Should You Buy Organic?
To start with, the way that organic food is produced is much more beneficial to the environment. In conventional farming, hundreds of toxic chemicals are used to ward off pests, synthetically add nutrients to the soil and improve livestock health. Designed to kill destructive organisms while synthetically increasing yields, these chemicals are released into the environment in a broad-scale approach that results in significant runoff. In fact, over 98% of sprayed pesticides, 95% of herbicides and 65% of fertilizers reach a destination other than their intended target, causing chronic impacts to human health, livestock, wildlife, pollinators, and beneficial insects – all of which are essential to a stable, healthy and productive ecosystem. Nitrogen from synthetic fertilizers dispersed across US farms has already created a large ‘dead-zone’ in the Gulf of Mexico where aquatic life can no longer survive.
In contrast, whenever farmers employ organic, sustainable practices, they prioritize soil health and environmental protection by utilizing natural pesticides and fertilizers to care for their crops. These organic alternatives typically have few to no harmful side effects. For example, neem protects crops while being non-toxic to humans, animals, and other beneficial insects
Additionally, many studies have shown that organic food is more nutritious than food produced in conventional ways! When synthetic fertilizers are used, crops grow extremely rapidly and allocate less energy to absorbing nutrients. Other than being clean from harmful chemical residues, organic produce has been shown to have up to 40 – 60% more nutrients such as Vitamin C, zinc, and iron! The Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry found that organically grown berries and corn contained 58% more antioxidants than those that were conventionally grown.
Organic farming is environmentally safer, produce crops with higher nutritional value and yield on average 10x the profit for farmers! Although more expensive for consumers, this is a small price to pay for an agricultural system that prioritizes environmental protection and global health.
