Responses to the recent Stanford University organic study have been all over the map. Some commentators, such as Marion Nestle, wrote that the study—which concludes that organic food is no more nutritious than its conventional counterparts—misses the point. No one buys organic food because they think it’s more nutritious. They buy it for what it doesn’t contain: pesticides. Others, such as Tom Philpott of Mother Jones, argued that the study underplays the health risks of even small amounts of organophosphate pesticidees.
But most news reports let the study stand unchallenged. And Roger Cohen, a columnist at the International Herald Tribune, went a step further, gleefully celebrating the researchers’ findings because they confirmed his long-held view that organic food is a scam, a fad, a fable—“an elitist, pseudoscientific indulgence shot through with hype.”
Mr. Cohen may not be aware of the minefield he walked into by using the term “elitist.” After all, his beat is usually Middle East politics, not the U.S.’s sustainable food movement. The “elitist” slur has been lobbed at the food movement with such ferocity and regularity that it’s become a bit of a joke among movement activists. Are school gardens (most of which are organically farmed) elitist? Are the low-income folks in West Oakland who buy organic produce at sliding-scale farm stands elitist? Are the homeless people in my hometown of Portland, Oregon who get healthy, organic meals at Sisters of the Road, P:ear, or Outside In elitist?
Joking aside, the “elitist” tag is misguided because it perpetuates the notion that only upper-middle class people care about healthy, fresh, “organic” produce—and that’s patently not the case. As I’ve reported on the food justice movement over the past three years, I’ve met struggling people all over this country who love pesticide-free fresh fruits and vegetables and who find ways to get them on their plates—whether it’s via using food stamps at farmers’ markets, spotting deals at Walmart, or getting a plot at a community garden. Since when has it been “elitist” to not want poison on your food?
Little does Mr. Cohen know, but all across the country, small-scale projects are sprouting up that make it easier and more affordable for low-income populations to access fresh, affordable and yes, even organic produce. In West Oakland—a food desert—volunteers at City Slicker Farms have planted over 200 gardens in residents’ backyards. They may not be USDA-certified organic, but they are all grown without fertilizers and pesticides. (What I’ve taken to calling lower-case “o” organic.) This is also true of the crops grown at Cleveland’s 6-acre Ohio City Farm, which is adjacent to a low-income housing authority, and has a reasonably-priced farmers’ market that also accepts food stamps and WIC coupons. East New York Farms in Brownsville, Brooklyn, runs two community farmers’ markets where organic produce costs half as much as the produce sold at Union Square Greenmarket. There are similar initiatives in Baltimore, Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia, L.A., Milwaukee, and on and on.
Savvy shoppers know that when you buy organic produce at the
farmers’ market, you save a bundle. One
study found that organic produce is nearly 40 percent cheaper at farmers’
markets than it is at supermarkets. (Potatoes were the only exception.) And unbeknownst
to Cohen, nearly 3000 farmers’ markets and farm stands around the country accept
food stamps. Organizations like Michel Nischan’s Wholesome Wave sweeten the
deal by running “double value coupon programs” that match up to $20 that is
spent in food stamps at participating farmers’ markets. Over 300 farmers’
markets around the country participate in this Double Value Coupon Program,
which has dramatically increased the number of food stamp shoppers at farmers
markets. Though not all the produce at farmers’ markets is USDA-certified
Organic, most of it is grown without pesticides and using environmentally
sensitive techniques like integrated pest management.
So when people like Mr. Cohen think
that organic is synonymous with Whole Foods, I cringe. What about farmers’
markets and backyard gardens? What about Walmart, the largest seller of organic
produce in the country? The assumption that Whole Foods is the only place to
find organic food is in itself elitist. If Mr. Cohen spent any time in
low-income neighborhoods (where not only are there no Whole Foods, there
sometimes aren’t any grocery stores at all) he’d know that people of lower
economic classes source their organic produce elsewhere.
Finally, many of us buy organic because we care about farmworker safety. While we’re all arguing about whether pesticide residue from conventional produce harms us eaters or not (and Cohen clearly thinks it does not), there is no doubt that the workers who toil in pesticide-laden fields get very sick indeed. (A recent study at the University of California, Berkeley’s School of Public Health found that even prenatal exposure to pesticides can have negative consequences.) Caring for others—how very elitist.
As for Cohen’s assertion that organic produce will never “feed the world,” I’ll defer to food justice guru and esteemed author Raj Patel. In his Room for Debate post, he pointed out that despite conventional agriculture’s current reliance on pesticides, we’re a long way off from feeding the world. One billion people are still malnourished despite the supposed high yields of GMO crops, and crops blanketed with chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Patel is hopeful, though, and his hope lies with certain kinds of organic agriculture, which studies show can outperform conventional ag. (With lower input costs and a smaller carbon footprint to boot.) “Far from being a ‘luxury for the rich,’” Patel writes, “organic farming may turn out to be a necessity not just for the poor, but for everyone.”
Absolutely well stated. Thank you for sharing.
Posted by: Brenda | 27 September 2012 at 04:52 PM
Thank you for this very well articulated retort!
Posted by: Scheiderererer | 05 October 2012 at 10:09 AM
This clearly proves that organic food is much better than those GMO products.
Posted by: Amy Pearson | 02 January 2013 at 10:14 PM
This is an interesting and cogent argument. I especially like the fact that the author talked about the farm workers. It doesn't feel good to know people are dying so I can have food and clothes [Bangladesh factory collapse] We are one world and one human family. We need to remember that.
Posted by: Susan Stoner | 28 April 2013 at 05:27 PM
First of all I would like to say terrific blog! I had a quick question which I'd like to ask if you don't mind. I was curious to find out how you center yourself and clear your head before writing. I have had a hard time clearing my mind in getting my ideas out there. I do enjoy writing however it just seems like the first 10 to 15 minutes are lost just trying to figure out how to begin. Any ideas or hints? Thanks!
Posted by: Kristal | 13 September 2013 at 09:41 AM