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I think the most asked question, when people find out what we do, is “Are organics worth it?” I always answer that if you think they’re worth then they’re worth it. (Full disclosure: The majority of our income is (directly and indirectly) from organic agriculture.) I never take much time to go into detail to avoid boring people to death, and I never want to start an argument with someone who is passionate one way or another. However, I have some time here to get a few of my ideas and opinions out in the open.
First, I’ll try to clarify what organic agriculture actually
is. (I think that’s half the battle to understanding if organics are right for
you.) So, I’ll start with some basic definitions:
Organic |Any
compound that contains carbon.
Chemical | Matter
that has constant composition and properties, which cannot be separated by
breaking bonds (e.g. H2O is a common chemical).
Synthetic compounds
|Non-natural compounds that are created by reaction of other compounds.
Organic agriculture
| According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the food or
other agricultural product has been produced through approved methods that
integrate cultural, biological, and mechanical practices that foster cycling of
resources, promote ecological balance, and conserve biodiversity. Synthetic
fertilizers, sewage sludge, irradiation, and genetic engineering may not be
used.
So, we can see that from just definitions surrounding
organic agriculture, things just got a lot vaguer! And although sewage sludge
is absolutely understandable – some of the other issues are a bit fuzzier, and
may not have anything to do with health or nutrition, like ‘fostering the
cycling of resources.’
In our household, the Old Man has a hernia every time he
sees that I’ve bought organic leafy greens. He is very familiar with every
recall of produce, which often includes organic leafy greens. His reasoning is
that organic leafy greens are not permitted to be cleaned with bleach and other
“chemicals” that kill contaminants, such as Salmonella
and E. coli. Basically, if leafy
greens aren’t decontaminated properly, they have to potential to food-borne
pathogens they acquired pre-harvest (via contaminated water, manure, proximity
to livestock operations, etc.). However, the Old Man recommends organic dairy
products over organic produce; more for the ultra-pasteurization process and
increased shelf-life than anything else.
Personally, I’m fairly convinced that (as of late) organic
agriculture is purely marketing; along the lines of Cuties and Grapples. (And do
Cuties count as genetically engineered? ‘E-Z peel’ and seedless surely aren’t
naturally occurring traits.) Even considering the evils of conventional
agriculture, the USDA and Food & Drug Administration (FDA) aren’t going to
allow farmers and food processors to totally poison you; just to poison you a
little bit. (Just kidding.)
The basis of my hypothesis for this organic marketing conclusion: Lobbying! Organic agriculture in America is still just that – Agriculture. I always point people to the page on the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances in the USDA Organics Programs. My point is that all the substances that are allowed in organic production were lobbied to be allowed – plain and simple. The permitted substances were not approved by physicians or scientists, but by farmers and politicians. Why is potassium silicate okay, but potassium chloride isn’t? Who knows.
The basis of my hypothesis for this organic marketing conclusion: Lobbying! Organic agriculture in America is still just that – Agriculture. I always point people to the page on the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances in the USDA Organics Programs. My point is that all the substances that are allowed in organic production were lobbied to be allowed – plain and simple. The permitted substances were not approved by physicians or scientists, but by farmers and politicians. Why is potassium silicate okay, but potassium chloride isn’t? Who knows.
Ultimately, as an economist, I couldn’t care less about the
health and spiritual benefits of organics. I do care about the benefits and
costs of organics to a household though. So, that’s why I say if it’s worth it
to you, and if you can afford it, go for it. I can’t argue with you on the
perceived benefits of organics, but the cost is apparent to all. I don’t buy
organic leafy greens against the Old Man’s will because I am avidly
pro-organic, but because I’m avidly pro-recycling, and believe it’s easier to
recycle the plastic container than a soggy plastic produce bag. (For
the record – I have tried loose, bag-less greens, but the people at the
checkout act like their handling wet, dirty underwear and give me even dirtier
looks.)
In the future, I think I’ll follow this up in more detail on the
following subjects related to organic agriculture:
- Synthetic fertilizers
- Irradiation
- Genetic Engineering
- Pesticides
References
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