Matt Kundis

Professor Roberts
08/3/2015
Issue Exploration

Is Organic Food Really a Better

Option?
Let us embark on a journey to decide our position in this country
around the ongoing debate that is, organic food. The question behind it all; is
organic food really a better option for us and the food-producing animals we
feed with it? Obviously to most readers the word organic sounds superior to
whatever its matched up against. Organic grains, organic kale, organic fruit;
all are foods that seem to be more appealing than just grains, kale, or fruit.
The term organic food means it is grown without the use of pesticides,
synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, genetically modified organisms, or
ionizing radiation. Also, any animals that produce meat, eggs, poultry, and
dairy products that we would consume do not take antibiotics or growth
hormones. These characteristics of producing organic food cause the price to
be more expensive. Usually it costs around 48-66% more than non-organic
food. With some common items like peanut butter, cheese, beef, yogurt or
milk; that percentage rises to an average of 119% more expensive than nonorganic food. With the cost factored in, is organic food really a better option

for you? Lets begin to analyze the pros and cons of organic food so you can
make that decision for yourself.
There are a lot of good pros or advantages of choosing the organic
food route. Organic food has been treated less, so that means that whoever
is consuming it would be getting away from the possibility of being exposed
to chemicals that have not been fully examined. As my NLCATP article points
out, Many of these chemicals and additives are only partially examined for
their health benefits, meaning that Americans may be at risk to things like
cancer and not even know it. With several popular product and chemical
recalls in the past, it is not uncommon for these chemicals to be found to be
harmful. This can be very scary to a lot of people, although there isnt
conclusive evidence to say it will or wont affect you. Another pro of organic
food is that it has greater nutritional content. When the food is processed, it
loses some of its nutritional value. While this processing allows for the mass
production of produce, it does not mean that we are getting all the health
benefits from what we eat. This statement from my research confirms the
ideal that it can be cheaper to produce, meaning less expensive in our supermarkets. Pro to your finances, con to your ability to achieve max nutrition
from your food. A quick thought that my sustainable baby steps article
mentioned, is that although organic food is more expensive, it can end up
saving you money by preventing illness, meaning lower healthcare costs and
keeping you at work. Making it to work is the most effective way to make our
finances sustainable. One more advantage of choosing the organic food

option is that research has shown that it can actually taste better to the
consumer. Although processed food can contain a lot of additives to try and
replace this lost taste, it doesnt mean it holds the original organic taste.
Food tasting better, it not being processed, it containing more nutritional
value, and not having chemicals added to it that havent been fully analyzed
for safety; all of those are good pros adding to the advantages of choosing
team organic.
Now, lets focus in on some of the disadvantages of choosing the
organic food option. Obviously as I mentioned earlier, one of the biggest cons
of choosing organic food is the cost. Example, a gallon of milk costing four
dollars, or a gallon of milk costing eight dollars and fifty cents? A college
student like me working part-time would choose the four dollar gallon, what
about you? 119% more expensive for me is a little too much, but if I could
afford the additional money to obtain those advantages I might be changing
my mind. Ill figure out a few more cons before making up my mind. Back to
the cons of choosing organic; throughout my research I found a con that was
very interesting to me as I have never considered it before. Organic food has
a higher bacterial count associated with its production. Having a higher
bacterial count can increase the foods chances of having E-Coli. I also had
no knowledge of livestock receiving vaccines for meat. The meat we get may
still have things in it that we do not want to eat because the livestock need
to be given vaccination against diseases. Although I cant see why that would
be more of a con than all of the other things given to livestock with
processed food like growth hormone. As I continue to review my research
sources to look for cons, I notice that they are a lot harder to find than
finding pros. My article from health research funding even states in the end
If you can afford the costs, why not try eating organic foods for your next
grocery cycle to see if it makes a difference in your health. The chances are
good that the pros in organic foods are going to outweigh the cons! Now

that we have been informed of some pros and cons, Ive come to a
conclusion.
In the end, I believe that the final deciding factor in choosing either
organic or non-organic food, is going to be the financial status of the
individual. I currently am not in a position to spend more money on the food
that I buy to achieve the pros mentioned in this paper, but the question
remains, would I if I could? I would at least try the organic food option if my
finances were more comfortable, just to see if I can noticeably tell any
difference in my overall health of life. For someone who has the money to
spend on getting organic food over the non-organic option, I believe for them
it comes down to deciding if they want to give up some of the very tasty and
rather unhealthy processed foods we have. As for you the reader, I would
take a look at all of the factors and combine them to decide for yourself.
Carefully consider all of the pros and cons like cost and health, and Im sure
you can come to the conclusion for yourself. Is there really a greater benefit
in spending more money? That is for us all to decide.

Citations in MLA format for my Sources

1. Wagner, Lois, and Ethan Workman. "Organic Farming Pros

and Cons HRFDN." HRFND. Health Research Funding, 31
Dec. 2013. Web. 4 Aug. 2015.

<http://healthresearchfunding.org/organic-farming-proscons/>.
2. Lombardo, C. (2015, March 31). 6 Crucial Pros and Cons of
Organic Food | NLCATP.org. Retrieved August 1, 2015.
3. Fought, Allen. "Price Differences: Organic Versus NonOrganic; Store Versus Farmers' Market." Price Differences:
Organic Versus Non-Organic; Store Versus Farmers' Market.
MOFGA, 13 Mar. 2014. Web. 4 Aug. 2015.
4. Clausen, Jenny. "15 Advantages of Organic Food (and a Few
Disadvantages Too) - Sustainable Baby Steps." 15
Advantages of Organic Food (and a Few Disadvantages Too)
- Sustainable Baby Steps. Health Steps, 18 Jan. 2015. Web. 2
Aug. 2015.