People choose to purchase organic produce and organically made products for a variety of reasons, including limiting exposure to the potential toxicity of pesticides from agriculture. Pesticide residue has been found in some foods, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has established acceptable maximum levels of residue in our everyday environment. Farmers don't use conventional pesticides in growing organic food.
What is Organic?
The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines organic produce as that grown without the assistance of pesticides, "sewage sludge" fertilizers, synthetic fertilizers, genetic modification or ionizing radiation. The objective of organic agriculture is to use renewable resources, conserving valuable resources of fertile soil and clean water for future generations. The USDA strictly controls certification of organic producers and manufacturers, and USDA-certified organic products carry a very specific seal. Although there is not enough scientific evidence to show that organically grown produce is more nutritious than conventionally grown produce, the website Organic reports that some preliminary studies are finding higher levels of specific nutrients when comparing individual food items.
Commonly Used Pesticides
The Environmental Protection Agency organizes commonly used pesticides by derivation, either as chemically or biologically derived, or by application, for use against specific types of pests, including insect, plant, rodents, snails, and slugs.
Common chemically derived pesticides include organophosphate, carbamate and organochlorine. According to the EPA, organophosphate and carbamate generally do not remain in the environment, but organochlorine pesticides have been removed from the American market due to their persistence.
Some common biologically derived pesticides, or biopesticides, are from natural sources and are OK for use on organic crops. Some versions of biopesticides are not permitted, such as the use of plant-incorporated-pesticides, during which the plant creates a "pesticidal substance" from genetic material added to the plant. According to Savvy Gardener, organic biopesticides include the application of botanical insecticides that can disrupt insect breeding and other functions.
Pesticide Residue
Pesticide residue can have long-term health and environmental effects. According to the EPA, chemical pesticides disrupt the human nervous system by interfering with a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine. Organochlorine pesticides like DDT have generally been removed from the American market due to health and environmental effects. The Environmental Health Perspective, or EHP, published a study showing that children eating an organic diet have reduced exposure to organophosphates, suggesting that even at acceptable levels of pesticide residue, organophosphorus metabolites enter children's bodies.
Pesticides and Diseases
In its report, the EHP recognizes that the causality between pesticide exposure and disease risk is controversial. The EHP refers to various studies that seem to disagree on whether pesticide exposure increases the risk for breast cancer, prostate cancer, neurologic diseases and reproductive effects, including birth defect and fetal death. Despite that, it suggests that children eating an organic diet would have a "lower probability of neurologic disease."
Costs
According to "The New York Times," organic product costs have increased dramatically. A single loaf of organic bread can cost more than $4.50 in certain areas, compared to some non-organic loaves that cost less than $2. According to "The Times," organic prices are typically 20 percent to 100 percent higher than their conventional counterparts, but private-label and grocery store generic versions of organics are beginning to reduce that cost difference.
Organic promotes purchasing organic products for a multitude of health and environmental reasons, and it recognizes that the cost of organic produce is usually higher than the cost of conventionally grown equivalents. However, according to Organic, the benefits of choosing to "go organic" outweigh the cost. It also suggests that organically grow produce reflects the true cost of growing, because organic farmers do not receive federal subsidies to sustain production. In addition, reduction of pesticide exposure yet unmonitored might reduce your risk for pesticide-related diseases.
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