If you get upset easily, don’t watch. But if you are wondering why I’m posting this article/video, it’s because I want to share one of the reasons I try and choose organic, local, and seasonal foods as often as possible- to do the best I can to make sure the people producing our foods are healthy and safe. Many of us think produce that can be peeled, like bananas, is fine to buy non-organic… but is it really? The recent study (meta analysis) from Stanford may have seemed like a hit on organics, but the nutritional profile of organic foods isn’t the only reason people are choosing to go organic and learn where their foods are coming from.

Organic isn’t perfect, especially with the larger companies taking advantage of the mass marketing opportunity of organic foods, but choosing organic (and even better, food from local farmers) is your best bet that the workers have been treated fairly, let alone your food will contain roughly 30% less pesticides, as well as a marked decrease in exposure to antibiotic resistant bacteria (a 33% risk difference) (yuck! choose organic, grass fed, pasture raised meats when possible).

Yes the media swarm around the recent Stanford “Organic NO Healthier” study took the headlines by storm, but the fundamental conclusion of the study is in fact that organic is healthier. The study’s authors say, “Consumption of organic foods may reduce exposure to pesticide residues and antibiotic-resistant bacteria.” Researchers may not have found a significant difference in vitamins and minerals but how can not consuming pesticides (herbacides, fungacides, etc.), nor dangerous bacteria, not be quantified as more nutritious. And let’s not forget the harm these chemicals can have on our farm workers.

Interested in this topic?
check out Barry Estabrook’s Tomatoland