It’s hip, it’s trendy, but it’s not necessarily better for you or better for the environment, and it’s certainly not better for your bank account! Buying Organic produce has long been touted as the better alternative, but a closer look at the facts may just prove otherwise:
You’re paying more than you should. Organic produce should certainly demand a premium given increased production costs, but whereas a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that the cost of producing organic would require a 5-7% markup, on average, the markup on organic produce in stores is 29-32%.
Organic is no better for the environment. Thinking you’ll save the planet by buying organic? Think again. A 2010 study conducted by the University of Guelph found that some organic pesticides can actually have a worse environmental impacts than conventional ones. Additionally, most organic growing is done by large scale commercial growers who still emit plenty of greenhouse gases thanks to the machinery they use.
We’re not consuming enough pesticides for them to be a threat. A recent analysis in the Journal of Toxicology found that the levels of pesticides detected in the “Dirty Dozen” - a name given to the 12 fruits and vegetables that typically contain the most pesticides, all fell below the acceptable limit set by the Environmental Protection Agency. We’re not talking just below the limit here, we’re talking 1,000-or 30,000-fold under the legal limit in many cases.
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