by John Stossel, 20/20
Millions think organic produce is more nutritious, better for the environment, and less contaminated than conventional produce... are they right? 20/20’s John Stossel did some digging and this is what he found.
How safe is organic produce?
According to Dennis Avery, a former researcher for the Agriculture Department and a leading critic of organic produce, the products are more likely to be infested with bacteria. Manure can be a breeding ground for bacteria such a E. coli that may then make their way onto the produce.
Avery says that it should be those higher concentrations of bacteria, rather than pesticide residue, that should concern us.
“They’ve got us worrying about exactly the wrong thing,” he says. “If we’ve got no deaths from pesticides and 5,000 deaths from bacteria, its pretty clear to me that we should be worrying now primarily about the nasty new bacteria.”
However, because bacteria can be found on both conventional and organic produce, experts recommend that you wash all your produce after you bring it home.
Is it more nutritious?
Many customers think organic products have more nutrients than conventional produce. Stossel asked Katherine Di Matteo of the Organic Trade Association, which represent organic growers and retailers, if organic produce is more nutritious. Her only guarantee is that “its as nutritious as any other product on the market.”
One reason people may think organic foods are healthier is the very broad belief that they’re less likely to be contaminated with residues that might make you sick.
Reporting by 20/20 finds that organic foods in fact are more likely to bear potentially hazardous contaminants.
Is it better for the environment?
According to Di Matteo, growing organic is healthier for the environment. Why? Because growers don’t use chemicals.
However, Avery disputes the claim by arguing that organic farmers waste land and resources because they lose so much of their crop to weeds and insects. Avery says it’s today’s conventional farmers who have performed an environment-saving miracle by taking nitrogen to make chemical fertilizer, using pesticides and genetically engineered seeds to fee more people, using less land.
Among all Americans, 49 percent think organic foods are worth their higher prices. But there’s a big difference between consumers and nonconsumers. Two-thirds of people who eat organic foods think they’re worth the extra cost. Barely over a third of nonconsumers agree.
With the information currently available, the decision to buy organic vs. conventional produce remains, more than anything, a personal choice.
Source: Aired on 20/20
February 4, 2000-ABC News.com
Reprint permission given by AgAir Update, P.O. Box 850, Perry, GA 31069 - an international agricultural aviation publication.
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