I love apples, like really love apples. It’s not uncommon for me to eat three to five apples a day. My favorite is the Pink Lady—I just love the firm texture and amazing taste profile. And 99.9% of the Pink Lady apples I eat just happen to be organic (a benefit of working at Natural Grocers). But recently I was camping in the mountains and a trip to the only grocery store nearby resulted in me purchasing four non-organic Pink Lady apples. Wow, was I ever shocked by the difference in taste and texture, compared to what I’m used to. I have read research showing that in taste tests, consumers almost always prefer the organic versions of fruits and vegetables over their conventional counterparts, but this was actual real world confirmation—organic really does taste better.[1] [2] This prompted me to ask myself, “If I pay a little more for organic food, are there other benefits associated with that cost?”

After doing a little research, I discovered that the benefits of organics from a health and environmental standpoint are huge, and, if you shop carefully, you can get actually great deals on organic products.

Pay a Little More Now, or a Lot More Later

One of the key arguments for choosing organic is that you can either pay a little more money now for produce that is nutritionally superior to its conventional counterparts, or pay later for the health costs associated with nutrient insufficiencies and pesticide exposure. For example, studies show that organic tomatoes have higher levels of lycopene and vitamin C, two nutrients that have a variety of roles in supporting health in the body.[3] Similar studies have found that levels of other nutrients, especially antioxidants, are higher in organic fruits and vegetables compared to conventional produce. Need to spend $8.00 on aloe vera lotion because you stayed out in the sun for too long? Perhaps spending the extra dollar on organic tomatoes would have bestowed your skin with enough photoprotective lycopene to make that lotion unnecessary.[4]

With organic produce it’s not only that you are getting more nutrient-dense food, but it’s also what you’re notgetting (i.e., toxic pesticides) that makes it worth paying a little extra for. Studies show that pesticide exposure is harmful to the brain, liver, kidneys, and immune system.[5] Exposure to these agro-chemicals can also significantly damage a child’s health. Researchers at the University of California Berkeley determined pesticide exposure levels in pregnant mothers and then followed their children for seven years. What they found was shocking—every tenfold increase in measures of organophosphates (a commonly used class of pesticide) detected during a mother’s pregnancy corresponded to a 5.5-point drop in overall IQ scores in the seven-year-olds.[6] Children in the study with the highest levels of prenatal pesticide exposure scored seven points lower on a standardized measure of intelligence compared with children who had the lowest levels of exposure. According to the researchers, “that difference could mean, on average, more kids being shifted into the lower end of the spectrum of learning, and more kids needing special services in school.” At the time this study was published, two other research groups published papers with similar findings.[7]

The Environmental Costs

One thing we know for certain is that our modern industrial agricultural system is slowly destroying our environment and natural ecosystems. Modern agriculture that relies on monoculture and heavy chemical inputs such as fertilizers and pesticides has decimated our topsoil and will continue to do so until we have none left. Iowa, a state that has extensive conventional agriculture, has estimated its annual topsoil losses to be about $1 billion per year, while some experts estimate that the United States loses about $44 billion worth of topsoil annually.[8] [9] Eventually this top soil will need to be replaced, or agriculture will not be able to continue. This would be a huge economic blow to these regions and the United States. Organic agriculture, on the other hand, helps restore the soil, and numerous reports show that switching soil from conventional management to organic management regenerates it and brings back restorative factors like earthworms and important microbes.[10] [11] [12]

Not only does conventional agriculture destroy the soil, but the extensive use of pesticides results in collateral damage, killing some of our most valuable pollinators. A prime example of this is the decline in honey bee populations that has been observed over the last several decades.[13] Because honey bees are critical for pollinating so many crops (think almonds, onions, cashews, broccoli, and peppers, just to name a few) there is an entire industry built around providing honey bee hives to farmers for pollination purposes. However, neonicotinoid insecticides appear to be causing huge die-offs of both commercial and wild honey bees, leading to increased prices of pollination services and economic damage.[14] The die-off of honey bees, termed “colony collapse disorder,” has serious implications for food production and the economy. In the United States alone, it is estimated that honey bees pollinate between $15-20 billion dollars’ worth of crops.[15]

The Organic Movement

It’s great to see that organic agriculture and organic foods are gaining popularity and steadily growing each year. However, less than 1 percent of our current agricultural land is under organic management—we still have a long way to go. Remember, you get to vote on how your food is produced three times a day, with every meal you eat. By paying a little more up front for organic, you are helping to save money in the future. You are also supporting a more profitable living for farmers, and even promoting economic wellbeing in the communities in which they operate. If you are still skeptical about the price of organic foods, make sure to shop seasonally, as this makes a huge difference in the price of the produce, and studies show that seasonal fruits and vegetables are also at their peak in nutrition. That way you are really getting the biggest bang for your organic buck.