The Beacon Online: Organic Food: The Cream of the Crop?

While the phrase “survival of the fittest” comes to mind when looking back on what scientists have deemed as our ancient evolutionary path as a species, I believe that another, more modern phrase must replace it. We have long passed the stage of closely competing with other species for survival. In my opinion, this phrase would be: “Humans are power-hungry beasts.” Technically, this statement is correct. We seek to nourish our bodies for the power and energy to do work daily. We eat three times a day on average - perhaps more, being Malaysians - every day for every month of the year; and according to 2011 statistics, the average life expectancy of a Malaysian is about seventy-four years. Another interpretation of this modern phrase would be that in this age of rapidly developing technology, we as a species strive to control our environment more than ever. In recent decades, genetically modified foods (GMOs) have taken over the global food industry in favour of better characteristics, such as larger yield, better flavours, and more. However, strangely enough, the newfound popularity of GMOs brought about a concurrent rise in popularity of organic food – the opposite of GMOs. But is this resulting popularity justifiable? Does organic food truly provide more benefits than conventionally grown foods, or is it just another fad?

If your grandparents were once into it, then probably not.

Firstly, a short introduction for those who do not know much about organic food: organic food is widely defined as food that is grown without the interference of certain added chemicals or processes. The basis of “organic” standards involves the response to location-specific farming and crop conditions by integrating cultural, biological, and mechanical practices that depend on cycling of resources. The types of chemicals that cannot be used for organic farming (the term used for organic food agriculture) are specific to the regulations and standards in different countries. Generally, these include synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilisers; although certain organically approved pesticides may be used under limited conditions. Furthermore, organic foods are not processed using irradiation, industrial solvents, or certain chemical food additives. There are a variety of benefits that arise from this venture, but also misconceptions and myths.

Trust the label.

One of the main health benefits of organic produce is that it contains fewer pesticides. Pesticides are chemicals such as fungicides, herbicides, and insecticides. These chemicals are widely used in conventional agriculture to make crops more resilient to plagues and harsh environmental conditions. Residues remain our food and accumulate in our bodies, and over a long period of time may be carcinogenic. Thus, organic food is believed to be “healthier” in the long run. In addition, organic food is usually fresher as it is often sourced from local farms; this is because preservatives are not added. According to the consensus of organic-food lovers, organic food tastes better too; with less food additives such as sugar and monosodium glutamate (MSG), which are usually added to non-organic food by food manufacturers to enhance flavour. The lack of food additives in organic food has been claimed to prevent obesity, diabetes, and even cancer.

Seems legit.

Following that, organic food poses a number of environmental benefits. Organic farming prevents pollution as the harmful chemicals used in conventionally grown food are not used. The excess of certain chemical additives such as pesticides kill essential microorganisms in the soil and pollute nearby water bodies. Moreover, as organic food is usually sourced locally, this reduces one’s “food miles”. This is exactly what it sounds like: the number of miles your food has travelled to get from the producer to your plate. With the decrease in food miles comes a decrease in carbon emissions, and thus a decrease in what is arguably the world’s most significant environmental issue: global warming. Food is transported by road if the producer is in the vicinity, but by plane if the food is internationally sourced. It is possible to track your food miles by checking where your groceries are from and using an online “food miles calculator”. Therefore, organic food is viewed to have a range of health and environmental benefits.

However, there are some disadvantages to organic food. Organic food is very expensive as compared to non-organic food. This is because the cost of production of organic food is more compared to that of non-organic food, which results in a lower price for non-organic food. Organic food also does not last long since it does not contain preservatives. As with most hugely popular trends, a myriad of myths and misconceptions occur about organic food too. Organic food does exclude the use of certain chemicals, but not all - the key word here is “certain”. It is not possible for farms to grow any food completely chemical-free and still profit from a large yield because the food industry has grown so dependent on them. An example would be sodium bicarbonate, which is permitted in baking goods as a leavening agent. At present, there are more than 200 synthetic, non-organic and other materials that the National Organic Program allows to be used for specific purposes in organic food products and production. Moreover, while excess chemical additives such as pesticides cause unfavourable effects, some serve to protect us from deadly disease-causing organisms. Lastly, but perhaps most importantly, organic food is not proven to have more nutrients than non-organic food. What has been proven, however, is that the nutrient content in organic foods decreases more quickly than non-organic foods due to the lack of preservatives. Thus, there are many practical disadvantages to organic food, as well as myths and misconceptions about the concept.

Hey, we are being realistic here.

In conclusion, organic food possesses benefits and drawbacks that each consumer has to weigh carefully before choosing to purchase organic food or conventionally grown food. It is difficult indeed to compare them equally, as organic food provides benefits in health and environmental aspects; but provides drawbacks in the practical and economical sense. More studies have to be carried out to help consumers make more informed decisions, but at the moment, this is what will have to suffice: in this hectic pace of life that we are doomed to follow, it is important to simply have a balanced diet - of either organic or non-organic food - and exercise daily, for this balanced lifestyle will be sure to benefit our mental and physical health nevertheless; and if we have a little more time, we can worry about the war on organic food.