If you’re shopping at a supermarket on any given day, you can choose between conventional produce farmed with the use of pesticides and weedkillers, or organic produce grown with the use of natural materials. People worry if the extra cost is worth it when it comes to organic food.
Even though conventionally cultivated food would almost certainly contain pesticide residues, a 2002 study found that organic food also contains pesticide residues on a regular basis, but only one-third as much as conventional food. Even though organic vegetables are free of pesticides, they still need to be washed like any other produce. As a result, there are no established guidelines for how much pesticide one can safely consume.
Detractors of organic food also point out that up to half of all “natural chemicals” used in food production have been discovered to be carcinogenic in laboratory tests. Some chemists question the safety of any chemical residue on food, organic or conventionally grown, while others deny that any chemical food residue may cause cancer.
Organic foods are being studied for their ability to feed the world’s growing population, according to some. They believe that organic farming alone cannot keep up with the world’s food requirements. The soil benefits reported in organic farming are also attributed to proper crop rotation rather than the real organic processes, according to some farmers.
This results in poorer quality product and larger crop losses at the conclusion of the growing season for organic farmers since they have more difficulty controlling mildew, bugs, and other illnesses. According to one study, cultivating just organic tomatoes would use 600% more area than growing tomatoes the normal way. The vast majority of people believe that organic food is fully pesticide-free and that no pesticides are used in the growth of organic food. This isn’t accurate at all. Some pesticides are still employed by organic farmers, despite their efforts to minimize their use. The heavy element copper is also found in several organic insecticides. Copper, like other insecticides, leaches into the soil, accumulates, and can cause health concerns.
Other organically approved herbicides are also dangerous at small doses. Honeybees have been shown to be poisonous to the insecticide sabadilla, which is currently being examined to see if it is dangerous to larger species and people as well. Interestingly, “organic pesticides” may not have the same criteria and may be as hazardous as their conventional counterparts, although organic pesticides must be rigorously studied before they can be used to cultivate produce.
Since organic food is more expensive to produce than conventional food, it is also more expensive to buy and consume. People with lower incomes will have a harder time getting their hands on organic foods because of this. Organic foods are often ten to forty percent more expensive than their conventional counterparts.
Whether or not to go “organic” and exclusively buy organically cultivated food is a personal choice that each family must decide for themselves. Organic food is considered by some to be worth the additional expense to customers, however it is questioned by others as to whether or not this is the case.