When is it important to buy organic and when doesn't it matter as much, i.e. bananas?

Question

This does not include meats--I'm vegetarian. I've heard if peels/skins need to be removed, as with a banana or orange, it doesn't matter if it's organic or not. So, for example, am I wasting money buying organic orange juice. Which fruits/veggies/beans/nuts should I try to buy organic, which aren't worth paying extra for?

Answer 1

Any non-organic food may be grown using pesticides/herbicides/fungicides, may be exposed to different types of radiation, and may be grown with human f***s and other poor farming practices.

Are you wasting money on organic products? Depends on you ask, such as a consumer advocate versus company services rep.

I would say they are all worth paying extra for.

Answer 2

I think it always matters because science has shown that organic foods contain higher nutrient levels than non organic.

http://www.dailyevergreen.com/story/2561...

They also tend to taste better which could be indicating higher nutrient content. Think about it. If they are spraying a tree with pesticides and herbicides, some of those herbicides get into the ground and are being absorbed by the tree's root structure. How can a poisoned tree produced higher quality fruit than an organic one?

That being said, I occasionally eat non-organic avocado and young coconut. I would avoid grapes, strawberries, dates, peaches, root vegetables, leafy greens, etc, unless organic.

Answer 3

Tomatoes are the most important vegetable to buy organic. That includes ketchup and pasta sauce. This is because tomatoes absorb the toxins. So does grapes, strawberries and other thin skinned fruitsand veggies. Also look out for MGO's (Genetically modified Organisms) most produce these days are MGOs and they aren't required to label it in the U. S.-although many countris in Europe require proper labeling.  The GMO foods are pretty dangerous. You should do a google search to see for yourself the risks involved. For this reason along with the rampant chemical spraying I try to buy everything organic and even more importantly-Locally grown. Most towns and cities have weekly farmers markets. It's a great way to find healthy organic produce for an affordable price, while supporting the local economy; and you know you can trust the source of your foodstuff. In this day and age we can't even trust the labeling. If it says its "organic", yet t's grown in Chile, the FDA has no way to monitor the organic claims and in large part have to take their word for it. So try to by foods that are at least grown on American Farms.

Answer 4

Chemical fertilizers are still used so it doesn't matter whether they have skin or not... the produce will have chemicals inside. I try and buy everything organic.

Answer 5

By avoiding the 12 dirtiest fruits and vegetables, or buying them organic, we can lower our pesticide exposure by almost 90%.

12 Dirtiest - fruits and vegetables most likely to test positive for pesticides, you should purchase these organically

    * Peaches- 96.6% of samples tested positive for pesticides, 86.6% for multiple pesticides

    * Apples- 93.6% tested positive, 82.3% for multiple pesticides

    * Sweet Bell Peppers- 81.5% tested positive, 62.2% for multiple pesticides

    * Celery- 94.1% tested positive, 79.8% for multiple pesticides

    * Nectarines- 97.3% tested positive, 85.3% for multiple pesticides

    * Strawberries- 92.3% tested positive, 69.2% for multiple pesticides

    * Cherries- 91.4% tested positive, 75.8% for multiple pesticides

    * Lettuce- 68.2% tested positive, 44.3% for multiple pesticides

    * Imported Grapes- 84.2% tested positive, 53.2% for multiple pesticides

    * Pears- 86.2% tested positive, 45.7% for multiple pesticides

    * Spinach- 70% tested positive, 31.2% for multiple pesticides

    * Potatoes- 81% tested positive, 18% for multiple pesticides

12 Cleanest - fruits and vegetables that are least likely to test positive for pesticides

    * Onions- only 0.2% of samples tested positive for pesticides, 0% for multiple pesticides

    * Avocado- only 1.4% tested positive, 0% for multiple pesticides

    * Frozen Sweet Corn- only 3.8% tested positive, 0% for multiple pesticides

    * Pineapples- only 7.7% tested positive, 0.1% for multiple pesticides

    * Mango- only 7.1% tested positive, 0.5% for multiple pesticides

    * Frozen Sweet Peas- only 22.9% tested positive, 2.3% for multiple pesticides

    * Asparagus- only 6.7% tested positive, 0.6% for multiple pesticides

    * Kiwi- only 15.3% tested positive, 3.4% for multiple pesticides

    * Bananas- 41.7% tested positive, but only 2% for multiple pesticides

    * Cabbage- only 17.9% tested positive, 4.8% for multiple pesticides

    * Brocolli- only 28.1% tested positive, 3.2% for multiple pesticides

    * Eggplant- only 23.4% tested positive, 6.9% for multiple pesticides

The full list of sampled fruits and vegetables with all testing information can be seen on foodnews.org. Remember that these tests were completed after washing and/or peeling the fruits and vegetables in the manner that most people do, so washing does not necessarily mean your produce will be pesticide free.

Answer 6

Most poor farmers are organic by necessity; they can't afford chemicals.  There are a few exceptions; DDT and Lindane are still used in some poor countries.  Talk to somebody from Trade Aid for more guidance.

Answer 7

It does matter, especially with bananas.  Say you do peel the skin off, you're still getting the pesticides on your hands (which you will use to eat the banana or something else later, thereby introducing the pesticide into your system) and putting it into your water supply if you wash the fruit.  As well, companies like Dole pay farmers less than legal or adequate prices in countries like Ecuador, so by buying organic, you're helping the farmers get a better price for their bananas.  You're also supporting farming practices that prevent pesticides from harming the local ecosystems and farm laborers or getting into the water supply where they can have tetragenic or mutagenic effects.

Answer 8

acutally it is always worth buying organic because organic means that they use no pesticides and stuff like that but if you are really concerned abou tthe price then you cdan go to you local farmers market to buy food and farmers markets are small usually family owned organic farms. When you go shopping at farmer marketes your reducing your carbon footprint becasue the things they grow are locally grown that also means that they are grown by the season.

Answer 9

it doesn't all that " go green" craps fake anyway

Answer 10

Organic is the way that the food is grown. If a food is grown organically, then the farmer used don't use fertilizers or pesticides. No you are not wasting your money because there are more ingredients in orange juice than just the oranges, and the oranges are organic to be in the juice. If your juice has a sticker that says USDA certified organic, then 95% of the ingredients are organic. Organic foods are not anymore nutritious or better tasting, but in reality just tend to spoil faster. The reason many choose to eat organic foods is because it is for environmental reasons. For this reason, I myself am trying to but more organic foods so that the environment does not have to suffer because of the food I eat.

Answer 11

The Environmental Working Group has a list of the 12 fruits and veggies that absorb the most pesticides and which absorb the least.  I have heard that because of how some banana growers are treated, it's best to buy organic bananas.   Other foods to buy organic: apples, berries (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries), cherries, celery, potatoes.  I have heard that foods with a rind or covering--citrus, corn, etc.--don't have to be organic unless, say, you're zesting the orange.

But if it's organic, I prefer it because I think it tastes better.