Busting common myths about organic food
SalonIf you spend any time on the internet in spaces where people talk about food, nutrition and the environment, you’ve probably seen some hot takes about organic food — that it’s not worth the price tag, that it’s all a scam or that it’s somehow worse than nonorganic. Under the USDA’s organic rules, synthetic substances are banned, while natural products are allowed, with a few specific exemptions in both directions. There are some situations where natural products don’t cut it, and that’s why there’s also a short list of synthetic substances that are allowed under the organic rules. But eschewing chemical fertilizers and pesticides as the default means that organic farms don’t have as deep a footprint as their conventional counterparts, even when they take up more space. Beyond pesticides, organic agriculture addresses another public health concern: While antibiotics are allowed for treating sick animals on organic farms, they’re used at far lower rates than on conventional farms, where they’re used to prevent diseases that proliferate easily in the crowded and unsanitary conditions.
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