I have heard and read a lot about 'The Dirty Dozen.' These are the fruits and vegetables that have the most sprays and pesticides used to encourage growth and discourage disease and infestation. There has been proof that these pesticides can enter the human bloodstream if the items are consumed. This should be reason enough to purchase organic, but when you consider the high price of organic fruits, it is only reason enough to pause.
Organic apples are more expensive than their counterparts because they require more hands on care. Simply put, they are more expensive to grow. Here in Missouri, prices average at about one dollar per pound more for organic vs. inorganic apples. In the abstract, $1 is not a lot of money. However, when you eat apples at the rate my family does, this amounts to about a $10 price difference per week. Do the math, and buying organic is a $500 price increase in one year on one item alone. If it weren't for possible health risks, choosing inorganic would be a no-brainer.
With so many people espousing the benefits of organic apples, it would be foolish to not at least study the importance of doing so. It's easy to find pro-organic information by looking at blogs with unsupported data or sources that clearly benefit from organic consumers. When seeking actual scientific studies that are not backed by farms or large producers, the data becomes a little more scarce. Of course there are those who do not trust government funded studies or universities that may get their research dollars from questionable sources, and that is fine. I am not one of these people. Conspiracy is not my thing. Hard, actual info and proven research is more impressive to me than what agenda any certain group may have.
It seems that there is no doubt that pesticides can invade the body. An Emory University study gave children a regular diet and then a purely organic diet and was able to prove that pesticides show in their urine when not fed organically. According to a 2004 article from Bloomberg Business Week, studies conducted through Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health and University of Washington in Seattle showed similar results. The fact that pesticides can enter the body is not up for question. The effects on these pesticides, though, is still up in the air. Dr. George Blackburn, Associate Dean at Harvard Medical School stated in a 2008 Boston Globe article that there is no data that backs up any claims that the amount of pesticides allowed for use on foods is detrimental to people consuming them. This was backed up by Dr. Walter Willet, Chairman of the Department of Nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health.
Another oft cited reason for consuming organic fruits and veggies is that they offer more nutritional benefits. Studies have shown mixed results, but for the most part, studies have shown that there is no nutritional boon to eating organic fruits and veggies.
Through all of this research, my head is spinning. Some sources tell me to continue eating conventional apples. They actually cost less to manufacture, their production employs more people, and they have a smaller carbon footprint than their organic cousins. Other sources tell me to forget about the price increase because my health is more important than my wallet. Many say that I should buy thin skinned fruits and vegetables organically, but thick ones are fine conventionally. Still others state that I should go ahead and eat conventional apples but buy organics for my children, and in an entirely different argument, a 2007 Time Magazine article says that I should forget about organics and focus on buying locally grown produce.
In the end, I'm more confused than I ever was before. All sources say that I should continue to eat fruit regardless of any health concerns I may have. Conventional apples are better than no apples, but even without scientific support, it seems like a smart idea to eat organic. The question is, can my bank account stomach it?
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