Knowing how I strive to live a crunchy lifestyle, a friend sent me a link to a cnn article boasting a recent study of how organic food contains no more nutrients than traditionally grown food. 

This study brings up an interesting point.  Correct, in a side by side comparison, organically grown food may contain the same nutrients as traditionally grown food.  However, there are these things called “pesticides” and they aren’t all that good for you to eat.  I’m no scientist, but I would guess if it kills bugs, then it can’t be good for you either.  This is all just speculation and simply a logical leap on my part, but it looks as though cnn’s writer, Jessica Daly, may have drawn the same conclusion.

 It should be noted that the study does not make conclusions about the comparative levels of pesticides or chemicals in conventionally and organically grown food or the health effects of consuming such chemicals.

 

The article also questions if organically grown food is better for the environment.

 Even still, in 2006 the UK’s Manchester Business School assessed the environmental impacts of food production and consumption and concluded that there isn’t a clear cut answer to whether the environmental impact is greater on a trolley full of organic food compared to a trolley full of non-organic food.

Um…yeah…If you’re moving produce in a huge a$$ gas guzzling trolley, then I would speculate that the impact on the environment is the same.  Again, I’m no scientist but there’s thing called the Greenhouse Effect, which apparently affects the ozone layer.  It’s all very complicated.  Where’s Al Gore when you need him?

To investigate the environmental impacts further, the article presented a statement from the Soil Association:

 Overall, organic farming is better for tackling climate change than industrial agricultural methods. As well as lower average energy use, organic farming also avoids the very large nitrous oxide emissions from fertilizer manufacture.

Additionally, organic farming builds up soil carbon, removing it from the atmosphere. Organic farming also supports more local food marketing, reducing food miles.

 

So, let me see if understand this.  Please excuse my ignorance and use of simple terms, but it seems organic methods use less energy and take the bad stuff out of the air.  Well, that simply couldn’t be good for the environment.  Once again, I defer to Al Gore on the matter.

I think Kermit said it best.  It’s not easy being green.

This blog is Certified Organically grown and processed in accordance of the California Organic Foods Act of 1990.