BRAZOS COLE

https://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~lhom/organictext.html

http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/92/1/203.long

The article addressing that was the first article, which argues that organic labeling doesn’t mean “no pesticides,” only that the pesticides must come from organic sources, not synthetic, and that about half of the naturally sourced chemicals used are carcinogenic just like the synthetic ones, and that if organic pesticides are less effective then farmers will use more of them and this will be just as bad for the environment.

The conclusion is:

“The purpose in writing this article is not to discourage you from buying organic produce. It is only meant to let you know what you are or aren’t getting when you make such a purchase.  Unless you know your grower personally, there is no guarantee that your produce has been grown without pesticides or other chemicals.  It’s a point to consider, given the substantially higher cost of organic foods.“

So, take, say….organic hybrid sweet corn vs conventionally-grown hybrid sweet corn, and FURTHER establish that they have been grown in the United States, and that the organic version was grown in compliance ONLY with USDA standards.

Nutritionally, there is going to be very little difference, if any, in the corn itself. Here are some of the differences, though:

the organic corn is not grown with atrazine, a major contaminant of streams; atrazine and other nonpersistent pesticides can be detected in the urine of those who have applied them. Atrazine can cause birth defects, preterm birth, low birth weight, and general fucking up of reproductive systems. Some references: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/national/technical/?cid=nrcs143_014053 ; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19052531 ; https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/phs/phs.asp?id=336&tid=59

the organic corn is not “RoundUp Ready”. RR corn is a glyphosate-resistant GMO. Personally, GMOs do not bother me* but glyphosate does, and furthermore, RR crops are in an arms race with weeds that they are losing. Glyphosate-resistant Palmer amaranth will fuck your commodity crops UP. Mark my words: we’re gonna have to go back to eating amaranth in the US because RR crops and the accompanying applications of glyphosate are going to ensure that amaranth is the only thing that grows where we used to crop corn, soybeans, and cotton. Some references: http://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2015/roundup-ready-crops/ ; https://www.ars.usda.gov/ARSUserFiles/60100500/csr/ResearchPubs/price/price_11b.pdf

the organic corn seed was not coated with neonicotinoids. These are persistent pesticides with substantial leaching into soil and water. They are implicated in a high number of deaths of non-target organisms, such as pollinators. Some references for neonics: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0118139 ; http://news.psu.edu/story/351027/2015/04/02/research/rapid-increase-neonicotinoid-insecticides-driven-seed-treatments

Organic farming on average uses significantly less fossil energy, increases soil carbon, and increases soil biodiversity, compared to conventional cropping systems. Reference for that? https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Paul_Hepperly/publication/232683912_Environmental_Energetic_and_Economic_Comparisons_of_Organic_and_Conventional_Farming_Systems/links/55fc9d2508aeafc8ac4b060b.pdf

Those are just 4 reasons why someone might prefer organic corn over conventionally-grown corn. 

Why is organic corn more expensive? There are a few reasons for that and one of them is, yes, that farmers CAN charge more for it because people care about that. But it’s also more expensive to produce, partly because it is lower-yielding (here, don’t believe me, talk to Nature: https://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v485/n7397/full/nature11069.html ) 

So there’s less organic corn (because it’s farmed less AND it yields less per unit land), AND it costs more, AND there’s high demand. Yes, it’s gonna cost more. That one you gotta take up with capitalism, not organic farming.

This ostrich-mimic dinosaur had arms as large as a full grown ostrich, head to toe.