[cpdiii]

A bit of logic to ponder, are you more likely to get bacterial contamination from food grown with artificial fertilizers (ammonium nitrate, phosphates etc.) or those fertilized with animal feces? Also consider that the plant does not give a damn where the nitrates come from, be it artificial or natural. When you buy organic vegetables you are being scammed financially.

[Rockingham]

There is a substantial and accumulating body of evidence that persistent organic pollutants (POPs) from pesticides and other chemicals have adverse health consequences. Notably, plastics and personal care and household products and furnishings are the major sources of POPs in the human body, but foodstuffs are also implicated.

Despite problems with foreign producers, its is not unreasonable to prefer organic foods that are domestically produced. In the coming years, automated indoor farming is likely to lead to cleaner, safer, and better quality organic produce that is grown locally.

[RedMonqey]

Manure is supposed to be composted over a year before it’s applied. And from a healthy herd.
This article is a another good example why sewage should never be applied to a field instead of properly seasoned manure.

[DoodleBob]

Many consumers are committed to organic products for reasons that are more emotional than logical.

And many writers are loathe to disclose their potential for being conflicted...

In 2017 it was reported that an article published (in 2015) on the Forbes website by Miller, under his own name, had been drafted by Monsanto. As reported by the New York Times, Monsanto asked Miller to write an article rebutting the findings of the International Agency for Research on Cancer that had classified glyphosate as probably carcinogenic to humans. He had indicated willingness “if I could start from a high-quality draft.” On discovering this, Forbes removed his blog from Forbes.com and ended their relationship with him.

Bottom line, I have seen and personally felt the benefits of organic vs Big Agriculture. I could care less about waste, crop damage, and higher prices owing to organics. Indeed, many organic farmers are still family farms - and I buy from them and have actually met the cows that are ultimately processed for my family - while much of the crap posing as food comes from corporate farms.

Now, don't get me wrong...I love corporations...massive, polluting, carbon-based firms that help me drive my gas-guzzler. Love 'em. But I can love small farmers and my health, too.

The unspoken hypothesis that organic etc consumers are left-wing hippies is laughable. In fact, I'd argue that it is the leftists that want everyone to consume, consume, consume HFCS and gluten and MSG and eat soy and fake meat and bugs.

Ever wonder why so many kids are messed up and - prescinding from legitimate instances of genetic issues - think they need re-assignment surgery? Sure, the teachers and parents are culpable, but I suspect their meals include more chemicals than a Breaking Bad episode.

But naahh...let's blame organic.

Any time I see some crank railing against organics, I can tell they've got an agenda.

[Dr. Sivana]

On June 23rd, the FDA reported a multistate outbreak of hepatitis A virus due to contaminated organic strawberries...

I think the bigger problem is the concentration of food growing, storing and harvesting. A few years ago, ALL the spinach was discarded because of the centralization. After that, 1/2 the peanut butter was tossed. These were not "organic" operations, either.

The small loss efficiency in decentralization is more than offset by fewer system-wide failures.

[MMusson]

Organic fertilizers cost more and are less effective. Ditto for Insecticides. Consequently they are applied up to 4 TIMES MORE!

4 applications of more expensive fertilizer means 4 times more cost. 4 Times more tractor runs across the field and 4 times more settling irrigation means DRAMATICALLY MORE SOIL EROSION AND RUNOFF.

[Madam Theophilus]

NO ORGANIC FARMER PUTS FECES ON HIS/HER STRAWBERRIES. Compost is not feces. If a farmer were to put raw sewage on their plants, they would quickly kill them. In organic farming, if animal waste is used, it is composted for a significant period prior to application, which changes the bacterial content of the animal waste.

Secondly, artificial fertilizer salts destroy the normal microbiological composition of the soil - which is actually the main reason to use organic methods. A plant does not normally feed itself via fertilizer, but from microorganisms in the soil that interact with molds, fungi and one celled organisms which live on the roots of the plants. Organic methods mimic how the natural world operates. Artificial fertilizer salts kill all these microorganisms and is the main reason why the world’s top soil is disappearing at an alarming rate. Organic methods restore top soil by creating the environment in the soil that sustains the natural microbiological composition of the soil.

Bacterial contamination can result from many different sources but regularly happens from unsanitary human contact during harvesting or through unclean storage afterwards. Using unclean water to wash produce after harvesting is another means by which contamination happens, especially in organic farms in Mexico where clean water sources are not widely available. It doesn’t matter whether you farm or organically or industrially when these types of contamination happen.