ORGANIC – IS IT THE GREENER CHOICE?
Organic foods are generally perceived to be healthier and better for the environment. But do they live up to this perception?
“Organic”
generally refers to plant and animal products grown or raised without
artificially made fertilisers, pesticides, growth regulators and other
chemicals. Instead they may use natural fertilisers such as compost or
manure and manage pests using techniques like crop rotation. The USDA
(United States Department of Agriculture) regulates the term “organic”
and defines standards that “integrate cultural, biological, and
mechanical practices that foster cycling of resources, promote
ecological balance, and conserve biodiversity.” In Australia, the
government does not regulate the use of “organic”, so you have only the
grower’s or manufacturer’s word for it. However, a “certified organic”
product is regularly audited by an independent certifying body and must
meet their particular requirements, some being stricter than others.
Do organically grown foods taste better?
It depends. For example, exotic heirloom fruit and veg can be grown on
smaller farms, and produce may be smaller or have lower moisture content
therefore intensifying the flavour. The taste of organic meats may
reflect a more diverse diet. However, there are other factors at play
including the freshness of the produce, the soil and the climate. And a
regular apple purchased fresh from the farm generally tastes better than
an organic apple that has sat around for weeks in a cold store.
Are organic foods healthier?
The jury is still out on this. For example, organic ingredients don’t
add health benefits to highly processed foods. An organic cookie is
still a “sometimes” food and typically just as high in
calories/kilojoules as a regular cookie. For fresh whole foods, the
picture is more complicated. A recent scientific review
reports that while some organic crops may have slightly higher
antioxidant levels the authors conclude that it’s not actually possible
to quantify to what extent organic food consumption may affect human
health as “there is virtually no published data from (1) long-term
cohort studies focusing on chronic diseases (e.g. cardiovascular
disease, diabetes, cancer, and neurodegenerative conditions) and (2)
controlled human dietary intervention studies comparing effects of
organic and conventional diets.”
So, if you want to eat
better, buying organic is not the logical first step. The bigger
picture is many of us eat too many highly processed “discretionary”
foods for which the organic label is irrelevant. Most of us don’t eat
enough vegetables, period. As organic veggies are generally more
expensive, eating enough conventional vegetables (five-a-day) would have
a greater nutritional impact than buying fewer organic vegetables.
As for food safety, all food, both organic and conventional, must meet
food safety regulations of the country in which it is sold. For example,
FSANZ (Food Standards Australia and New Zealand) regulates all foods
sold in Australia to ensure any chemical contaminants are in amounts
below the maximum residue limit; this limit is set well below the level that could pose a safety risk to consumers.
Are organic farming methods more sustainable? While the answer to this question might seem instinctively “yes”, the scientific jury is still out. According to a recent meta-analysis,
organic agricultural systems use 15% less energy. This is possibly
because organic systems don’t rely on synthetic fertilisers and
pesticides that require a lot of energy to produce. On the other hand,
they noted conventional foods use less land (less deforestation) and had
a lesser impact on nearby water ecosystems (which means less algal
bloom and aquatic dead zones). The same study found that both organic
and conventional systems had similar greenhouse gas emissions and
comparable impacts on soil acidity (an adverse effect that reduces plant
growth).
There is no clear winner when it comes to
sustainability and more research still needs to be done. Moreover,
organic agriculture is less intensive and therefore is unable to support
our population growth projected to be nine billion people by 2050. We
can’t feed the world with organic food, but a hybrid approach might
work; combining aspects of organic farming methods such as composting
and crop rotation with conventional farming to reduce energy usage.
Should I spend extra on organic?
- Safety: All foods, organic or conventional, must meet food safety regulations.
- Nutrition: For a nutritional boost, just eat more veggies (conventional or organic).
- Environment: Organic and conventional methods both have their pros and cons. You would have a greater impact by reducing food waste and eating more plant-based protein options instead of excessive amounts of meat.
- Get what you pay for: choose certified organic foods to ensure they really are organic
Thanks to Rachel Ananin AKA TheSeasonalDietitian.com for her assistance with this article.
Nicole Senior is an Accredited Nutritionist, author, consultant, cook, food enthusiast and mother who strives to make sense of nutrition science and delights in making healthy food delicious. Contact: You can follow her on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram or check out her website.
