Photo credit:
Marisa McClellan
Back in the mid-nineties, when organic produce and products were just beginning to enter the mainstream consciousness, my mother and I were both pretty skeptical of the concept. We pooh-poohed the idea that one should pay more for anemic bunches of celery and gnarled apples and announced that conventional foods were more than sufficient for our needs. After all, people had been eating conventionally grown food for decades and if it was good enough for them, it was good enough for us.
However, over the years, we learned that we weren’t eating the same foods that people had been eating for generations. As we discovered more about the unsustainable nature of current farming practices, we began to edge away from our anti-organic stances towards one that was more welcoming to the world of organically grown foods (while still welcoming many conventionally raised products).
For those of you who are still wary of organic products and wonder if it’s worth the time and money to procure organic foods. But first:
What does “organic” mean?
In the broadest sense, 'organic' means something that is infused with life. When it comes to food, 'organic' indicates it was grown without the aid of pesticides or synthetic fertilizers (untreated mulches and home-brewed compost are allowed). The seeds cannot have been bioengineered and cannot have been exposed to ionizing radiation (this practice is also known as food irradiation and is used to kill bacteria, viruses and insects that sometimes exist in food. It is controversial because it does damage to the DNA of the food in addition to killing the pests). Organic eggs, meat and poultry are to be free of antibiotics and growth hormones.
The USDA goes further to define organic agriculture as a set of practices that “enhances biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity.” Ideally, farming in this manner has the ability to “restore, maintain and enhance ecological harmony.”
In order for food to be marketed and sold as organic in grocery stores, it must come from farms that have been certified organic under the standards set out by the USDA. This is a time-intensive and expensive process that requires a great deal of additional study, planning and preparation on the part of the farmer. It takes approximately three years for a farm to transition from conventional to organic. During that time, the food produced by that farm cannot be sold as organic, even if all organic practices are being followed.
To Buy or Not to Buy Organic
We are all aware that economic times are tough right now and that the grocery bill is often the first place where household spending cuts get made. If these cuts prevent you from being able to buy organic food for your family, you’ll get no guilt trip from us. However, if you’ve got a little extra cash to spend on organic foods, we want to make sure that you get the most benefit from your investment.
First the foods you can happily buy without those USDA Organic stickers. In laboratory tests, scientists have found that some fruits and vegetables show less pesticide residue than others. Some of these foods are naturally impervious to the pesticides while others have peels and skins that protect the edible interior from the evil clutches of the chemicals. Included in this list are:
asparagus
avocados
bananas
broccoli
cauliflower
sweet corn
kiwi
mangos
onions
papaya
pineapples
sweet peas
Buying the organic varieties of the items listed above doesn’t make a whole lot of sense because you don’t gain much by way of health benefits from them and you’ll blow your budget in a heartbeat. This is a relief because it means you can feel good instead of guilty about the conventional broccoli you fed your kids last night.
Now for the foods that become remarkably healthier when raised under organic conditions. These are the items that most easily absorb pesticides and so then transfer those pesticides into your system when consumed. It’s at this point that we want to remind you that healthy eating exists on a continuum and that a strawberry is always going to be better for you than a potato chip. Don’t stop buying fruits and vegetables just because you can’t handle the cost of the organic varieties. However, if you can afford a few organic foods, here are the best ones to invest in:
apples
beef
bell peppers
celery
cherries
ketchup
milk
nectarines
peaches
peanut butter
pears
potatoes
red raspberries
spinach
strawberries
To narrow down this list even further, we recommend that you start by buying just organic peanut butter, milk and apples. Peanuts are typically grown with high levels of fungicides, which can be toxic to humans when consumed in large quantities. Conventional milk has a far higher likelihood of containing pesticides as compared to the organic variety. And apples have a porous skin that allows for easy pesticide absorption. Focusing your organic dollars towards those three will give you a high return in terms of health.
Where to Buy?
It used to be that you could only buy organic foods at a health food store. However, in recent years the availability of organic products has expanded enormously. It’s now to the point where you can get organics at your local Safeway, Acme or Walmart. If you have questions about the organic foods at the grocery store, stop one of the people stocking the section, as they are often well informed about their products.
In addition to those familiar grocery options, in the early summer, farmers’ markets spring up in communities all over the country. The benefit of shopping at these markets is that you get an opportunity to interact with the people who grew your food. However, the downside is that they can be inconveniently timed and a bit pricy.
For those of you who like regularity, consider joining a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program in your area. Typically these work so that you pay a lump sum in the beginning of the season and then you are given a box of produce every week for a set span of time. Often you don’t know what will be in your produce box, but that adds an element of appealing surprise to the experience.
Another option is to join a buying club. The way buying clubs work is that you are given a list of available products from which you place an order. Most of the time, the options include meat, milk and eggs, in addition to produce. However, a frustrating thing about buying clubs is the fact that many of them deliver monthly.
Whatever you decide about organic food, having basic information to help inform your choices is inevitably the smart way to go.
How to foster green biodiversity
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Our CSA was never certified organic, but did follow organic practices. Some of the nicest things to come out of that garden were the veggies grown from heritage-variety seeds. These heritage varieties are seldom found in the supermarket because they just don't meet factory farming standards of long shelf life and easy-to-ship. When we joined the CSA I discovered what tomatoes were supposed to taste like!
USDA Organic rules prohibit use of the term "Organic" for products from farms with revenue of $6000 or more without external Certification. This limit was put in the first National Organic Program legislation. It's not changed with inflation for over a decade. So, many small family farms can't sell "organic" even if they grow that way. $6,000 revenue can't even pay the hay bills. Yes, Certification is expensive, but it is the only way an Organic farmer can retain rights to use the word "Organic".
That said, use of the label "Certified Organic" tells the consumer a lot about the food they are feeding their families.
It means that the farmer has taken the trouble to develop an Organic Systems Plan that asks the questions a farmer needs to consider to maintain a self-sustaining earth friendly operation.
No Pesticides, Fungicides, Herbicides or GMO is part of the plan. Soil conservation, water conservation, predator control practices, safe handling and storage practices for food, animal husbandry practices (space, access to pasture, feed, medical care), even buffer land management (to protect operation from potential drift from neighboring lands which might be already contaminated by GMO) - all of these considerations are important to a self-sustaining food production system (farm).
The label "Certified Organic" tells the consumer that the farmer producing that food has addressed all of these issues. It also tells them that an annual on-site independent inspection and audit has been done on the farm. Each aspect of the Organic System Plan is reviewed with reference to on-site observations.
This Organic System Plan approach to Organic production is important.
Just avoiding pesticides is a good thing, but it's only a small thing.
It takes three years to be Certified. That's time waiting for the earth to heal from whatever happened before. After three years of production compliant with the National Organic Program, you can be certified to use the "Certified Organic" label.
Yes, it takes a bit of time to develop a plan, but I think it a worthwhile effort since farms really are complex systems, and we need to think about all of the issues addressed.
So, I encourage consumers to support Organic farmers by buying Organic whenever possible. Notice the price per lb. of nutrition you get from that pop tart breakfast, or the diet softdrink from the vending machine. Use that money more wisely by spending a few cents more for healthy organic food.
Yes, I am a Certified Organic farmer.
Thanks for this article. I think it's really useful and important - especially as so many people these days I feel have been jumping on the organic bandwagon without really knowing what it's about.
That said, however, I would just like to comment on the 'which foods are worth buying organic' list. I see these lists often and it always frustrates me. As the above commenter talked about at length - organic encompasses an entire way of farming and means truly being a steward of the land. It is not just about what is healthy for us as consumers, but also what is healthy for the soil, the ecosystem, the earth as a whole.
I know times are tough. I know many people are mainly concerned with their small children ingesting toxins. But don't we also want to leave land and a planet that will be alive and vibrant for generations to come?
I just feel that by saying 'buy organic apples but don't worry about conventional bananas', it's just like saying, 'care about your children's health, but screw the rest of the world'.
Just a thought
Anonymous, I do hear what you're saying about being stewards of the land. The thing to keep in mind is that organic foods can sometimes be quite expensive and so not everyone out there can afford to switch what they buy. I was hoping to encourage some basic organic purchases, with the though being that as each individual is able, they will being to adopt more and more organic items. It's in that spirit that we included that list.
Hi Marisa,
Thanks for the thoughtful response (I was anonymous before (only b.c. I hadn't signed up!). It really is a shame that organic foods are more expensive. Farming is hard work - especially when you don't rely on dumping chemicals into your soil! - and it's really hard for farmers to make a living. So definitely understand and am sympathetic to both sides
My husband and I are, well, novice back-to-the-landers. We just bought a farm 2 years ago and are starting to grow food and raise animals for ourselves but don't really plan on trying to make a living this way (we both have other jobs).
As for buying organic, the main reason we are able to do it actually is because we belong to an absolutely outstanding food coop. It is uniquely owner-worker-member (only members can shop their and all members must work once a month) so they are really able to keep their prices down - organics in some cases are even cheaper than conventional!
I know we are incredibly lucky in these things and I wish this for everyone. Maybe it's something we could all think about for the future - changing the policies (like the Farm Act) and communities to help all have access to good, healthy food and a healthier planet.
I worked for a little bit on an organic almond and olive farm in Spain in 2007 where the farmer told me that to be Certified Organic in Spain he had to sell his crops through one cooperative, and by doing so he earned a lot less than if he sold them through the regular market. Not a particularly good incentive for farmers, especially considering in this case the farmer had to drive a significant distance to get to the cooperative.
This article and the comments provide food for thought. I would have a hard time dropping bananas from my grocery list, organic or not. And I wish I could afford to add grass-fed beef as a regular item. I'm not stuck on an organic diet. For example, I would rather buy pasteurized rBGH free milk than organic raw milk. And of course bananas. And the bananas are a contradiction to my preference to eat locally grown foods. But as for locally grown, I'm down to squash and root crops here in the frozen north country, so I'm grateful for the system that brings fresh food fro far away to my table. As you can see, I'm a waffler. (And I like local maple syrup on those waffles.)
For such a long time, folks have fussed about Organic food prices. It's been a good excuse to ignore the real cost to the earth of our conventional farm industrial complex.
Last summer some old guy fussed at me at the Farmer's Market because my freshly dug Organic spuds were "20 cents/lb. more than supermarket potatoes!"
I replied, with equal outrage in my voice, "Yea! What's with that! Not only do these cost 20 cents MORE, think of what your NOT getting for the extra cost! You don't get the herbicides that cleared that field, killing all life in it's path. You don't get the pesticides that kept the bugs off and sickened the farm workers. You don't get the fungicide with which the supermarket potatoes were gassed in their vast potato cellars where they have been stored for up to a year before you see them. You don't even get the cost of a Diesel truck ride all the way from Maine! It's a heck of a note!"
His reply was more generous than I deserved after such sauciness. He bought the potatoes at 20 cents more.
OK, I wasn't as patient and polite as I generally try to be at Market.
My excuse? It was hot and smokey that day at the market from the summer long forest fires that inevitably accompany droughts (like the one covering much of the food producing area of the US today). Winters are getting colder. Even when plenty of snow pack sets, unusually hot weather starts earlier in the season, melting the snow off fast in damaging floods such that, come mid summer, there is none left to feed the streams, rivers and reservoirs upon which we and every other earth resident (plant and animal alike) depend.
This is now. Global Warming is getting worse. There is a tipping point not too far off after which recovery, if possible at all, will take too long for even our unborn grandchildren's grandchildren to benefit.
There is no gift we can devise for them that will mean anything if we can't also pass on a viable and vibrant eco-system.
Sometimes I hear that Organic farming is only good for growing healthy food for the rich folks. They say that only Conventional agri-business can drive the prices down to feed the masses.
I used to worry a lot about that. I farm because I want healthy food for my family and I want healthy food production capacity in my local community.
Lately though, I wonder that the popular item/item price comparison for Organic versus Conventional food might lose the forest for the tree.
I found the following alarming statistic:
"Marketing costs - the difference between the farm value and consumer spending for food at grocery stores or restaurants - account for approximately 80 percent of food prices today. (The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City report, February 2008)."
The consumer pays 80 cents of every dollar they spend on conventional food for Marketing! That leaves precious little left with which the farmer might nurture their soil, invest in efficient water distribution, provide space for their livestock not to mention nutritious food for the critters, and a living wage for their helpers.
Instead, the supermarket cereal shelves are FILLED with expensive sugar laden boxes of frosted bits of refined starch. I look at aisle after aisle of cans of sugar and artificial flavors. I keep reading about an EPIDEMIC of childhood obesity and early onset diabetes.
Well no wonder. We're spending our food dollars for useless fillers instead of nutrition. We're paying 80 cents on the dollar so Marketers can tell us to do that. We're paying billions of dollars on health care because we're not eating real food.
I know times are tough. Believe me. I know that. I think what that should mean is not that we raise our food budgets to accommodate Organic, it should mean we spend the dollars we have wisely.
Sorry folks, I get cranky now and then. Thank you for the original post. It is useful information.
I just think might be getting a little late to still be flirting with "green" perhaps even contemplating an affair with "green".
Climate change is happening all around us and even the US can't afford the health care costs associated with conventional food/agribusiness.
IMHO It's time in this relationship we have to the Earth to stop flirting and start talking commitment.
Betty Jo, thank you for taking the time to write that. Not only was this a thoughtful article, but I learned so much from the comments too. What a great group I've found on this site! You give me lots to think about and answers to my husband's questions about our food budget and how I'm spending our food dollars.
Great conversation. I wanted to add that I would really like to see the science (link, please?) behind the list of conventional foods that are considered "safer" to consume.