‘Good for nature, good for you’? Not so fast: Breaking down the myths of organic farming

(Summary)

“Organic fruits and vegetables were, on average, no more nutritious than their cheaper conventional counterparts,” Henry Miller said on the findings of a 2012 meta-analysis of organic foods. Miller, a physician and fellow in Scientific Philosophy and Public Policy at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution, wrote in Project Syndicate on the myth that organically farmed produce is healthier and more environmentally friendly. The data shows quite the opposite, Miller wrote. In fact, another meta-analysis showed that organic farms produce increased “ammonia emissions, nitrogen leaching, and nitrous-oxide emissions” as conventional farms, as well as only half the yield of crops. The industry definition of ‘organic’ “does not actually focus on the food’s quality, composition, or safety,” Miller wrote, “Rather, it comprises a set of acceptable practices and procedures a farmer intends to use.”

Read the full, original story here: “The Myth of Organic Agriculture”

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