Which foods are worth buying organic vs. which does it not really make a difference, and why?

bendavidparks · June 6

I know some foods have peels, shells, husks, etc. that might absorb or repel the harmful substances that are not present in organic farming. For example, white rice is 10x as expensive to buy organic. What is the benefit?

AnnPT77 · June 6

I'm posting this to answer your question, not as an endorsement of the general idea or even the specific site (caveat emptor): The Environmental Working Group publishes annual lists of the "Clean 15" and "Dirty Dozen" foods for the US, the foods they claim have the least and most pesticide residue respectively (oversimplifying a little when I say that). Learn more here:

https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/clean-fifteen.php

If you're not in the US, I don't know whether that's helpful, but you didn't say.

Generally, I agree with some of the other folks:

Getting an appropriate amount of veggies and fruits, organic or not, is more important health-wise than whether the foods are organically grown. I agree with ccrdragon about that.

I do buy organic veggies/fruits frequently, or foods grown locally in an organic-ish way but without official organic certification (certification is expensive). For me, that's more about the kind of thing neanderthin mentioned, e.g., sustainable practices, stewardship of the soil, more limited range of pesticides/fertilizers used that may cause issues for pollinators and other critters/bugs, etc.

I do buy and eat non-organic foods sometimes, too. It's not a strict religious-esque thing for me.

YMMV.

healthybabs · June 6

I think you already identified the benefit of the elimination of harmful pesticides etc. I don't want to put those things into my body. Not only should you buy organic when your budget allows but also avoid GMO foods. Genetically modified foods should be avoided if you are btrying nto eat clean and as close to how the food was intended to begin with. Just my opinion and how I choose to eat.

ccrdragon · June 6

healthybabs wrote: »

I think you already identified the benefit of the elimination of harmful pesticides etc. I don't want to put those things into my body. Not only should you buy organic when your budget allows but also avoid GMO foods. Genetically modified foods should be avoided if you are btrying nto eat clean and as close to how the food was intended to begin with. Just my opinion and how I choose to eat.

It is your choice and your budget, but there is no scientific justification for avoiding GMO's or for eating organic produce.

neanderthin · June 6

I generally get my food locally and seasonally for the most part and I support my local farmers who practice responsible and sustainable farming and crop rotation using natural fertilizers etc. Organic farming can lead to soil that supports plants with higher micronutrient and phytochemical content which gets taken up by the plants and then we consume those plants. As far as whether those farmers are labelled "organic" is more business driven and to me it makes no difference but I understand that a few of my regular farmers are also bigger retailers of produce and compete in a market that requires organic for them to have a change to compete, people like labels and easy rules to follow.

Sustainability and a little love goes a long way for me, but I'm rural and in the thick of it, so it's easier to make this a reality. Local meats like beef, lamb, pork, goat and chickens, the same applies. Interesting enough I have to procure venison from New Zealand which is organic and range fed like most livestock from down under, can't finds a local or Ontario supplier and we sell a lot of venison.

9entax · August 30

Buying/eating organic is less about the quality of the food or the levels of pesticides and more about supporting more sustainable farming methods which are better for the environment.

I'd also rather eat less better quality food than more poorer quality food.

claireychn074 · August 30

I buy a mixture of organic and non organic (largely for the environmental impact rather than any belief in enhanced nutrition). I generally find farm shop produce tastier than supermarket (fresher, probably less time being refrigerated), but I ALWAYS now try to buy organic mushrooms. They’re one of the few foods I’ve found where I really can notice the taste difference - no idea why.

Conversely free range organic chicken can be tougher (takes longer to reach the same size as no growth enhancers), but I’ll always go for free range for animal welfare reasons.

The issue is that I live in a rural area and have enough money to choose to do all that - not everyone does. Food poverty is sadly on the increase in the UK.

HoneyBadger302 · September 3

Looks like ann had a great resource there specifically for pesticide residue.
Personally, as my grocery budget has some wiggle room, but it's limited, I tend to follow the "skin to lips" which is just to say that the more outer surface area of a food that I consume, the more likely I am going to prioritize organic. It's just a simple rule of thumb, not based on a specific study or list like ann linked. So things like greens for salads would be a top priority, meats generally fall to the bottom of the priority scale.
I have other preferences as well, if I can get locally grown or grow my own, that will be my preference. Locally pasture raised vs "mega farm" raised. Etc. But much of that depends on availability and pricing and where my budget sits.
I no longer have the links, but there ARE nutritional differences, and I can definitely see taste differences between quality local/home grown vs the typical massive farm production foods. So if I can find a good source, that's a preference. I'm also hoping to put in some raised garden beds at my house to raise some of my own, at least for fresh. As it's me it would be limited, but I think it can be very worthwhile, too.

claireychn074 · September 5

HoneyBadger302 wrote: »

Looks like ann had a great resource there specifically for pesticide residue.
Personally, as my grocery budget has some wiggle room, but it's limited, I tend to follow the "skin to lips" which is just to say that the more outer surface area of a food that I consume, the more likely I am going to prioritize organic. It's just a simple rule of thumb, not based on a specific study or list like ann linked. So things like greens for salads would be a top priority, meats generally fall to the bottom of the priority scale.
I have other preferences as well, if I can get locally grown or grow my own, that will be my preference. Locally pasture raised vs "mega farm" raised. Etc. But much of that depends on availability and pricing and where my budget sits.
I no longer have the links, but there ARE nutritional differences, and I can definitely see taste differences between quality local/home grown vs the typical massive farm production foods. So if I can find a good source, that's a preference. I'm also hoping to put in some raised garden beds at my house to raise some of my own, at least for fresh. As it's me it would be limited, but I think it can be very worthwhile, too.

I’ve got raised beds and they are brilliant. I freeze anything which ripens in a glut (beans, beetroot etc) and there’s nothing better than popping to the garden to get the veg for tea 😀 have to have raised beds though, as my spaniel has a veg habit. She’d eat all the peas, carrots and raspberries if she could.

nossmf · September 5

I keep it simple; whichever has the better appearance at the time I'm shopping, that's what I pick. If they appear equally appealing, I choose the cheaper option. I thus go back and forth between organic or not, depending on how things look the day I shop.

I do choose a local farmer's store for most of my produce, because usually they have better appearance than the large chain grocery store's offerings.

xrj22 · September 14

I echo what has been said before about eating organic to protect the environment. There is little evidence that eating organic actually changes your health . (Might help, cant hurt), But it makes farming more sustainable and protects wildlife, groundwater, and the ecosystem.

poodle_whisper · September 14

have you eaten farm fresh eggs or grasss feed beef? if you have, you wouldn't be asking.

korimak0 · September 14

I find it fascinating that people are discussing organic as more sustainable. Now, I'm from NZ so my perspective and food options might be quite different, but from what I know, using certified safe pesticides can actually dramatically increase crop yield. Thus, you are actually getting more food from the same field - which could go to feed more people. So potentially more sustainable?

I get why people are wary of GMO/pesticides tho- Monsanto really gave them a bad rep and I guess not everywhere has the same safety regulations

claireychn074 · September 14

korimak0 wrote: »

I find it fascinating that people are discussing organic as more sustainable. Now, I'm from NZ so my perspective and food options might be quite different, but from what I know, using certified safe pesticides can actually dramatically increase crop yield. Thus, you are actually getting more food from the same field - which could go to feed more people. So potentially more sustainable?

I get why people are wary of GMO/pesticides tho- Monsanto really gave them a bad rep and I guess not everywhere has the same safety regulations

I think the issue is that organic means different things to different people (and I suspect has different legal definitions in different countries).

Mass produced food, grown artificially and fast (think strawberries grown hydroponically) doesn’t seem to have the
Same taste as food which grows in the soil, under the sun as opposed to UV lighting and which ripens naturally.

Organic small farms tend to take better care of the soil through crop rotation and they aren’t usually a mono-culture, so the food grown can have a richer taste.

But - I think fresh food which hasn’t travelled too far tastes better regardless of whether it’s organic or not. I tried feeding my hens on organic and non organic feed to see if there was any difference in the eggs. Firstly I couldn’t notice any, but secondly I stopped buying the really pricey organic food when I saw what else my free rangers were eating (ie the mice and slow worms probably weren’t organic 🤢). Nothing quite like the horror of being a first time chicken owner and realising your cute fluffy chooks are actually little raptors and love fresh meat!

Which foods are worth buying organic vs. which does it not really make a difference, and why?

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