How Important is Organic?

We have all heard the hype about eating organic, but how important is it really?
As more and more evidence is starting to show: it is pretty important. The pesticides and chemical fertilizers used to produce conventional (non-organic) produce have been shown to cause damage to both the environment and human health. These potent chemicals can harm insects and wild animals that use farmland (including birds and insects that help to pollinate the farm fields!). After heavy rains, these chemicals runoff of agricultural areas and eventually end up in our rivers and lakes where they can affect aquatic life, vegetation and wildlife hundreds of miles from where they were applied. Not to mention the fact that we often get our drinking water from these same sources that we have polluted with agricultural chemicals! Farm workers (who are often overworked and underpaid) come into close contact with these chemicals on a consistent basis, putting their safety in jeopardy for the sake of the farm's success. Last (but certainly not least) both pesticides and chemical fertilizers are petroleum-based, meaning that it requires fossil fuels (think oil, people) to make them. This only tightens our dependence on countries in the middle-east and furthers an addiction to an energy source that is on the decline.
Now let's talk about the effects on human health. Pesticides have been linked to headaches, nausea, birth defects, cancer, hormone problems and probably a whole lot of problems that are not yet directly linked to their use. The effects are more severe in babies and young children who consume more food per body weight than adults, and whose body's are still forming and therefore more susceptible to toxins.
That said, the economy is in the pooper and families are already struggling to support themselves and eating organic is not necessarily in the budget. However, some foods more readily absorb pesticides and chemicals than others, so some foods are much more crucial to consume from organic sources while other foods are less harmful when grown on a conventional farm. Here is "the list", which is also available from the Environmental Working Group.

The Dirty Dozen (Buy these organic whenever possible!):
1. peach
2. apple
3. bell pepper
4. celery
5. nectarine
6. strawberries
7. cherries
8. kale
9. lettuce
10. imported grapes
11. carrot
12. pear

The Clean 15 (these tend to hold the least pesticide residue):
1. onion
2. avocado
3. sweet corn
4. pineapple
5. mango
6. asparagus
7. sweet peas
8. kiwi
9. cabbage
10. eggplant
11. papaya
12. watermelon
13. broccoli
14. tomato
15. sweet potato

Now that you know which items are more crucial to buy organic, you can budget your grocery money to include organic items from the dirty dozen. And, of course, if you have access and the budget to buy all of your produce organically... even better! You are not only keeping pesticides out of your body, but you are keeping them out of the environment, away from the farm workers and you are supporting the organic movement.
If your budget does not allow to purchase any items organically, please know that it is better to eat conventional produce than to eat none at all. Remember to wash conventional produce well to remove as many pesticide residues as possible and talk to your local produce department. Many items may not be labeled as organic but may at least be unsprayed (no pesticides used).