Organic food has many reputations.  Some think it’s a marker of a healthier option for themselves and the environment, while others see it as an elitist, unaffordable, and unnecessary category.  A forthcoming report in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has further fueled the debate, stating that there are no significant nutritional differences in organic food as compared to conventional food.  The report also concludes that there are no additional health benefits of consuming organic over conventional food.  This is a review study, drawing its conclusions from a selection of fifty-five previous scientific studies.  Something not considered worthy of their review, however, is the very thing that differentiates organics- the restriction of pesticides, herbicides, and insecticides.
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Fifty years ago, the average American household spent twenty percent of their income on food.  Today, this figure has fallen to just ten percent.¹ At first glance this appears to be good news.  It implies that we are spending fewer dollars on food yet still feeding our families.  Unfortunately, it’s not that simple.  The mere fact that we are spending less of our income on food belies bigger issues, and those issues have implications for our personal health, our health care system, our environment and even our foreign relations.
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As a people, we are aware that the amount of food that we eat has an impact on our waistlines, our long-term health and our budgets.  What we don’t always consider alongside this concept of quantity is the question of quality.  Does eating organic food really matter?  Why should I care what a cow eats before I eat it?  What difference does it make whether this salmon was caught in a stream or raised on a fish farm?  Let us explore these questions primarily as they relate to our health, our budgets and the well-being of the planet we call home.
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