on organic food not being better for your health. Plenty of bloggers and online sites have commented on the study. In an effort to help you thoroughly understand organics, I will be writing a few articles following up this one that systematically explain organic foods. In a few bite-sized chunks, what organic food is, costs, benefits, pros and cons, and studies will be discussed, as well as an explanation of the differences between "natural" and "organic" foods.

This introduction is intended to point out that it is fundamentally narrow-minded to only ask whether or not organics are “healthier” to eat or not. Organics, like sustainability, are not just about the individual. It is about the bigger picture. Non-organic farming practices have negative impacts on the environment, farmers, large-scale human health, air and water quality, and ecosystem health. All of these features impact your health every day, and leave organics the clear winner over non-organics.

Mat McDermott, a writer for Treehugger, says, "Never mind that there have been a number of studies showing that at least for some crops, organic varieties have significant nutrient benefits over non-organic. When you look at ecological well-being, small and medium-scale organic agriculture has systemic health benefits—often better carbon sequestration in soil, better resilience to drought, et cetera. And each individual, human and non-human alike is part of that system. In other words, there are health benefits present for the whole that may not be as apparent when you drill down to the individual."

Keep your eyes peeled for the follow-up articles, which will present a case for both sides, for you to decide what you support with the facts.


If you want to read Matt’s full response it can be found here: http://www.treehugger.com/environmental-policy/asking-organic-food-just-better-for-your-health-not-right-question.html

Another response to the study that presents some of the most articulate responses:
http://grist.org/food/organic-food-may-not-have-a-big-nutritional-edge-but-how-much-does-that-matter/


Some of the original articles that have sparked this debate can be found here:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2012/09/04/160395259/why-organic-food-may-not-be-healthier-for-you
http://gizmodo.com/5940576/organic-food-might-not-actually-be-better-for-us

Also the original study can be seen here:
http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=1355685

written by Roxanna Shohadaee