This article is responding to a question asked by one of our blog readers:
Organic, when is it worth the price difference?
So when is the price difference worth it?
Most researchers say, if you can afford it, buy local and organic, because of the lower pesticides and that organic farms use environmentally friendly practices that will sustain the earth and replenishes resources. (CSPI, 2007)
What should one be looking for when purchasing organic foods?
When shopping for organic foods, always look for the USDA seal or certified organic on any kind of packaged food. For meat and dairy, this seal ensures you’re getting antibiotic- and hormone-free products. When buying meat or produce that isn’t packaged, look for a sign stating that it’s organic.
Many organic foods cost more than conventionally grown foods, but they do contain lower levels of pesticide residues and that it is a health plus. If you want to reduce pesticides intake, but do not want to buy everything organic, fruits and vegetables are the most cost effective areas to begin to make decisions for purchasing organically grown foods.
First take advantage of local farmers’ markets and locally grown produce whenever possible.
Secondly, be aware that The Environmental Working Group EWG (a Washington –based non –profit) has identified a list of produce where it makes the most difference. The “dirty dozen” are fragile fruits and vegetables that often require more pesticides to fight off bugs. Whenever possible, try and purchase organic or locally grown of the following twelve produce: peaches, strawberries, nectarines, apples, spinach, celery, pears, sweet bell peppers, cherries, potatoes, lettuce, and imported grapes.
Thirdly, the EWG also lists produce with the least contaminates which are: onions, avocados, frozen corn, pineapples, mangoes, asparagus, sweet peas, kiwi fruit, bananas, cabbage, broccoli, and papaya. These fruits and vegetables are hardier produce where pesticides are less absorbed and you can feel comfortable eating these.
What should one do for the winter months in New England?
During the winter months in New England, fruits and vegetables should remain an essential part of our healthy diet. Local fresh produce may be limited, so select seasonal produce. Select hardier vegetables like sweet potatoes, cauliflower, and the great variety of squashes, and dark hardy greens such as collards, and kale which tend to have fewer pesticides. You can also select non local seasonal fruit such as bananas, and citrus fruits. These fruits, we peel away the flesh to reduce ingesting the pesticides.
Purchasing frozen fruits and vegetables is always a good deal. These products are picked at the farm and frozen within a short time, so they retain their nutrients and have small or no traces of pesticides.
Through out the year, here are a few tips to reduce your pesticide risk:
- Eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. This would limit exposure to any one type of pesticide residue.
- Wash your hands before and after touching raw produce
- Consider cutting your own fruits and vegetables, instead of purchasing them precut, especially if you are going to eat them raw.
- Remove and discard outmost leaves of lettuce and greens
- Wait until just before preparation to wash or immerse your produce in clean water. When appropriate, scrub with a brush, this removes nearly all insects and dirt, as well as bacteria and pesticide residues.
- Special soaps or washes are not necessary, Cold water is perfectly fine.
- Practice food safety and prevention of cross contamination; do not place raw fruits and vegetables near uncooked meat fish or poultry.
Finally, organically grown foods are more expensive than conventionally grown, however knowing when organic pays off really helps towards making wise decisions. For example, fruits that you peel the skin, removes most of the pesticides which reduces your risk. However, soft –skinned fruits and vegetables that are consistently ranked on the top of the dirty dozen list, you may be are better off purchasing organic.
As the growing season changes, remember to check out the local farmer’s markets which now accept WIC and EBT cards. Here you can purchase organic produce at reasonable cost and contribute to the bigger picture, the health and safety of our planet.
References:
Center for Science in the Public Interest, 2007 vol. 34 #6
Environmental Nutrition, 2007 vol.30, #6
EWG Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce. 4th ed.
December 5, 2008 at 1:27 pm
As consumers, we are constantly forced to make choices about how and where to spend our hard-earned dollars. These choices become all the more difficult to make when prices on everything from gas to groceries are on the rise. We want to do what is best for ourselves, our families, and our planet, but we also know we need to find ways to cut back. The question is, how do we effectively strike this balance?
Some have suggested that we respond to this question by picking certain organic products off store shelves and not others. Doing this, they argue, will help us keep costs down and maximize the personal health benefits that organic products have to offer.
While there may be merit in this argument, it misses an important point: buying organic is about more than keeping pesticides out of our bodies. It is about supporting a system of sustainable agricultural management that promotes soil health and fertility through the use of such methods as crop rotation and cover cropping, which nourish plants, foster species diversity, help combat climate change, prevent damage to valuable water resources, and protect farmers and farmers’ families from exposure to harmful chemicals.
In this sense, buying organic is about both understanding and commitment: understanding that personal and environmental health are inseparable, and commitment to the bigger, more complex picture of which our personal health is a part.
Buying organic is easier and in many ways more affordable than ever before. Not only do organic products appear on store shelves in mainstream retail outlets around the country, but thanks to the introduction of organic private label products, the growth of farmers’ markets selling organic products, and organic’s lack of dependence on petroleum-based farm inputs, the gap between organic and non-organic prices is closing. Indeed, in some cases, the price of organic goods is comparable to non-organic goods, making the decision to “go organic” simple and cost-effective.
Do we still have to make choices about which items to buy? Absolutely. But in making this choice, we should think less about crossing certain organic items off our shopping lists and more about how we can achieve positive personal, social and environmental change through the organic purchases we choose to make.
We must also give greater thought to the consumption choices we make that are most directly affected by rising fuel costs, such as the cars we drive, the distances we commute, and the temperatures at which we keep our homes. Along with the decision to buy organic products, it is these day-to-day decisions that determine whether we balance not only our checkbooks but our values.
April 11, 2009 at 1:54 am
Great post. If organic could be more affordable, kids and families on food stamps may have more availability to them. Dr. Vee
April 13, 2009 at 7:05 pm
Hello Dr. Vee,
Yes, if we can improve access to farmer’s markets a greater number of families would purchase and eat organic locally grown foods. One way is to work with your community Farmer’s markets to see if they have access to Electronic Debt Transfer (EBT) machine. This machine allows food stamp customers to purchase organic locally grown foods at the farm stand. The EBT machine can be lease or purchase for the season.
Also if you work with or have contact with clients who receive WIC or Senior coupons they also would be eligible for farmer’s market coupons. Encouraging them to redeem the coupons is another way to be supportive of purchasing locally grown foods.
Here’s the link for Mass Farmers markets http://www.mass.gov/agr/massgrown/farmersmarkets.htm
If you are not from MA check out your own state farmer’s market listing. Many of them will indicate who has an EBT machine available.
Kathy