Is organic food a scam or something worth trying?

Question

WindAtMyBack · Accepted Answer

It's not a scam the way I think of a scam. You are anon so I don't know where you are from. Here in the US there are legal requirements to be called organic. I think those requirements vary depending on the product. Like everything else the government does, it's complicated. But in short, organic basically means just what you think it means.

On the other hand, terms like "natural" have no meaning at all. That's pure marketing.

Whether or not it's more healthy for you is open for debate. For fertilizer, I think most or all of it is pretty organic. It's NPK, and I think most is made from manure. There are some chemical fertilizers though. I don't know if they're regulated, or if it really makes much difference. Plants need what they need.

For insecticides, as far as I know there are no really good organic insecticides. There are a lot of claims for them, but the effectiveness is pretty minimal. Same with herbicides.

Contrary to what the lawyers would have you believe, Roundup is pretty darn safe. That's why it's so popular with farmers. Farmers don't want to ruin their soil. Roundup breaks down very quickly and doesn't harm the soil. I worked on an organic farm for a summer. We did use Roundup. But I think that was before there was any kind of certification.

Organic foods certainly won't hurt you. But on the other hand only a tiny portion of the food supply can be organic. The yield is much lower and it's all done on a small scale. To feed any significant portion of the world population, we MUST use advanced farming methods, including chemicals.

Lliam · Accepted Answer

I like organic. True organic, grown without chemicals. No GMOs, no Apeel, no antibiotics, no poisons.
What we call "organic" was once just called "food".

An organic certification can be misleading. Big ag companies know how to get around the rules to get that certification just to sell their crap for higher prices. Hell, big ag writes the rules.

Many true organic farmers don't bother getting certified because it's expensive to do so. But there are locals who do old fashioned farming with healthy soil and no chemical usage. They sell their produce from farm stands or local organic markets, or through CSAs.
Most gardeners and even community gardens raise their produce organically.
And there are people who raise chickens, goats, sheep and cattle humanely with healthy feed and no antibiotics or chemicals.

My wife and I grow herbs and veggies using organic fertilizer and zero chemicals. We compost, raise worms for their castings, use rabbit pellets from our bunny, add minerals, etc.
We do use proper nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizer on our fruit trees.

We buy other produce from local organic farmers. And we buy a lot of our meat from local farmers. There is some really good grass fed beef and lamb here, and organic chicken. They aren't fed GMOs or given antibiotics.
We eat wild caught seafood, never farm raised.

I won't say that we eat strictly organic food, but we try.

FreyaRed · Accepted Answer

Depends. Sometimes it's worth trying but sometimes it's the same quality like in grocery for higher price, what fulfills definition of scam.
Marmalades and juices are often better, cheese often too but meat is often a scam. Even venison doesn't taste that good like a buck shot in forest, it's just farmed animals fed with power feed instead of hay.

dustybiker2 · Accepted Answer

It tastes better. And for people like me allergic to chemicals can def tell the difference. I cannot eat corn for one unless organic. The headache is unreal.

James The Foodie · Accepted Answer

Organic food isn’t a scam, but its value can vary depending on what you’re looking for in your dining experience. While organic farming emphasizes natural processes and tends to be eco-friendlier, taste and nutrition aren't guaranteed to be superior. Once in a vibrant Italian market, I tasted organically grown tomatoes that were incredibly flavorful, making the experience worth it. If sustainability or reducing exposure to pesticides matters to you, it might be worth trying even if just for the experience. 🍅

DryGermanGuy · Answer

Here we call it "bio" and it's definitely a real thing (with audits and certifications).

contentious · Answer

Many synthetic pesticides are relatively stable at the right pH level. Residue from those pesticides often find their way into the food system on the surface of produce. They aren't great for human health an over time can promote a number of health problems... Many herbicides have that are used have a relatively short half-life thus if sprayed a certain time frame before harvest, generally do not affect the final crop. That said, mistakes can be made and crops can be managed poorly... When it comes to synthetic fertilizers, there's no difference in the nutrient uptake. The plant roots will take up whatever base minerals are available to them. While farmers depended on NPK fertilizers because they are primary macronutrients, depending on the crop they use other nutrients as well that are in demand and insufficiently found in the local soil. The main problem with synthetic fertilizers, is that they more easily lead to mineral runoff than slower released nutrients from organic fertilizers and over use can change soil pH and leave salts in the soil which hinder plant growth. In contrast organic matter can help to build more stable healthy soil over time with a more diverse microbiota. A mix of organic fertilizers when needed and organic fertilizers to build soil over time is the most productive. This is why many commercial farmers will grow cover crops in certain fields when their primary crops are out of season and why they intercrop certain nitrogen fixing crops with nitrogen heavy feeders.

genericname85 · Answer

i would personally not buy food that says "organic". it's mostly a bullshit label. just buy raw real food from the produce section. like actual whole plants and plain unprocessed meats. that's definitely worth your money when it comes to health but it will not taste as good as the alternative cause those have lots of added flavors that make them taste superior while not being as nutritious at all.

Jackblue · Answer

The organic industry is a scam, pesticides aren't dangerous at the quantities used. The future is GMO's organic food is an enormous waste of money and farmland.

AviatorTom · Answer

Some organic good is good... and worth trying. Some is a marketing scam. For example, just because the chicken is not locked in a cage doesn't make their eggs organic, but some eggs are labeled as organic.

Anonymous · Answer

There's a thing going around now that Bill Gates coats organic food with a film which a lot of people say is some kind of plastic, so who knows what you can believe.

purplepoppy · Answer

You won't find many farmers buying organic in the supermarket. There's a message there.

exitseven · Answer

It is, a scam. Nobody has been able to show me an example of inorganic food

Fireguy17 · Answer

We had that as kids, from the garden. It was just food

DCVsMarvel2 · Answer

if something seems too good to be true, it likely isn't

blackeagle007 · Answer

Maybe, maybe not

Buford_T_Justice · Answer

Yes.

frysauce · Answer

I think so

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