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troutman · 04-29-2014, 12:19 PM

Apr 28 2014
Dueling Narratives on Organic Farming

http://theness.com/neurologicablog/i...ganic-farming/

There have been many studies and systematic reviews comparing organic and conventionally grown crops. They found essentially no difference in nutritional quality or health outcomes.

It is true that organic produce has fewer pesticide residues, but this is partly an artifact of measuring pesticides used by conventional farming. Organic farmers also use pesticides – they use “natural” pesticides that are presumed safe, without real evidence. There is also no evidence that the small residues on conventional produce have any negative health effects.

The fallacy here is the same as in some other areas, like alternative medicine – things that are “natural” are presumed safe and superior, and therefore don’t have to be studied. This is nothing more than the naturalistic fallacy. Organic pesticides that are studied have been found to be as toxic as synthetic pesticides, and in general are less effective and so have to be used more often, which can be worse for the environment.

My personal biggest problem with the organic label is the false dichotomy it creates. Organic has become a brand, a lifestyle, an attitude. It is a narrative, and the narrative comes first. In fact, one study found that people believed identical coffee tasted better if they were told it was ecofriendly, and were also willing to pay more for it.

Rather, it would be better to evaluate each farming practice on the evidence and the outcomes it produces, regardless of whether or not it fits a naturalistic narrative. Some practices considered “organic” are really just good sustainable practices, such as avoiding monoculture, crop rotation, and using cover crops. The evidence suggests these are good practices, whether or not they are part of achieving an “organic” label or not.

The organic marketing, however, has worked. They have successfully created fears in the public about “toxins” and unnatural mutants in their food, and offer the organic label as an assurance of wholesomeness, despite an utter lack of evidence to support such claims. The USDA was warned this would happen, they knew it would happen, and they facilitated this deception with their official seal of approval.

04-29-2014, 12:19 PM	#263
troutman Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Crowsnest Pass Exp:	Apr 28 2014 Dueling Narratives on Organic Farming http://theness.com/neurologicablog/i...ganic-farming/ There have been many studies and systematic reviews comparing organic and conventionally grown crops. They found essentially no difference in nutritional quality or health outcomes. It is true that organic produce has fewer pesticide residues, but this is partly an artifact of measuring pesticides used by conventional farming. Organic farmers also use pesticides – they use “natural” pesticides that are presumed safe, without real evidence. There is also no evidence that the small residues on conventional produce have any negative health effects. The fallacy here is the same as in some other areas, like alternative medicine – things that are “natural” are presumed safe and superior, and therefore don’t have to be studied. This is nothing more than the naturalistic fallacy. Organic pesticides that are studied have been found to be as toxic as synthetic pesticides, and in general are less effective and so have to be used more often, which can be worse for the environment. My personal biggest problem with the organic label is the false dichotomy it creates. Organic has become a brand, a lifestyle, an attitude. It is a narrative, and the narrative comes first. In fact, one study found that people believed identical coffee tasted better if they were told it was ecofriendly, and were also willing to pay more for it. Rather, it would be better to evaluate each farming practice on the evidence and the outcomes it produces, regardless of whether or not it fits a naturalistic narrative. Some practices considered “organic” are really just good sustainable practices, such as avoiding monoculture, crop rotation, and using cover crops. The evidence suggests these are good practices, whether or not they are part of achieving an “organic” label or not. The organic marketing, however, has worked. They have successfully created fears in the public about “toxins” and unnatural mutants in their food, and offer the organic label as an assurance of wholesomeness, despite an utter lack of evidence to support such claims. The USDA was warned this would happen, they knew it would happen, and they facilitated this deception with their official seal of approval.