Scientists Say Organic Food May Not Be Healthier For You

The NPR article and the study that it reports upon starts with the wrong premise. Taste is not the only consideration. Here are some other issues that should be considered when purchasing food:

Localvore:

-Was the food grown locally, benefitting local farmers, or does the apple sauce come from China, and blueberries from Chile?
-Does the food grown distantly consume more fuel to bring it to market?
-Do you mind eating frozen foods that are out of season locally?
-Does supporting local farmers create a more vibrant local economy?

Contamination:

-Do environmental conditions and industrial food processing allow the food to be contaminated?
? http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/FoodContaminantsAdulteration/Metals/ucm280223.htm

Fertilizers:

-Does your purchase support farming that pollutes rivers, creates brown tides in estuaries, and dead zones in the ocean?
-Is the fertilizer derived from petroleum, and does that process cause pollution of it's own?
-Is the fertilizer biologically contaminated? (For instance, E-coli)

Pesticides:

-Does the method of farming reduce beneficial insects, such as bees?
? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colony_collapse_disorder
-Are their traces of pesticides left in or on food items?
? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daminozide

Biodiversity:

-Do you want to support a system of monoculture which eliminates varieties of plants and animals because they are not commercially profitable?
-Does the increasing lack of diversity contribute to disease blights which wipe out crops such as potatos and bananas?
-Does growing invasive species create a risk for local wildlife
? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_carp

Sustainability:

-Is the farming method water neutral?
-Does the farming method create dust bowls?
-Can the farming method be sustained in the long term?
? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Sisters_%28agriculture%29

Processing:

-Does industrial processing, mechanical separation, and handling contribute to contaminiation? (For example, salmonella)
-Is the jar of peanut butter filled with corn syrup (non-seperating), more healthy to eat than the one that contains only peanuts (oli seperates)?
-Does the processing of the food kill off beneficial bacteria flora?
? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gut_flora

GMO's:

-Do the tomatos on the store shelf have fish genes spliced into their DNA?
http://thegreendivas.com/2011/06/10/waiter-theres-a-fish-in-my-tomato-a-gmo-story/
-Are foods that create their own pesticides safe to eat?
-Have GMO plants and animals proven themselves to be historically safe, with minimal unforseen consequences?
? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Africanized_bee

Political:

Do you want to support ADM and Monsanto who manipulate the FDA and sue farmers who choose not to use their products?
Do you want to support banana companies, and coffee companies that mistreat and neglect workers?
Is it rational for countries such as Ethiopia to grow crops for corporations to export while starving local populations recieve international food aid?

The answers to these questions cause me to support local, organic, sustainable products wherever I find them.

Source: http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotScience/~3/CF_7sXRfLiY/scientists-say-organic-food-may-not-be-healthier-for-you

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