Supporting organic food is a good idea, period. Eating organic often means supporting the local family farm. Organic means no cancer-causing pesticides in your breakfast, lunch or dinner. Organic means better soil quality, and a preserved natural environment with clean air and water for our next seven generations. Organic means healthier food.
Often people assume that organics are more expensive but if we look at the social, environmental and health costs of not eating organic.. we will find it's a small price to pay.
"Organic food contains fewer residues of pesticides used in conventional agriculture, so buying organic is one way to reduce the chances that your food contains these pesticides"
(Sir John Krebs, Chair, Food Standards Agency, Cheltenham Science Festival debate, 5th June 2003).
"The most dangerous chemicals used in farming such as organophosphates [pesticides] have been linked with a range of conditions such as cancer, decreasing male fertility, foetal abnormalities, chronic fatigue syndrome in children and Parkinson's disease. 8,9 Pesticide residues have been ranked among the top three environmental cancer risks by the American Government."
- Balch JF and Balch PA, 1997, Prescriptions for nutritional healing, 2nd edition, Avery publishers, USA p. 176-183
"An independent review of the evidence found that organic crops had significantly higher levels of all 21 nutrients analysed compared with conventional produce including vitamin C (27% more), magnesium (29% more), iron (21% more) and phosphorous (14% more). Organic spinach, lettuce, cabbage and potatoes showed particularly high levels of minerals."
- Worthington V (2001) Nutritional quality of organic versus conventional fruits, vegetables, and grains. The Journal of Complimentary Medicine, vol. 7, No. 2, p. 161 – 173.
"Generally, organic crops are not protected by pesticides and research has shown that organically produced fruit contains higher levels of phenolic compounds than conventionally grown fruit. 38,39 Danish researchers have found that organic crops contain 10% to 50% more antioxidants than conventional crops."
- Brandt K and Molgaard JP (2001), 'Organic Agriculture: Does it enhance or reduce the nutritional value of food plants', Journal of Science in Food and Agriculture, 81, p. 924 - 931