The title of this post makes it sound like something that would be published in People magazine about a celebrity scandal- but instead of a piece based on blurry pictures and a little bit of here-say, this will be based in fact and definitions and things a little less juicy but a lot more reasonable (and hopefully is a little more directly relatable, and applicable, for those reading it).
So scandalous title aside- we are here today to discuss one of my favorite common misconceptions about food. Food makes such a huge physical and emotional impact on us as humans and I don't think we always give it the focus it deserves (not in a positive way, at least). I could talk forever about nutrition and diet culture and gut microbiome health (comments are open for all of that and more!), but today we are going to focus on one of my core thoughts on food and science and the public: I think everyone has the right to know how their food is produced and where it comes from, AND what all the words on the stickers, labels, and bags at the grocery store mean.
In short- I want you to know the most about the food you eat that you possibly can, and we are going to scratch the surface of that goal today by focusing on a single, regulated buzzword:
"Buzzword" has a somewhat negative connotation, so I'm going to stop before I start here and say that I am by no means against organic food production, or the proper labeling of organic products. What I do plan to address here is the use of this word to describe food versus other ~associated~ words, and talk about what this word means to regulatory bodies that help keep our food supply ample and safe (those entities being the USDA and the FDA).
So, what is organic in a regulatory sense?
"USDA certified organic foods are grown and processed according to federal guidelines addressing, among many factors, soil quality, animal raising practices, pest and weed control, and use of additives. Organic producers rely on natural substances and physical, mechanical, or biologically based farming methods to the fullest extent possible."
This definition came straight from a USDA article that explains some of the basics of organic farming- which is important, because organic is a description of the farming practices used to produce your food, it doesn't change anything about the nutritional contents of your food. I say this because I'm sure everyone has heard someone say (or maybe you've said it yourself!) "I'm trying to be healthy, so I'm buying all organic foods".
And organic farming is great- it's a different practice that gives producers another way to make extra money- and rightfully so. I'm sure if you do the grocery shopping for your household, you know that usually products labeled "organic" are more expensive than their non-organic counterparts. If you look into the guidelines that producers have to follow in order to be USDA-certified organic, it makes sense that those products are so much more expensive! They are harder to produce! Not only do farms that are certified organic have to go through extensive inspections every year to maintain this status, some of the guidelines they follow include three years (before any of their products can be labeled "organic") of no prohibited substances applied to the soil before their organic certification, almost no synthetic fertilizers or pesticides, and no genetically modified organisms.
Organic vs. natural and all natural
At it's core, organic farming was developed in order to be kinder to the planet we call home, increase biodiversity, and increase soil biological activity. However, this doesn't make it inherently better than foods that were not produced organically. Similarly, there are no alternative regulatory words for "organic"- that is, something labeled "organic" has undergone the regulatory procedures needed to ensure that it was produced by farming practices that are certified organic.
Labels like "all natural", "100% natural" or "naturally produced" still fall under some regulation by the USDA and FDA, but these labels don't have anything to do with farming practices. These labels simply mean (according to the FDA) nothing was added to your food that wouldn't already be in it- so no food coloring, for example. For the USDA, these labels mean that in addition to no additives, the food was also minimally processed, and requires a statement on the packaging to explain what "natural", "all-natural", or "100% natural" means.
So organic and the iterations of the word "natural" on packaging don't mean the same thing. Where does nutrition come into all of this? Do any of these labels make a difference as to what we are actually putting into our bodies?
Organic foods and nutrition
Organic farming practices include avoiding synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. For fertilizers, the difference between organic and synthetic mostly lies in if the fertilizer aims at feeding the soil/ecosystem generally, or if it aims to feed the plants that we are growing exclusively.
There are pros and cons to both options- it's easier to look at the plus sides for the organic fertilizers immediately, because they are benefiting not only the plant, but also the soil and the microbes living in the soil, keeping it healthy and fertile to continue to grow plants on. However, organic fertilizers do a lot more than feed plants, and it shows in the rate of effectiveness for increasing plant size (or biomass). The impact of these fertilizers is more subtle in the plants you're growing- which, for your front lawn might not be a bad thing, but can be challenging for farmers who are trying to meet the food demands of an expanding population (this is one of the big reasons that not all food can be grown organically- there simply wouldn't be enough of it to feed everyone on the planet, much less the population we are expected to get to by 2050).
On the synthetic side of things, it's easy to look at the diagram above and go "Well, they're only helping the plants and not the soil- which doesn't seem sustainable, therefore isn't the best option". Which is a fair point- only feeding the products we want and not fueling the resources we need to make them is not creating a practice that can go on and on forever. However, since these fertilizers are aimed at plant production specifically, producers see a huge benefit when it comes to yield when they use synthetic fertilizers. Plus- these fertilizers are cheap, and very readily available (coming back to some of the reasons organic food needs to be more expensive at the store than non-organic food).
So there are definitely differences in how different fertilizers effect the soil health, and the rate of plants gaining biomass- and fertilizer type, rate of application, and time of application can also effect the nutritional content of the food we are producing. Fertilizer makes a direct impact on micronutrients available to plants- often, the organic options have more micronutrients that keep the soil microbiome healthy. However, synthetic fertilizers are more directly amenable to additions of micronutrients that we want to target to increase in foods (such as iron or zinc, two essential compounds that many people in the US don't get enough of in their daily diets). There have been a few studies that show that some organically produced foods (but not all) have some potentially higher nutritional content than their conventionally produced counterparts, but not by enough to make organic foods inherently "healthier" than conventionally produced foods.
I'm going to put this here because I got a real kick out of it- if you want to read a review from a Rutgers food science professor who is not here for non-science-backed information convincing the public one way or another about organic food nutritional benefits, check out his review here.
So finally, we need to talk about pesticides. Pesticides are used in both organic and conventional food production, but organic pesticides are more naturally-based than conventional options (similar story to the fertilizer situation). Also similar to the fertilizer story, both options for pesticides are effective, but differ in the duration of their effectiveness, and therefore, how many applications they require. Synthetic pesticides are very strong and usually extremely effective, thus require fewer applications to crops. Natural pesticides are often weaker, and require more regular treatments in order to protect crops from pests.
It's important to note here that either option is inherently designed to repel, or destroy, or prevent pests, so there are some nasty compounds that can come up in either practice (arsenic can be produced naturally, for example, and works as a pesticide, but is prohibited for use in that way in order to protect people from it's toxic effects). And either way- pesticide residues on food that make it to the grocery store are regulated for our safety. That is, the food at the store has been tested to make sure that even at-risk populations (people who might be sensitive to chemicals in the pesticides) don't need to be worried about the amount of pesticide residue on the food at the store.
And for everyone who has ever asked themselves this question- yes, it is absolutely worth it to wash your produce. Not only does a quick rinse usually remove any leftover pesticides on the surface of your produce, it also removes dirt and bacteria! And this method works no matter which type of pesticide was used- synthetic, or natural.
In conclusion
So overall- organic farming is a neat practice. It's a type of food production that aims at sustainably feeding the world by caring for the earth while we care for ourselves. It is also very tightly regulated, time intensive, and more expensive than conventional farming. And while organic farming does a lot of great things for soil health, it doesn't produce enough food to feed a growing population on it's own.
And now you know exactly what that label at the store means!! If you see this logo, your food has gone through the system and earned it's place in the organic food realm:
And don't worry- this certainly won't be the last post about food and agriculture. See how I managed to completely side-step the GMO issue? There's a whole series in the works about that one, have no fear! Until then, keep reading, and stay curious y'all!