Going Organic — Hip or Hype? (1 of 3)

March 26, 2008

Been shopping lately?

If you have, then you’ve probably noticed the growing selection of organic products being offered. At first glance this seems like a no-brainer. No chemicals, no pesticides, no genetic engineering and hey– it’s more expensive so it has to be better, right?

Well, before you snatch up that organic milk and fill up your young one’s sippy cup, you might want to read this blog post… In this first post, let’s approach the concerns in three parts.

First:

THE GOOD

Every day, millions of infants, children and adults in the United States are consuming genetically engineered food without their knowledge. Everyday groceries have been tested by the Consumers Union and it has been shown that genetically engineered foods are already on supermarket shelves — in baby formulas, drink mixes, "veggie" burgers — and even in fast-food. The FDA’s policy on this? No pre-market notification, no pre-market safety testing is required. In fact, the FDA has allowed the corporations themselves to determine whether these foods are safe. (see http://www.panna.org/node/1075)

Okay, I know what you’re thinking. What’s good about that? Well, technically there isn’t enough cumulative information to decisively say that genetically engineered food products

are harmful to us. Admittedly, I’m not doing cartwheels or anything at the thought of my family and me being experimented on, but compared to the next sections, this is definitely the better of my three bullet points.

THE BAD

Our bodies are being contaminated. Toxic chemicals from everyday products contaminate the bodies of every single person in the U.S. Baby bottles, toys, shower curtains, water bottles, shampoo, cosmetics, couch cushions, computers –hundreds of other common products that ordinary people use every day contain toxic chemical ingredients that are being absorbed into our bodies. (see: http://isitinus.org/project.php)

Yuck.

This definitely qualifies as bad in my book.

But now for–

THE UGLY

Our agriculture is littered with pesticides. Here are some facts you should be aware of:

10 Things You Should Know About Pesticides

1. A 1992 analysis of 5,592 washed and peeled fruits and vegetables showed that 61 per cent of them contained pesticide residues. Grapes had 21 different pesticides, apples 25.

2. Pesticides banned in North America still end up in the produce we buy here. In fact, we manufacture banned toxic chemicals and sell them to other countries who then use them on food which is shipped back and sold in our markets. Half of our winter produce is imported.

3. Scientists have traced DDT in our Great Lakes to sources i n Central America, where it is still used.

4. Dow Chemical, Monsanto and Ely Lilly are among the multinational companies which produce banned pesticides with known health dangers. One such product, DBCP, has rendered thousands of Latin American banana workers sterile.

5. Worldwide sperm count levels have dropped 50 per cent in only the last half-century. If these levels continue, most men will be sterile in two generations. (See the video below.)

6. DDT was banned in 1972; however, researches have found no decrease of this chemical in human breast milk since that time.

7. If the same levels of DDT found in human breast milk were found in cow’s milk today, the product would be banned.

8. Recent studies show that breast cancer patients have higher levels of DDT in their blood than those without cancer. Other studies show higher pesticide levels in the bodies of stomach and lung cancers.

9. Multinational chemical companies have spent millions to block or lighten legislation that proposes to limit pesticide use.

10. Despite repeated appeals from consumers and scientists, Agriculture Canada does not test for the effects of combined pesticide toxicity or of long-term effects when regulating pesticide safety and usage.

Scary, huh? So, now that I’ve provided all of this data then it must be true that organic products are better for us, right?

Well… Not necessarily.

"Stay tuned for Part 2 of 3 in this article series in which I reveal some surprising facts about so-called ‘healthier alternative’ organic products. You don’t want to miss it!"

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