Posted on 02/09/2007 12:44:45 PM PST by SmithL
Organic became the nation's fastest growing food segment largely on claims that it's safer and healthier than conventional fare, but according to a new report such conclusions are premature.
The study, a survey of existing literature co-authored by a UC Davis food toxicologist, does not ultimately assert that one production method is superior to another, but it suggests there could be trade-offs and argues additional research is necessary to determine the benefits and risks of each.
"I'm not convinced there is any difference in the health and safety of organic and conventional foods," said Carl Winter, director of the FoodSafe Program at UC Davis. "There is still a lot of speculation, still a lot of research that needs to be done."
Winter co-authored the peer-reviewed paper with Sara Davis of the Institute of Food Technologists, a Chicago-based nonprofit organization that promotes the use of technology in agriculture. The IFT published the review in its Journal of Food Science in December.
The report makes three main points:
• Research has consistently shown organic foods contain less pesticide residue than conventional food, but "the marginal benefits of reducing human exposure to pesticides in the diet through increased consumption of organic produce appear to be insignificant."
• Some studies indicate organic production methods result in higher nutrient levels, but the same mechanisms that can produce potentially beneficial things like polyphenolic compounds may also generate higher levels of toxins such as glycoalkaloids in potatoes and tomatoes.
• Some research suggests the widespread use of animal manure as fertilizer in organic production can, when composted improperly, result in a higher occurrence of pathogens than conventional farming.
Organic food sales have grown by about 20 percent annually since 1990 and hit $13.8 billion in 2005, and proponents disputed several of the report's suggestions.
"Although we haven't proven small quantities of pesticides make you sick, we do know they're certainly carcinogens and neurotoxins," said Michael Pollan, author of "The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals," and a UC Berkeley professor, in an earlier interview.
"If you're someone who operates from a precautionary point of view," he said, "you don't wait for absolute proof that this food will kill you."
Al Courchesne, owner of Frog Hollow Farms, a 120-acre organic fruit farm in Brentwood, scoffed at the notion that organic farming can be more dangerous than conventional.
"There's no risk whatsoever," of organic farmers improperly composting manure, he said. "Organic farming is much safer."
Several customers at the Berkeley All Organic Farmers' Market on Thursday responded to the report's conclusions with a shrug.
"I like the way (organic food) tastes and looks," said Jenny Josephian, who works as an acupuncturist in Berkeley and lives in El Sobrante. "I like to think it's safer, but if it's not, I wouldn't stop buying it."
Seth Roberts, a psychology professor at UC Berkeley, said he's drawn to the organic market because he prefers supporting small, local farmers rather than a grocery store.
Pollan and Courchesne also stressed the environmental benefits of organic farming, including: reduced energy use, waste and residual chemicals in soil and water.
Decreased use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers also means less occupational exposure. The Journal of Food Science study noted there were 828 documented cases of occupational pesticide illnesses in California in 2004.
Some critics, however, question the broader environmental benefits of organic farming.
Norman Borlaug, often called the father of the "Green Revolution" and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, has championed the use of synthetic fertilizers and biotechnology to increase crop yields and fight hunger worldwide.
In a December article in the Economist, Borlaug said that chemical fertilizers enabled global production of cereals like oats, wheat and corn to triple between 1950 and 2000 while the amount of cultivated land grew by only 10 percent. Using organic techniques, the same increase would have required a tripling of farmland -- to the detriment of rain forests.
Organic produce is what the farmers market is all about. Organic beets from River Dog farm tempt shoppers.
Marlene Gonzalez, a firm believer in the virtues of organic produce, sets out samples of Lone Oak Ranch's produce Thursday at the farmers market in Berkeley.
"can produce potentially beneficial things like polyphenolic compounds may also generate higher levels of toxins such as glycoalkaloids in potatoes"
Another reason that legumes make fumes.
And human waste as well. They did a comparision of organic produce and ordinary mass grown produce on a local TV news segment a couple of years ago and found that the organic stuff was crawling with all kinds of harmful bacteria, including e coli. The common produce was clean.
And human waste as well. They did a comparision of organic produce and ordinary mass grown produce on a local TV news segment a couple of years ago and found that the organic stuff was crawling with all kinds of harmful bacteria, including e coli. The common produce was clean.
But at least it's always more expensive.
Local TV newcasts are famous for this kind of thing. They need to fill up hours of programming a day and so they have people who do nothing but dredge up these kind of segments to cause controversy and keep people tuning in for more.
On April 1st, it will be my four-year anniversary of eating almost nothing but food in its natural form and avoiding processed foods whenever possible (though I admit it is all but impossible to totally eliminate processed foods in a modern diet). I am still 100 pounds lighter and feel younger today than I did four years ago.
One of my pet peeves is that the conservatives have basically ceded the organic food movement to the Birckenstock-clad liberals. So whenever I go into a Whole Foods store, I have to contend with almost nothing but manly women and John Lennon lookalikes. But I go through that pain and suffering so that my body can be healthy.
Kind of wish some conservatives would join me in eating well.
a second self-ping.
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