Disclaimer: I’m not calling organic or conventional produce bad or good. I encourage everyone to do their research and to buy what fits their needs.
#1. Pesticides are allowed in the growing of USDA Organic (United States Department of Agriculture) approved foods. There’s over 40 pesticides on the allowable list that a farm can use and still get the USDA Organic stamp.
#2. Organic produce has no substantial vitamin or mineral advantage over conventional produce.
#3. You can’t rinse off pesticides from conventional produce. It’s within the plant.
#4. Neither the USDA nor the NOP (National Organic Program) have any authority in other countries. So that “organic” garlic from China or tomatoes from Mexico? There’s no one beholden to USDA Organic standards inspecting the facilities it’s grown in.
#5. Organically grown and conventionally grown produce can be cross contaminated. Conventional produce and organic produce can be in the same field or farm over. There’s no guidelines for how far apart organic and conventional produce must be grown. If they crop dust from a plane, those pesticides are going to get on the organic produce.
#6. The “Clean Fifteen” is a list of conventional produce with the LEAST amount of pesticide residue and the “Dirty Dozen” is a list of conventional produce with the highest amount of pesticide residue. You can google those foods.
#7. Glyphosate, malathion, diazinon are 3 common pesticides in Round Up, used in conventional farming. These ingredients, are showing links to cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, kidney disease, Parkinson’s and birth defects. These chemicals are never used in organic farming.
#8. Just because something isn’t labeled organic doesn’t mean it isn’t organic. There are companies who can’t pay for USDA Organic certification, so they label their foods “Natural” or “all natural.”
