Once only found in health food stores, organic foods are now available in mainstream grocery stores. Independent and large manufacturers are crowding store shelves with organic products. In addition to organic produce, milk and meat, you can also buy organic cereals, sauces and even snack foods, such as tortilla chips. As popular as organics have become, there is some debate about the advantages and disadvantages of organic foods.
Pro: Fewer Chemicals
Some conventional farmers use sewage sludge, harsh chemical pesticides and ionizing radiation to grow their produce. They may also use hormones to stimulate their animals to produce more milk or eggs than normal. The pesticides and fertilizers may leave residue on the produce and the hormones and antibiotics may leach into the milk, meat and eggs. Organic farmers do not use chemical means to process their products, so you are less likely to have as much residue on your foods. Organic regulations also prevent the use of artificial sweeteners, chemical preservatives and other additives found in processed foods.
Con: Higher Price
Because organic farmers do not use artificial means to produce their products, they tend to produce less. Organic farming is also more expensive than conventional farming, as can be seen with the cost of using a chemical weed killer verus the manpower required to manually pull weeds and rotate crops, for example. The combination of lower production rates with higher overhead makes organic products more expensive.
Pro: Environmental Effects
Organic farming is designed to protect the environment. By removing chemicals and other artificial farming methods from the equation, you save soil and water and reduce pollution. Organic farmers also use more humane methods of producing their meat, eggs and other animal products. For those concerned with the environment or the treatment of the animals they eat, the peace of mind is worth the extra cost.
Con: Nutrition and Quality
Organic food is no better nutritionally than conventional, according to the Mayo Clinic. Further, the USDA also makes no claims that organic food is more nutritious than conventional. Additionally, organic foods may spoil faster because they don't have chemical preservatives. Organic produce also tends to be smaller and less uniform than conventional because the farmers can't use the synthetic fertilizers that can bulk up the size.
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