Researchers from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine have released a study (29 July 2009) stating that “organic food has no nutritional or health benefits over ordinary food”. The basis of the study was that consumers were paying higher prices for organics because of its perceived health benefits, creating a global organic market worth an estimated $48 billion in 2007 and the researchers wanted to determine if the nutritional benefits of organic food were real.
“A small number of differences in nutrient content were found to exist between organically and conventionally produced foodstuffs, but these are unlikely to be of any public health relevance,” said Alan Dangour, one of the report’s authors.
All seed can be traced back to common sources. It’s believable that the nutritional value of organics is comparable with conventional foods. What this study totally misses is that most eco-minded consumers are not necessarily eating organics for the perceived better nutritional value. Most eco-minded consumers eat organic food so that they are not filling their bodies with chemicals from pesticides and herbicides. Let’s look at this organic food research more closely. The very first page of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine organic food report states:
“This review does not address contaminant content (such as herbicide, pesticide and fungicide residues) of organically and conventionally produced foodstuffs or the environmental impacts of organic and conventional agricultural practices.”
The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine organicsstudy does not even address one of the major reasons organics are consumed. All the media reports I have read thus far do not mention this fact. This study and it’s media coverage is a good lesson to all. Don’t just assume that because someone tells you that “research shows…” that what they are saying is accurate. Its up to us as consumers to be informed. It is very easy for consumers to find these studies online and read them in their entirety. An informed consumer will be able to make informed decisions. An uninformed consumer can be easily manipulated when given only partial facts. I, for one, will continue to consume organic food for my main reason – I have no desire to ingest pesticides and herbicides into my body.
Kathy Keating is the editor of BeCoolShopGreen.com a popular organic and eco-minded website which provides easy shopping for the best organic and green products. It’s the place eco-minded consumers shop. BeCoolShopGreen.com scouts out news about organics and the eco-friendly lifestyle to ensure readers can be informed. For links to the actual research about this study, visit BeCoolShopGreen.com.
