Is Organic Food Worth the Cost?

There are some valid points about the land consumption required for organic farming but other than that, there are many vague accusations. I am not yet educated enough to understand the full picture but the video did feel anti organic.

I decided to do more research regarding this video and organic foods in general. I've recently taken an interest in an organic lifestyle and would like to share my process into finding the truth about this controversial issue thats been going on for years.

Definitions

monoculture - the cultivation of a single crop in a given area. "the replacement of natural forest with pine monoculture"

pesticides - a substance used for destroying insects or other organisms harmful to cultivated plants or to animals.

herbicides - a substance that is toxic to plants, used to destroy unwanted vegetation."farmers sprayed a protected wildflower meadow with herbicide"

glyphosate - a systemic organophosphate herbicide C₃H₈NO₅P used to control herbaceous and woody weeds especially on croplands.

a synthetic compound which is a non-selective systemic herbicide, particularly effective against perennial weeds.

endocrine disruption - Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that can interfere with endocrine (or hormone) systems at certain doses. These disruptions can cause cancerous tumors, birth defects, and other developmental disorders. Any system in the body controlled by hormones can be derailed by hormonedisruptors.

Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that may interfere with the body's endocrine system and produce adverse developmental, reproductive, neurological, and immune effects in both humans and wildlife.

gmo's - GMO definition. The abbreviation for genetically modified organism. A GMO is an organism whose genome has been altered by the techniques of genetic engineering so that its DNA contains one or more genes not normally found there. Note: A high percentage of food crops, such as corn and soybeans, are genetically modified.

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) can be defined as organisms (i.e. plants, animals or microorganisms) in which the genetic material (DNA) has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally by mating and/or natural recombination.

anthocyanin - a blue, violet, or red flavonoid pigment found in plants.

"the earliest carrots were purple, because they contained anthocyanin"

Found naturally in a number of foods, anthocyanins are the pigments that give red, purple, and blue plants their rich coloring. In addition to acting as antioxidants and fighting free radicals, anthocyanins may offer anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, and anti-cancer benefits.

flavonols - Flavonols are polyphenols belonging to the class of flavonoids. They are colorless molecules that accumulate mainly in the outer and aerial tissues, therefore skin and leaves, of fruit and vegetables, since their biosynthesis is stimulated by light. They are virtually absent in the flesh

pyrethroids - Pyrethroid insecticides are a special chemical class of active ingredients found in many of the modern insecticides found on store shelves and ...

Comments copied and pasted in response to the video above. 

• I own an organic farm and I previously worked on a thriving organic farm for two years. What the speaker said about organic farming being more land-intensive than conventional is probably true. He also neglected to mention that energy inputs to produce composted organic matter, which is used to improve soil nutrition and structure, is also very energy intensive, possibly on par with conventional fertilizer production (that’s just my speculation from my observations on the farm). And believe me, I purchase foods labeled organic and it is often very disappointing and nothing like what I can grow. So it doesn’t surprise me that most industrial-scale organic foods are no more nutritious than conventional. It really takes an artisan farmer to make quality organic food, and this can take years of trial and error to get right. Such is life and the time commitment required to farm organically and do it well is not likely to change any time soon. But did anyone notice how the speaker neglected to mention how herbicide exposure is increasing over time? I have seen this apparent oversight before by other critics and it is very curious. Indeed, we know from the USDA that the toxin called glyphosate is being used more than ever and the main reason is because glyphosate-resistant GMO corn is now over 90% of all corn in the US. This stuff is nasty and will likely be the target of giant class action suits in the near future. If you don’t believe me, just spray about a one-foot square piece of your yard with it and observe what happens there. Nothing will grow in that spot for years which means that more than just weeds are being killed. The entire soil biota including bacteria and fungi are being wiped out. Now, you can eat glyphosate if you want to because it is your body and your right, but it is wrong to exposure others to it, including those living “downstream” of the site of application, without their full consent. I predict that because of these latent effects of toxins that we’ll see in the long term a return to organic methods because we won’t have a choice. Eventually the toxins will stop working in the field anyway (weeds evolve resistance) and the pathologies will become widely appreciated. Let’s hope that this transition happens before too much harm is done.

article on glyphosate-resistant GMO http://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2015/roundup-ready-crops/

• Organic farmer here. I certainly appreciate the benefit conventional farms play in the feeding of the earth's population, but there are several claims in here that are wildly overstated. That organic results in 50+% lower acre by acre yields, for instance. I am not sure what sort of cherry picked study you used here, but my 35 years of being born, raised on and now farming an Organic farms has shown me that yield decreases by organic are most often marginal or non-existent. To be sure, certain crops do suffer significant yield loss, but these are the exception, not the rule, and 50+% is an outrageous claim. Additionally, many of your criticisms are straw man arguments or directly contradicted by the evidence. There are an overwhelming number of studies that indicate organics have MUCH higher levels of certain nutrients, such as the 50+% greater Omega-3 fatty acids contained in Organic dairy and beef. Or much higher levels of anthocyanins and flavonols in organic berries and vegetables. 

• You cherry picked highly contradicted data and presented it as unconverted fact. Also, comparing pyrethroids to conventional pesticides is ridiculous. There are pesticides, herbicides and fungicides used in conventional farming that have a field reentry period of greater than 365 days after application. Conventional farms near myself routinely spray chemicals which require the applicator ride within the cab of a tractor with an entirely controlled atmosphere, carrying its own oxygen supply to avoid any possible exposure. This comparison and false-equivalency is outright dishonest. No one, that I know of, has ever claimed that organic applications are so benign as to be ENTIRELY inert. But your argument on this matter is unbelievably dishonest. Another would be the claim that organic livestock is no better treated because "chickens and pigs are exposed to predators" if allowed outside. This is simply a stupid claim, and really proves how far you are willing to go to force your point. Sure. Animals allowed outdoors are at a higher risk of predator attack. So are you for that matter. I doubt you would say your life would be better if you were left in a cage, vice being let outside. Lastly, you have entirely ignored many of the greatest benefits to organic farming. First, the benefit to the land itself. Organic farmers, year over year, IMPROVE the quality of the land they farm through fertilization and crop rotation techniques that add, rather than detract from, soil organic matter and overall nutrient content. Organic is by no means perfect, but from a sustainability perspective, the use of land is FAR superior to conventional farming. I could go on and on with the other very real benefits you seemingly chose to ignore. Again, I am not an organic zealot. The majority of the time my family buys conventional produce, meat, and dairy products. I believe that conventional farming has a very important place in global food production. But you present organic farming as having zero benefits over conventional farming and purely a clever marketing tactic. This is a dishonest take in which one must willfully blind themselves to the truth.

• Do they realise that the whole environment is starting to fall apart? The wild bees are dying, the soil is disappearing, overfertilisation destroying seas and lakes, diversity among plants and insects is gone because of monoculture. Not to even mention the animal abuse.
• They have to fly bees in with trucks in order to get their orchards pollinated, because they've killed all the wild pollinators with their pesticides. And in china many farmers are forced to pollinate their trees by hand, because all the insects that pollinate are dead.
• And still, PragerU dare to put up this piece of junk to make it seem like there's nothing wrong with conventional food. Organic food is the best alternative right now. It's not the perfect, but it's definitely better than conventional food.

• I buy organic to avoid the poisons. The poisons, herbicides and pesticides, are a very big health problem and big aggro lies about the danger. Just look up glyphosate and endocrine disruption.

• Organic food is not made with genetically modified organisms. That is perhaps the biggest advantage. GMOs are dangerous, perhaps even more so than artificial herbicides and pesticides.

• I don't really care about organic food, however I've had acne for 6 years now and recently noticed normal milk gives me acne and organic milk does not.

• Didn't even talk about how inorganic meat is full of antibiotics and hormones.

• From personal experience I know that there is a difference between organic foods and the rest. After years of desperation and having doctors that only prescribed temporary treatments for symptoms, I begun research and changed my familys entire menu! My child no longer needs temporary treatments from the doctor! We have healed our child just by using organic foods and other steps. I know that some organic fruit still contain pesticides because other family members would have allergic reactions, so we began to peel them. I love prageru, but they are wrong on this! I personally grow vegetables without any need for pesticides! Who cares how much space it takes? There are vast amounts of empty land that our govt is illegally taking from American farmers with bully tactics by the blm! But I say, whoever controls the food, controls the world!! Because by owning the patents to the seeds, monsanto litterally controls the world!! And lets not forget obamas famous monsanto protection act! They could care less about feeding the world, they only care about power and control!!

• As a small farmer that produces organic meat, I can agree with the majority of what this video has said. Most organic farmers overcharge their food way too much, and the USDA's standard on whether something qualifies as organic isn't very elaborate... Most of the systems in place on factory farms could still qualify as an organic farm so long as their animals are calm, can move around freely, and are not being administered any sort of growth hormone and drugs like it. And most organic/small farmers still use many of the cruel practices that you've seen on factory farms If you're really concerned about animal welfare look for farms with the animal welfare approved label, you can view their standards and find a list of farms in your state on their website. If you want organic vegetables and fruit, there are probably a whole bunch of local farms or farmer's markets in your area, but make sure to compare the prices of each of them so your not being cheated off your money, the food you buy shouldn't be too much more than what you pay for in stores with very little exception. I will say that after raising pigs, cows, and chickens all for meat out on pasture for many years; I've never had an issue with diseases (parasitic or otherwise) or injuries, and I don't de-worm my animals (the cows being the only exception just twice a year). That's the only part of the video I'd have to question. Yes when raised on pasture there is a higher probability, but most breeds raised on pasture are much hardier than the conventional breeds you find in modern farming. And most organic dairy farmers still raise and treat their cows in the same manner as conventional farming, so the study you presented is just as questionable.

• THIS IS A MONSANTO BASED PIECE OF PROPAGANDA. What they don't tell you is that GMO foods fight your body on the molecular level and cause weight gain. High fructose corn syrup is a death chemical. Pesticide contamination is a lie. They include Round up is included in seeds. It grows in the plans and is always in the food. They also don't tell you e-coli is from commercial beef standing in their own feces, killed, and processed with it on their body. Cows are not supposed to eat corn either. This is where e-coli can start in the cows body. Organic food can be grown in 125% of the space currently used for commercial food. Any crop can be treated for pests organically which does not taint the food. Chickens have been genetically modified to have larger breasts than their body can handle. Thousand suffocate to death every day. Chicken nuggets are made of chicken byproduct and their is little or no chicken in them. You are eating grissel and flavor. You cannot tell me that God made food wrong and man made it better.

• i think he s right about organic food is a luxury for the first world population. Poorer countries worry about hunger while rich countries worry about calories and organic food and gmo s and want to be vegetarian. It's because they have the money to have these choices of what they eat. The financially challenged don't. We need a full stomach out here.. .. my stomach s grumbling now.Article on herbicides

https://www.livestrong.com/article/246750-the-effects-of-herbicides-pesticides-on-humans/