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May 24, 2006
What the NY Times doesn't know might hurt you
In today's edition of the Dining and Wine section of the New York Times, there appears an article about New York City's Greenmarket (a consortium of farmers markets throughout the city). The article claims to uncover a controversy among the city's organic enthusiasts as the former director of the Greenmarket (who was "dismissed" in 2004) begins her own market venture, incorporating non-local foods and non-farmer producers in an effort to give consumers "everything they need for Saturday night dinner."
The article makes good points about the never-ending nuances of organic food and the often overwhelming feelings organic shoppers can get when they are faced with often contradictory messages about how to do the "right thing."
What struck me as odd was a statement from the 6th paragraph down:
"In its February issue, Consumer Reports magazine assessed the relative pesticide contents of organically and conventionally grown produce, and found that for many fruits and vegetables, the difference was imperceptible. Is this reason enough to forsake expensive organic bananas and broccoli?"
I thought this was odd, so I looked back through that February issue and found this statement:
"We found, for example, that it's worth paying more for organic apples, peaches, spinach, milk, and beef to avoid chemicals found in conventionally produced versions of those items. But you can skip organic asparagus and broccoli because conventional varieties generally have undetectable pesticide levels. You can also pass on organic seafood and shampoo, which have labels that are often misleading"
Talk about misleading! Rather than an "imperceptible difference" in "many fruits and vegetables," it seems that Consumer Reports only mentioned two vegetables where the differences were negligible - and they were asparagus and broccoli, not bananas and broccoli.
The Consumer Reports article goes on to say that 21 different pesticides are transferable to a developing fetus through the mother's bloodstream, and that a lot of those pesticides can be toxic to the brain and therefore affect intelligence and behavior later on. The article also mentions a study that tested the pesticide levels in children's urine, showing an immediate decrease in those levels once the children switched to an organic diet.
Whether intentional or just careless, that statement could very well lead many people to believe that there's no difference between organic and conventional food when it comes to your health.
As for the Greenmarket vs. new market controversy, it seems like the new "hybrid" market being created to appease consumers' needs for variety could be a useful tool for making farm products more available to the average consumer, or an echo of what big corporations would like to see done to organic - a slide into looser definitions. People will think that, by shopping at an outdoor "farm market" they are supporting local agriculture. But if the locally-made products sold there come from fruits and vegetables raised in another state, or even another country, doesn't that defeat the purpose?
Read the article and decide for yourself.
Posted by jill at May 24, 2006 05:43 PM
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Comments
I find that the consumers often believe that "certified organic" means a better product, when in fact, animals from many "certified organic" farms are basically factory farms with fancy organic grain being the only difference that separates them from a non-certified organic farm. Certified organic has lost its meaning since Agri-business has come into the picture, trying to cash in on the efforts of the people that started the organic movement. It USED to mean no pesticides, free range, grass fed.....LOCAL. It was started to keep the little guy in business. This is no longer the case. Many farmers in my area who were once certified, have dropped the organic certification.(certification costs several thousand dollars per year - something only the big corporations can afford) Many local farmers have become members of NOFA, which stands for Northeast Organic Farmer's Association. The foundation of this organization is community based agriculture that gives back to nature (the land, the animals) -- being at one with the earth....basically RESPONSIBLE farming. THIS is a much different view than plain "certified organic" Integrity on behalf of the farmer & their practice is the focus. This is reason enough to get to know your local farmers; take a cooler, drive to the country, and stock up on grass fed meats, raw milk, fresh pasture fed eggs, fruits and vegetables. You and your family will be much healthier, and at the same time - the small, family farms will thank you for keeping them in business. Consumers being educated & demanding superior quality/fresh, unprocessed foods is what will put factory farming out of business.
Posted by: Annemarie at June 11, 2006 03:22 AM