This is enlightening. Thank you! The “natural is better” argument seems to echo the argument of patients I talk to who won’t take prescription medications because they are - allegedly - dangerous chemicals. They will, however, engage in all sorts of “naturopathic” remedies containing ingredients that have not been tested.
I remember reading a few Michael Pollan books in grad school, where he explained what all these USDA "labels" mean. I was never one to buy organic produce to begin with (especially on the grad school stipend), and I never have since. It's a scam right up there with network marketing in my opinion.
These are some great points, and I really appreciate the effort to bring more clarity to the conversation around organic foods. That said, I’d push back on a few things:
On cost – Producing organic food in the U.S. is often more expensive than what farmers are paid. This has led to a troubling trend: U.S. shoppers opting for imported "organic" products over domestically grown "conventional" ones. That’s concerning, because U.S. food and worker safety standards are among the strictest in the world. Personally, I feel far more confident buying U.S.-grown food for my family—organic or not—than something imported from a country with looser standards.
On nuance – One of the biggest problems we face is trying to categorize things as either good or bad, right or wrong. We miss the nuance. Many U.S. organic farmers are doing incredibly innovative work. Because of organic restrictions, they’ve had to think outside the box—figuring out how to build crop resilience and nutrition without synthetic pesticides. In doing so, they've made real contributions to our understanding of soil health, which benefits everyone, regardless of farming label.
So while I agree with your central point—that “organic” doesn’t automatically mean better for people or the planet—I’d love to see that nuance reflected more fully. Organic farmers have played a critical role in advancing regenerative practices, and they deserve recognition for that.
This is enlightening. Thank you! The “natural is better” argument seems to echo the argument of patients I talk to who won’t take prescription medications because they are - allegedly - dangerous chemicals. They will, however, engage in all sorts of “naturopathic” remedies containing ingredients that have not been tested.
Absolutely - the appeal to nature fallacy is so pervasive and harmful.
This is amazing. So thorough. Thank you!
Thank you! More to come :)
I remember reading a few Michael Pollan books in grad school, where he explained what all these USDA "labels" mean. I was never one to buy organic produce to begin with (especially on the grad school stipend), and I never have since. It's a scam right up there with network marketing in my opinion.
These are some great points, and I really appreciate the effort to bring more clarity to the conversation around organic foods. That said, I’d push back on a few things:
On cost – Producing organic food in the U.S. is often more expensive than what farmers are paid. This has led to a troubling trend: U.S. shoppers opting for imported "organic" products over domestically grown "conventional" ones. That’s concerning, because U.S. food and worker safety standards are among the strictest in the world. Personally, I feel far more confident buying U.S.-grown food for my family—organic or not—than something imported from a country with looser standards.
On nuance – One of the biggest problems we face is trying to categorize things as either good or bad, right or wrong. We miss the nuance. Many U.S. organic farmers are doing incredibly innovative work. Because of organic restrictions, they’ve had to think outside the box—figuring out how to build crop resilience and nutrition without synthetic pesticides. In doing so, they've made real contributions to our understanding of soil health, which benefits everyone, regardless of farming label.
So while I agree with your central point—that “organic” doesn’t automatically mean better for people or the planet—I’d love to see that nuance reflected more fully. Organic farmers have played a critical role in advancing regenerative practices, and they deserve recognition for that.