Which is the greener choice – commercially-farmed food or organically-farmed food? Let’s look at some of the facts surrounding these two methods of producing our food and find out which is the greener choice and how each one compares with helping us save money.
Firstly, we probably need some definitions to clarify the comparison.
Commercially-farmed food is how the majority of the food we eat is grown. Farmers use chemical fertilizers to supply the plants with nutrients to make crops grow faster, use herbicides to control weeds so they don’t compete with the crops and pesticides to kill off insect pests that can eat the plants and lower production. These farms are often mono-culture that is, a single plant type is grown over a large space, often many acres, and the same crop is replanted year after year. Animals grown for food are often given antibiotics and growth hormones to speed up production and fed large quantities of grain instead of grazing on natural pastures.
Organically-farmed food is grown without chemical fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides. The quality of the soil is considered of utmost importance; the nutrients and trace elements, which plants need to grow, are found in healthy soil. Organic farmers use natural fertilizers that feed the soil and improve its structure; these include compost and manures. Weeds and insect pests are controlled by natural methods and no artificial or chemical products are used on the plants. Crops are rotated each season to control disease and to ensure the soil doesn’t become depleted in nutrients; different plants use different nutrients and some give back nutrition to the soil.
Comparing these definitions alone clearly show that organically-farmed food is by far the greener option. The organic method of farming adds to the soil rather than depleting it of nutrients; it doesn’t rely on chemicals (many of which have been shown to be toxic to beneficial insects, wildlife, pets and humans) to protect the plants from pests and disease; it helps to maintain the natural balance in the environment.
What Does Science Say?
There has been considerable research into the comparison of the two farming methods. One study conducted by Rutgers University compared the nutritional content of common vegetables.
Among its findings was the differing amount of magnesium, a beneficial mineral, found in organic and non-organic produce. To get the same amount of magnesium that is in one organic tomato, you would need to eat 24 commercially grown tomatoes. This is partially due to the depletion of the mineral in the soils of a non-organic farm. Low levels of magnesium in humans has been linked to diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
Another study done by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology compared various foods grown in the US with the same foods grown in Latin and Central America where modern chemical farming methods are not established.
Across the range of foods tested, the results showed that the US-grown food was lower in most nutritional elements. The answer by proponents of chemical farming methods, to this type of result, is often that people should just take supplements to get the extra vitamins, minerals and trace elements they need for optimum health.
To quote Michael Pollan, from his book, ‘In Defense of Food’ that:
USDA figures show a decline in the nutrient content of the forty-three crops it has tracked since the 1950s. In one recent analysis, vitamin C declined by 20 percent, iron by 15 percent, riboflavin by 38 percent, calcium by 16 percent.
I find this quite alarming as these crops form the basis of what we eat.
What Our Taste Buds Say
What about the difference in the taste of foods grown by the two methods. Seeds used by commercial farmers may be treated or modified to ensure produce is all the same size, to satisfy the big supermarkets, as well as producing crops that are picked green and have special properties to extend their shelf life. These properties are usually at the expense of taste. Organic produce is ripened on the plant to allow the full flavors to develop. You might get a few blemishes and all your apples may be different sizes, but they will taste superb. Grazing animals that feed on natural pastures have less fat, are higher in healthy Omega-3s and have better taste and texture than those raised in feed-lots.
Let’s consider the cost comparison. Organic food tends to cost more than the commercially-farmed foods we find on the supermarket shelves, although the price gap has been closing in recent years, as more people are looking for the health benefits of organic produce. The best place to buy organic foods, whether certified organic or simply grown in an organic way, is local farmers’ markets. You often get to talk to the farmer and learn how the food was produced. Prices at these outlets tend to be very similar to those of commercially-farmed foods.
What About Nutrition? Is There a Difference?
The final word goes to the health and nutrition of the two farming methods. More and more people are deciding that they don’t want to feed their families chemically treated food, with the proven residues present in or on the produce. Others have found that organically grown food is so much more nutritionally-dense that they need to eat less. Most people who switch to some organically-grown food notice an improvement in their general health and resistance to common diseases like colds and flu.
Dr. Virginia Worthington out of John Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland studied the nutrient profiles of commercially grown produce in comparison to organically grown produce. Her conclusions were:
Organic crops contained significantly more vitamin C, iron, magnesium, and phosphorus and significantly less nitrates than conventional crops. There were non-significant trends showing less protein but of a better quality and a higher content of nutritionally significant minerals with lower amounts of some heavy metals in organic crops compared to conventional ones.
With all of this evidence, it is safe to say the greener choice would be organic. The cost saving may not be in dollars but what price do you put on your health? For me, my life is precious and I want to live a long time so feeding my body with quality nutrition is very important to me.
What about you? What’s on your plate?