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Organic or conventional? Touchy debate continues

By MEGGIE I. FOSTER
Assistant Editor

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Even with plenty of room for each in the marketplace, it seems there is an ongoing battle over proclamations such as “healthiest, most nutritious and safest,” between organic and conventionally-produced foods at the checkout counter these days.

To dispel any myths associated with the organic/conventional food conundrum, Purdue University Extension Educators Chris Parker, from Morgan County and Roy Ballard from Hancock County presented, Food Fight … Organic versus Conventional: Making the right decision for your family, during the Midwest Women in Ag conference on Feb. 24 in Indianapolis, Ind.

“This has been an ever-evolving conversation – today, we’re just trying to provide you with some of the facts,” said Ballard. “There are actually a lot of similarities between organic and conventional, but there are also a lot of differences we’d like to point out.”
This talk comes as a result of a study entitled, Perspective on the Benefits of Organic Foods, released by the Hunger and Environmental Nutrition DPG in September 2009. The study is available for viewing at www.eatright.org

But before getting started and erupting any confusion on the issue, Parker said, “Please remember that nothing we say here today should diminish the importance of the role of fruits, vegetables, meats and dairy products as a part of a healthy diet.”

Parker went on to define organic farming as “any form of agriculture that relies on crop rotation, green manure, compost, biological pest control and mechanical cultivation to maintain soil productivity and control pests, excluding or strictly limited the use of synthetic fertilizers and synthetic pesticides, additives and genetically-modified organisms (GMOs).”

He also mentioned that there are three different levels of organic: 100 percent organic, which is dignified with a USDA Organic seal, meaning there are regulated and certified through federal standards; organic, which are products that are at least 95 percent organic; and made with organic ingredients, which are products that contain at least 70 percent organic ingredients.

Generally, organic ag practices are internationally regulated and legally enforced by many nations, based in large part on the standards set by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movement, according to Parker.

As far as conventional production is concerned, Parker added that, “as it stands it accounts for the majority of food, fiber and biofuel production in the industrialized world, today. An ongoing pattern for most conventional farming has been the increasing use and reliance on synthetic/chemical off-farm inputs and intensive/confined animal production.”

Differences

And this is where the big difference comes into play, according to Ballard.

“It’s the production practices that differ between organic and conventional, not the product itself,” he explained. “To say the product from an organic apple orchard is significantly better than from a conventional orchard is just not true. The safety and wholesomeness of the product is the same.”

In identifying some basic production practice differences, Ballard said that conventional farmers can apply chemical fertilizers to promote plant growth, while organic producers must apply natural fertilizers such as manure. Conventional production practices may also include the use of insecticides, chemical herbicides and the use of antibiotics, growth hormones and medications to prevent disease in livestock. While on the other hand, organic producers are limited to using organic pesticides, utilizing rotational crops to manage weeds and can only give animals organic feeds.

A common perception among organic enthusiasts has been the existence of pesticide residue on conventionally-produced foods.
“The truth is there is no pesticide residue left on conventional foods, many feel like organic is safer, but the USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) says it’s the same,” stated Parker. “And folks should know that just because someone says ‘It’s organic,’ doesn’t mean it’s free of pesticide residue.”

The reality is that some pesticides are allowed on organic farms (none synthetic), while some are prohibited and some fertilizers are also allowed for use.

Another perception in the organic community is that organic foods are more nutritious, support local farmers, tend to be small-farm oriented and add only a small carbon footprint.

“In some cases, organic is going big,” said Parker, as he questioned the group, “Who do you think is the biggest distributor of organic products.”

When he answered Wal-Mart, the group let out a quiet sigh, in a bit of astonishment, since for the most part organic has been deemed such a niche market. “Organic is not just a small-farm matter anymore,” he added.

In fact, Horizon Organic Dairy, owned by Dean Foods, is said to be the largest supplier of organic milk in North America with more than 500 contracts with U.S. dairyman, with only two of its farms milking a total of 4,500 dairy cows.

More nutritious?

On the topic of nutrition, Parker contends that the jury is still out on that topic. While one review of nutritional quality of organically- versus conventionally-produced plant products shows more dry matter, minerals and more antioxidants such as phenols and salicylic acid in organic foods, another review found no evidence of a difference in nutrient quality between organic and conventional.
One clear difference is the use of genetically-modified organisms (GMOs) in conventionally-produced foods and according to Parker and Ballard, there are both benefits and cons to the use of GMOs.
Such benefits may include enhanced taste and quality, reduced maturation time, increased nutrients, yields and stress tolerance, improved resistance to disease and pests, improved animal health and better yields of meat, eggs and milk. In contrast, potential cons for GMOs include a possible human health impact, environmental impact, the domination of world food production by a few companies and ethical cons such as violation of natural organisms’ intrinsic values and tampering with nature by mixing genes among species.

So while several differences were pointed out by Parker and Ballard, consumers may still wonder how to decide when shopping on whether to go organic or stay conventional.

Four main factors come into play when shoppers are making food decisions, according to Parker: cost, environmental impact, nutrition and local community.

“Organic foods tend to be more expensive than conventional, but on the other hand locally-produced organic foods can be cheaper when they’re in season,” he explained. As far as environmental impact, the benefits of organic production systems include: reduced nutrient pollution, improved soil organic matter and lower energy use and generally, reduced pesticide residues.

“But remember that no distinctions should be made between organically and non-organically products in terms of quality, appearance or safety,” reaffirmed Ballard. “The organic standards represents a highly controlled and regimented system of production/processing that is overseen by a third party certifying agency. That is all. Some may make inferences that it means more. Their claims should be viewed with scrutiny.”

3/17/2010