Should you eat organic?

Not so long ago, if you wanted to eat organically, you’d have to grow your own or find a health food shop. The range of organic products available today – even in supermarkets – is excellent

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You can buy organic flour as well as pasta, strawberries, blueberries, asparagus, chickpeas, meat, sausages, fish, poultry, eggs and dairy… the list goes on.

Ready or almost-ready meals are available organically, as are delicatessen specialities, wines, beer and spirits. Even those with a sweet tooth can get their money’s worth. Organic sweets, chocolate, cakes and biscuits are readily available in most supermarkets.

Whether purchased from a supermarket, a health food shop or a farm shop, organic food has always been more expensive than conventional food. This is mostly due to the more labour-intensive practices needed during its growing/rearing period. This is to avoid the use of chemicals such as synthetic pesticides and herbicides on organic food and in animal feed.

However, over the last few months we have seen all prices increase rapidly. Not only is food now more expensive than it used to be, but we also have much higher energy prices to cope with. This means we have less to spend on food.

So, the question is… is organic food worth the expense?

Background on Organic Food

Our grandparents and parents in the not-too-distance past would have enjoyed organic food as the norm. However, the chemical industry started developing agricultural chemicals just after WWII in order to increase yields and resistance to pests and harsh weather conditions.

They were used liberally for decades and did, in fact, do what they said on the tin. It only gradually became apparent that they might also be harmful to both human and animal health. What’s worse, these chemicals are persistent. This means that they are virtually indestructible and will pollute our soils for centuries to come.

Needless to say, they are in the food chain by now and are here to stay. Babies have been shown to be born with hundreds of chemicals already in their bodies. Persistent pollutants have now even reached polar bears.

Gradually, governments in the US, EU and UK banned some of the offending chemicals to varying degrees, but not all of them. Moreover, those that are no longer allowed for use in the industrialised countries are often still sold to developing countries. The good news is that organic farming puts a stop to their use, reducing future pollution.

The benefits of organic food

Without pesticides, herbicides and synthetic fertilisers, organic produce must fend for itself. This is unlike conventional foods, which is mollycoddled from sprouting to harvest. Rather than being grown in huge monocultures, organic farmers often plant fruit and vegetables alongside other plants that help protect them.

Plants contain natural substances that fight pests and other threats to the plant’s health, and increase its resistance to extreme weather conditions. As it happens, these substances – phytonutrients – are not just good for the plant, but us too. All plants contain them, but there are more of them in organic fruit and veg because they need them for their own defence and survival.

Organically-grown food is also more likely to be allowed to grow to full ripeness. A result of it often being destined for local shops rather than being shipped around the world, it has more time to accumulate and develop nutrients. These vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients contribute to the nutritional value of the end product.

The benefits of organic food

Animals raised to produce organic meat, dairy or eggs, must be fed organic animal feed. Additionally, their overall welfare has much higher standards than it does in conventional farming. This means more space for the animal to move around, more time spent outdoors and straw-covered surfaces rather than bare concrete or wire mesh to stand or lie on.

Additionally, although ‘organic’ does not necessarily mean ‘grass-fed’, organic cattle is fed much more grass – both fresh and hay – than conventional cows. This results in healthier animals and consequently healthier animal products. Unlike the grains or soy that conventional cattle is fed on, grass and herbs have a higher omega-3 content. This, of course, affects the fatty acid composition of the resulting meat and dairy products.

And as an added bonus, as well as being better for our health, many people find that organic food that is raised naturally and to its full potential, also tastes better.

Why is organic food more expensive?

More and more people want to act responsibly not only for their own nutrition and for better taste, but also for animal welfare and the environment. However, this comes at a price that is harder and harder to afford.

Agricultural chemicals were once introduced to increase yields – which they did. Consequently, organic farming does not result in the same amount of food for the same or even slightly more effort.

Natural pest control can be time-consuming and less effective than its chemical counterpart. Ideally, you can group plants together in such a way that they protect each other, but sometimes organic farmers have to literally pluck pests off their plants or get down on the ground to pull weeds.

Obviously, having to allow both indoor and outdoor space for the animals also reduces the number of animals a farm can raise. Organic cheese, unlike mass-produced, cheap cheese, has been given time to ripen and develop flavour. Organic sourdough bread ferments and rises naturally, rather than being sped up with artificial rising agents.

So, all that effort, space and time put into the production of organic food and the reduced yield that goes with that, is, of course, reflected in the price. While it’s healthier for you, with a better flavour and greater nutritional value, there’s no getting away from the fact that it costs more.

If you can’t afford to buy organic

The answer for many of us is to pick and choose, allowing us to strike a happy balance between eating organic foods, and watching our bank balance.

Our conventional food is polluted to varying degrees. Some plants are hardy and/or have very effective self-defence, such as onions, carrots, beetroot and parsley. The phytonutrients they produce protect them from pests (and are also very beneficial for us). Consequently, such plants are often left to their own devices and allowed to grow without chemical interference. However, many other types of fruit and vegetables are soft and delicate and easily fall prey to pests. Potatoes, berries, apples and spinach are among the most sprayed foods and should be purchased organic if at all possible.

In the US, the Environmental Working Group publishes the ‘Dirty Dozen’ (most polluted) and the ‘Clean Fifteen’ (least polluted) each year to help customers prioritise. Bear in mind, however, that the United States and Europe have vastly different laws concerning the use of agricultural chemicals. In the US, kale – so often hyped as a superfood – is frequently treated with a carcinogenic chemical called DCPA. Fortunately for us in the UK, the European Union banned DCPA in 2009.

Having said this, delicate fruit and veg remain delicate. They are more likely to be treated with pesticides and/or herbicides than tougher plants. In this respect the EWG guides are still useful to give us general guidelines to limit the impact of non-organic produce on our health.

Farmers often spray grains and seeds as the sheer number of them within one plant provides a larger area for pests, bacteria and moulds to settle on. If you need to prioritise spending on organic foods, you might also want to consider buying organic rice, pasta and flour.

What if you can’t afford anything organic?

The unhealthiest foods on the planet right now are ultra-processed industrial products. They are high in sugar, unhealthy fats and salt while being completely devoid of nutrients. Only the most cheaply-produced agricultural products go into them, and animal welfare or the protection of the environment are not on the agenda. If you shun junk foods for the benefit of home-cooked meals and snacks from conventionally produced ingredients, you have already made the biggest step towards good health.

How will eating more healthily or organic affect my gut health?

Recent research suggests that organic food is better for the microbiome. Eating organic reduces exposure to pesticides, which disrupt the gut flora and cause health issues. Healthy soils, typically associated with organic cultivation, produce healthier food.

Fruit, vegetables, pulses, nuts and wholegrains feed healthy bacteria. Avoid highly processed foods. They often contain ingredients that either suppress 'good' bacteria or increase 'bad' bacteria.

Something else to consider is whether you need any of the pesticide-laden foods in your diet at all. Grains are staples in the Western diet. Bread, pasta and rice grace our tables several times a day, so buying all of that organically can add up to a hefty food bill.

And yet, we don’t really need these foods at all. Starchy carbohydrate foods mess with our blood sugar levels and contribute to overweight and obesity and our overall gut health.

They are also at the heart of type 2 diabetes and many scientists even consider them addictive. At the same time, starchy foods do not contain any nutrients we couldn’t get elsewhere. A diet of vegetables, low-sugar fruit, nuts, seeds, meat, fish, dairy and eggs provides everything we need.

Buying local and seasonal food also means that you can enjoy fruit and vegetables that have grown to full ripeness and are still fresh by the time they reach your table. A conventional carrot pulled from the ground yesterday may be a lot more nutritious than an organic avocado picked in Brazil six weeks ago. ‘Organic’ does not necessarily mean healthier.

If you do not have a lot of money there is still a lot you can do for your health. Prioritise cooking from scratch and select your (organic) foods wisely – your body and the environment will thank you for it.