What is the importance of organic?

The word “organic” literally means “of, relating to, or derived from living matter.” Organic food is food produced by processes that comply with the standards of organic farming. These standards vary from country to country but generally, organic farming features practices that strive to be chemical-less, promote ecological balance, and conserve biodiversity. Organizations regulating organic products tend to restrict the use of certain pesticides and fertilizers in farming. In general, organic foods are also usually not processed using irradiation, industrial solvents or food additives. There is not sufficient evidence or research to support claims that organic food is safer or healthier than conventionally grown food. While there may be some differences between the nutrient contents of organically and conventionally produced food, the variable nature of food production and handling makes it difficult to generalize results. Claims that organic food tastes better and fresher are generally not supported by evidence.

Then on the other hand there are people who believe that Organic foods do not carry any use what so ever and that it is just another marketing tactic used by the food companies. A four-year Stanford University study found organic products "have no significant advantage over conventional foods, even though consumers pay more for them" (via USA Today). Essentially people will pay extra for a product that is itself claiming to be organic because of what it has been marketed to reflect rather than actually understanding the difference between organic and non-organic goods. Economist Tyler Cowen, author of the book, "An Economist Gets Lunch," agrees with both: "Organic food as a label means a lot of things to a lot of people,but eating them won't make you healthier." If anything, "it's a lot of hype" and "people don't look at the science closely." Yet about 53% of consumers are willing to buy organic foods if that means avoiding toxins and pesticides, according to a 2010 Nielsen study.

As such, you can clearly see that there is no major nutritional difference between organic and nonorganic products, it is almost all hype. There is a certain group of people in our day and age who are health conscious, particularly young college educated women, who take every opportunity to be “healthy” even if it's a fad. There are others who are just so afraid of all the prevalent health risks that they are willing to try anything that sounds like it will help them avoid illness in the future without even doing much research to back up the claims they hear. Organic foods may stay true to their name that they are derived from living matter, but they do not necessarily make you any healthier, except potentially protect you from some minor pesticides.