Do you buy organic food, given a choice?

Question

Massageman · Accepted Answer

Not a deal-breaker for me one way or the other. But, given my 8-9 year experience working at a weekly Food Pantry, I am privy to some behind the scene info.

Organic seldom means what we have been LED to believe it does. "Organic" standards vary from country to country, state to state, and even food to food. So while "well-meaning" in the beginning, this term has just confused things more.

Will I pay a premium for "organic"? Seldom, if ever. I look at every piece of produce I buy. We (at the pantry) get (literally) hundreds of pounds of fresh food per week that is past their printed "sell by" date. We look at the PRODUCT itself and the PACKED dates to make our decision of what goes to humans and what leftovers go to feed animals in a nearby non-profit farm for the disabled. (No alliums/onions/garlic). If a contents of a bag of- let's say- pre-prepped salad is "sell-by dated" at March 1 and looks like soggy crap by Feb 15, we simply will not use it- it goes to the farm or tossed if it's REALLY shot! Conversely, if a bag is "sell-by-dated" Feb 1 and it looks in good shape on Feb 15 (frisee lettuce holds up very well), we will put it up for taking well past that pull date. Personal expertise and inspection overrides the required dates.

In the produce section, "organic" simply means that- per some "criteria"- someone hung a "9" in front of the SKU for the item. Bananas- regular bananas (typically an over-worked Cavendish type, but that's a whole other topic we'll save for some other day)- are coded 4011. "Organic" bananas- for whatever that means to that particular country, area, fruit/cultivar/growth process, etc.- will have a SKU of 94011. Many packers cover the tips of the banana "hands" (bunches) with a foam cap, sleeve, etc. to help aid in distinguishing them from "regular" ones. Who is to say that the ingredients in the foam cap don't infiltrate the fruit and create MORE problems than lack of "organicness" of the fruit. Bananas, by the way, have sunk way down on my preference list, save their good measure potassium.

Lliam · Accepted Answer

My wife and I do. We do our best to avoid produce treated with agricultural poisons and refuse to buy GMO.
Glyphosate isn't so good for you.

I buy organic milk and wonderful, 100% natural, organic coffee.

We are fortunate to have small, privately owned, organic farms nearby. We even buy meat that has been pasture raised and not treated with antibiotics or drugs.

We buy locally grown eggs that have not had the bloom washed off.

We also have a small orchard with a variety of fruit trees. And we grow some herbs and veggies.

All that being said, it's impossible to eat organic food all the time. I eat some processed foods. And you can't control what restaurants serve.

I just do the best I can for my own health and the health of the planet.

purplepoppy · Accepted Answer

No it's a scam. People think it means its grown without pesticides or chemicals but what it actually means is only certain ones are banned. You can also treat your animals crops with certain regular chemicals but you have to wait a few more days before selling. Another issue is while the amount of regular pesticides allowed on crops is tightly regulated there isn't the same amount of regulation or research into health issues with organic pesticides.

Probably the biggest concern is animal welfare, organic farmers are often reluctant to seek treatment out of fear of losing their organic status. All livestock carries a parasite burden, the game is to keep it as low as possible so not to affect weight gain or cause health issues while balancing that against medical costs. Its not in out financial interest to medicate for fun and we try to keep the need down through moving animals about and hygiene but it's better to treat as soon as you need to and do it properly.

Organic treatment is largely ineffective and there's often legal intervention to treat animals. It's not usually to read of organic farmers treating sick animals with 'magic crystals' or some crap they found on tiktok. The problem is disease can then spread to neighbouring farms. Some organic methods do help a little but they're rarely effective on their own.

Potteplante · Accepted Answer

Yes, I try to buy not only organic but also locally.

James The Foodie · Accepted Answer

Absolutely, I tend to choose organic food when possible. For me, organic ingredients offer a unique tasting experience. On a visit to a Tuscan farm, I sampled tomatoes freshly picked from the vine. The flavor was pure, rich, and so aromatic, capturing the essence of the sun and soil. These moments illustrate how organic produce can elevate a dish and story told by the food itself. 🍅

2

DryGermanGuy · Answer

Always. Most bio products, as they are called here, aren’t even much more expensive.

PBandJ_Nerd · Answer

We usually don't. It's more expensive and sometimes has a bunch of gnats or rotting.

FreyaRed · Answer

Veggies for stock or sauce base.

Lynx122 · Answer

Bio products are expensive af here so I don't. Like you can buy free range eggs and that's enough in my opinion. 6 swiss free range eggs cost 3.50, 6 bio eggs cost like 6 franks. If you add that up over all your groceries it's gonna be a lot of money over time. And I don't have the biggest income. I worked on a Bio farm once part time and it was great. The owner was so nice and all the other people as well. I like food and I spend a decent amount of my money on it but I still have to be responsible as well :) I will buy bio once in a while but there needs to be an extra reason for it.

Tarifa · Answer

Bio or organic may cost up to 60% more. I sometimes wonder how 'bio' or 'organic' these foods are, or if it's just a fancy label. Who is to guarantee they haven't been sprayed or treated at one point? If they haven't been sprayed, what was put in the soil these fruit trees or vegetables grow into? A lot of questions that remain unanswered.

The saddest thing is that the farmer who puts in all the hard work gets only a fraction of the price we pay at the supermarket. So I'm all for buying local and I'm inclined to trust a farmer more than I trust imported goods from far away and transported and handed over multiple times before it hits the local shelves.

My best bet is to go to the weekly local market. If you wait about half an hour before the sellers are ready to pack up and leave, they will usually give you a good discount, as they may not be able to sell the products the day after or within a few days.

Static_In_The_Attic · Answer

Out of the kindness of my friends heart she made me a vegetable lasagna & although it was delicious she told me it was all organic & after I ate it I told her it tasted funny when she asked me the next day.

She’s like it tasted funny? I said yeah I like mine with pesticides. Hahaha!

As for me I’m 42 years of age & I grew up on non-organic foods & in the grocery stores growing up the only thing you could buy was regular food or what I thought was regular until organic came around. From time to time organic foods have deals at my local supermarket & from time to time I try that shit but it seems dried out or at least the blueberries were.

andreasderjuengere · Answer

Not really. I grow some where it's possible.

But my ''land'' is small, and so I am limited.

What I do instead: I avoid supermarket ''goods'' (sic!) when there's an option to buy from local suppliers with limited means. They don't have the funds to purchase non-organic boosters, and so it approaches ''organic'' as much as possible.

After all - good food is one thing. But there are also environmental pollution risks, a corrupt policeman/official somewhere near, some reckless industrial operation around, and a neighbour that burns plastic waste nearby (sad, but it does happen).

''Healthy'' has become a thing of the past.

I'm lucky enough, though - I won't see the final collapse.

Pity all you younger guys. Good luck.

LiamS95 · Answer

Grocery store food that is deemed organic at a much higher price is not worth as far I can see. It rarely is truly organic. True organic veggies for instance have to grown in a controlled atmosphere such as a greenhouse with filtered air and a completely controlled atmosphere where neighbors pesticides etc can't drift for miles and affect your crop or leach into the soil. This is rarely the case and are often grown in open fields ehere they can't possibly be certified organic.

AviatorTom · Answer

I consider buying organic food, unless the price is totally ridiculous or the product is not good. My wife and I almost always buy organic free range eggs. I started buying organic bananas last year, but they've been really bad lately (lots of bruises) and over-priced, so I've been buying non-organic bananas.

Xawyx-2 · Answer

Sometimes, but it's kinda expensive.  Still, as a vegetarian, I like organic vegetables, fruits and grains.

RichA322 · Answer

Yes absolutely. The less pesticides and the more natural my food is the better. But I'm not only eating organic food, but also "normal" food.

Valdemort · Answer

In many stores / food markets in my country, they're often cheaper than non-bio products (not sure if that's a term, but anyway).. so yeah, most fresh products we got at home are organic :)

rosemilk · Answer

i buy what i can. organic doesn't make much of a different to me. it's all the same in my eyes. but yeah, i'd rather have the cheaper option.

lilBigPotato · Answer

I do if the they are similar price but often they are much more expensive then I only do if no choice

strateguy632 · Answer

With less demand it should be cheaper so i don't buy.

ProbablyClueless · Answer

Depends on how much of a markup there is. My hometown has really good produce, so I do a lot of grocery shopping at farmers' markets.

Friendlybro79 · Answer

I do. I have no idea if it's really better for you. I don't get everything organic but things where I eat the skin like apples or berries I do

exitseven · Answer

I ty to eat organic food. The inorganic stuff is hard to digest.

SleepingHazard · Answer

Yes, we usually go to local markets to get organic veggies & fruit!

RandomUser1000 · Answer

Sometimes, if it's something I like and price is reasonable.

douride2 · Answer

It is a proven fact organic isn't any nutritionally better for you then regular grown produce. It just costs way more to buy. But if you want to waste your money on it to feel better go ahead.

Phoenix98 · Answer

Sure I prefer to get organic food when I can.

Surely · Answer

Organic is usually super expensive! Plus you only have somebody’s word that it is actually organic.

shortster · Answer

I only consume organic food. Eating rocks sounds difficult.

nawtee_me · Answer

Nope, groceries are expensive as it is without paying more for organic.

ArrowheadSW · Answer

Only when I buy Abby-Cados... LOL

12karen · Answer

Yes, we mostly only sell organic food here.

Likes2drive · Answer

Sometimes I do but I never know for sure if it really is

AnonAndrew · Answer

I don't care either way. I just get whichever's cheaper.

Circushowcowboy · Answer

I do try to. They don’t make it easy though

Wiredone · Answer

I only buy organic fruits and vegetables

Charliefretz329 · Answer

The label is misleading in the grocery store but I’m all for the logic

itsannalee · Answer

Yes i do here from local farmers.

molonski2 · Answer

100%

DrPepper12 · Answer

Fuck no. Majority of the time it isn't organic!!

CubaPirate · Answer

If it's not overly expensive

Kelly6 · Answer

@abbycado no, it’s scam

HungTexan · Answer

Sometimes.

WhitneySnow · Answer

Usually

Sweetdreams1950 · Answer

Yes.

Bklynbadboy12 · Answer

As much as I can

eagle1951 · Answer

nope

Do you buy organic food, given a choice?

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