Advantages & Disadvantages Of Eating & Using Organic Food

Organic food is healthy for you and for the environment, but its virtues are not as clear-cut and simple as they seem. To help consumers determine which products are truly organic, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has strict regulations regarding what may be labeled "organic." The requirements may be difficult for small farmers with earth-friendly farming operations to meet, involving extra expense and driving the cost of goods upward. Learning about the advantages and disadvantages of organic foods can determine how you choose what to eat and where to buy it.

Pesticide-Free Produce

People buy organic food to get pesticide-free, chemical-free, hormone-free, nonirradiated, non-GMO and clean produce, dairy and animal foods. Organic farms do not use sewage sludge fertilizers, described by Columbia University's Health Services as composed of "human/organic waste, industrial waste matter and storm-water run-off." Some say that organic food tastes better, but that is a subjective assessment, not a scientific one. What you do not get with organic food is as important to consumers as what you do get.

Good for Environment

Organic food is produced sustainably. Farmers use renewable resources with an emphasis on efficient irrigation, composting, erosion prevention and reduced dependence on fossil fuels. Organic farmers avoid chemicals and synthetics for all production processes, from soil enhancement to chicken feed, rotate their crops to preserve the vitality of the land and manage grazing. Organically raised animals are treated humanely and allowed to develop as naturally as possible, with no routinely administered medications or growth hormones to compensate for unhygienic living conditions. Buying organic is a way of voting with your dollars to influence food producers to use earth-friendly practices.

Disadvantage to Local Business

The growing demand for organic foods means that you may not be getting free-range eggs from the family farm up the road. Organic food is a big business, and agribusiness industrial farms produce large quantities of the organic food consumed. Transporting that food uses nonrenewable fuels. The organic raspberries you find in your grocery store may be from Chile, and the organic greens might have been flown or trucked cross-country to your market. The food is still organic, but it is resource-intense and not as sustainable as most locally produced food that may or may not qualify for the official organic label.

Availability and Expense

Organic food is not as widely available as conventional food; you may not find the selection or the prices you want throughout all seasons. Many stores charge a premium for their organic products. Small farmers cannot offer volume discounts, so high-quality produce, eggs, dairy and animal foods may cost more than their nonorganic, agribusiness counterparts. Some local farmers produce clean, sustainable foods that do not meet all of the USDA criteria for the official organic label. Balance these factors when deciding to go organic or when shopping at your local green market for the ingredients of a healthy diet.