When we buy organic food we do so with the expectation that we are buying a superior
product, one that is better for our health and the environment. But is organic food all that it’s cracked up to be or is it just another marketing ploy designed to get health conscious consumers to spend more money? The last time i bought an organic piece of fruit it was battered and bruised and half eaten by bugs and even then i had to fight a hippy for it.
The environmental benefit
I think we can say that the use of organic farming principles is in the long term more sustainable and environmental sound than intensive farming. I prefer to buy organic eggs because i know they have treated the hens reasonably humane and without antibiotics. I don’t often eat pork as a result of the inhuman way the animals are treated, and if I do have the occasionally piece of porcine I try to ensure that it is organic. The end result either way is that the animal ends up being broken down to amino's the building blocks for protein structures, but at least i can comfort myself with knowing the three little pigs didn’t have to suffer the cruelty of being confined to a pen the size of a postage stamp, and a diet of antibiotics.
The heath benefits
Now this is where it starts to get a bit airy fairy, the greenies and the organic farmers would have us believe that eating organic food is better for our health and can reduce the risks of cancer. Yet the assertion that organics are superior to intensively farmed food isn’t supported by legitimate studies, most of the purported befits are just anecdotal and driven by the love affair tree huggers have with their sprouts, nuts and seeds.
Should you buy Organic?
Regardless of what i have stated i would buy organic food for several reasons, the food does usually taste better regardless that you may have had to share some of your apple with a bug, also the environmental aspects such as no chemicals or antibiotics. The human treatment of the animals up until they meet their maker is also a strong consideration when i purchase food. Is it any better for my health? Maybe but unlikely if you look at the evidence for and against. At the end of the day your decision will be based on financial constraints, humanitarian issues and the taste factor.
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