For vegetables to be considered organic, they must be grown naturally without the use of toxic and persistent fertilizers and pesticides. They also can't be over-processed or contain artificial ingredients or preservatives. Conventional wisdom holds that taking these measures in growing and processing makes for more nutritious vegetables, but a closer examination of such claims shows that this is not necessarily the case.
What is Organic?
Based on the definition that the National Organic Standards Board adopted in 1995, organic refers to an ecological production management system that promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity. The board discourages the use of chemical inputs in organic farming and has regulations in place to ensure farmers grow food according to its guidelines. Due to a variety of factors, however, organic produce can still be subjected to foreign elements, and farmers are allowed to apply pest control with special permission.
Nutritional Value
According to Shirley Perryman, a food and science nutrition specialist at Colorado State University Extension, organically grown vegetables are not more nutritious than conventional vegetables. Perryman notes that the amount of nutrition a vegetable contains is dependent on the soil and climate in which it's grown. In addition, a review in the May 12, 2010 issue of "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" questions studies that claim to determine nutritional value of organic vegetables. The review points out that the few nutrition-related studies which have been conducted so far on organic food, were poorly designed and flawed.
Harvesting
Vegetables begin to lose nutritional value once they are harvested, no matter if they were grown organically or not. The vegetables that pack in the most nutrition are those that are consumed shortly after harvest. Your best bet for getting your hands on the freshest produce possible is to buy it at a local farmer's market from a reputable area vendor. Your other option is to buy frozen vegetables, which have been shown to retain as much or more of their nutritional value than their organic and conventional produce counterparts.
Perceptions of Organic
Despite that organic vegetables do not conclusive hold a nutritional edge over conventional vegetables, many still prefer to buy organic. You may think that organic produce is free of pesticides and herbicides, when in reality they only carry smaller traces of chemicals than conventional vegetables. Some believe that organic vegetables taste better -- something you'll have to judge for yourself -- and that buying organic supports local businesses. Buying organic, however, does not always mean you're buying local. Many farmer's markets allow vendors that sell overstocked produce from supermarkets, which could have been grown anywhere.
References
- Colorado State University Extension; Farmer's Market Options? What You Really Get; Shirley Perryman; May 2010
- "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition": Nutrition-related Health Effects of Organic Foods -- A Systemic Review; Alan Dangour, et al.; May 2010
- Organic Trade Association: Questions and Answers About Organic
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