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A recent study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine by a group of researchers out of Stanford’s School of Medicine has caused a lot of commotion on both sides of the agricultural fence. The study concludes that organic food is not significantly more nutritious than conventionally grown food.
A lot of media channels have taken a hold of this study and run stories that imply that all the hoopla about organic food being better for you is just that – hoopla. Rebuttals against the findings of the study, and the analytical methods and metrics used therein, are already underway. For a detailed technical review of the study go to: http://www.tfrec.wsu.edu/pdfs/P2566.pdf.
Nutrients are of course important for our health. But the study, and the media’s use of it, did not take into account, or significantly downplayed, the larger picture of how organic agriculture is better for our health. Pesticides are simply not good for our bodies, our water, our soil, or the myriad of beneficial creatures that want to live within our farmscapes.
Exposure to pesticide residues on foods is real. The Stanford study found pesticide residues in 7% of organic produce samples while finding 38% of conventional produce samples to contain residues. However, the authors stated that eating organic produce “may reduce” a consumers exposure to pesticides. The study also did not distinguish between a single pesticide trace residue and multiple traces of pesticide residue. It is not as common to find pesticide residues in organic foods, but if residues are found, multiple residues are rare, whereas they are common in conventional produce. Unfortunately, the EPA only regulates pesticide traces on an individual basis, though a report commissioned by the European Commission found that an isolated chemical-by-chemical approach to risk assessment is likely too simplistic.
The research on pesticide exposure and its ill effects continues to mount, however. Last year studies out of UC Berkeley, Mt. Sinai Medical Center, and Columbia University showed a correlation between prenatal exposure to organophosphate pesticides (widely used on food crops and in urban areas) and a several point reduction of IQ’s in children.
Farm workers exposed to pesticides is a serious concern. The National Cancer Institute reports higher rates of a battery of cancers in farm workers including leukemia, skin, brain, and prostate cancer. Pesticides make their way into the homes of farm workers via their clothes and shoes. A study out of the University of Washington found that the children of farm workers were shown to have a higher exposure to pesticides than children of non-farm workers in the same community.
All of us at Frog Hollow Farm, and you as our supporters, can sleep peacefully at night knowing that Farmer Al, Virgilio, Antonio, Jose Alberto, Rufino, Luis, German, Junior, and the rest of our 20 person orchard Team, are not working in a toxic environment.
The jury is still out on nutrient levels of organic foods, but we think that clean water, healthy soil, bees, birds, butterflies, and fruit that is as free from toxins as we can grow it holds infinite value. We thank you for your continued support.
