Within the past 12 hours, I’ve heard 2 reports about a shocking report by Stanford, saying that organic food is no better than conventional produce.  More specifically, that organic foods offer no more vitamins and nutrients than conventional products.

No crap, friends. Let’s picture 2 plants, side by side. One’s treated with pesticides, one isn’t. The one without pesticides shouldn’t miraculously produce more nutrients (in theory), right?  It’s a little frustrating to see headlines of “Organic isn’t healthier!“, which misses the point.

Instead, organic produce is better because you’re eliminating pesticides and  chemicals from your body. Pesticides have been linked to brain & nervous system toxicity, cancer, hormone disruption and skin, eye & lung irritation (among others!) Gross stuff.

But don’t fret about your wallet – you don’t need to buy EVERYTHING organic (even though CSAs are a good bang for your buck). Here’s the dirty dozen (according to the EWG) of what you should be buying organic:

1. Apples
2. Celery
3. Sweet bell peppers
4. Peaches
5. Strawberries
6. Imported nectarines
7. Grapes
8. Spinach
9. Lettuce
10. Cucumbers
11. Blueberries (domestic)
12. Potatoes
13. (Green beans/kale – added onto their list because of their highly toxic organophosophate insecticides).

Readers, what do you think of these reports? What do you buy organic?

Photo: Go Raw Have Fun

array(2) {
  [0]=>
  object(WP_Term)#12734 (10) {
    ["term_id"]=>
    int(175)
    ["name"]=>
    string(11) "dirty dozen"
    ["slug"]=>
    string(11) "dirty-dozen"
    ["term_group"]=>
    int(0)
    ["term_taxonomy_id"]=>
    int(175)
    ["taxonomy"]=>
    string(8) "post_tag"
    ["description"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["parent"]=>
    int(0)
    ["count"]=>
    int(3)
    ["filter"]=>
    string(3) "raw"
  }
  [1]=>
  object(WP_Term)#12720 (10) {
    ["term_id"]=>
    int(2156)
    ["name"]=>
    string(3) "EGW"
    ["slug"]=>
    string(3) "egw"
    ["term_group"]=>
    int(0)
    ["term_taxonomy_id"]=>
    int(2166)
    ["taxonomy"]=>
    string(8) "post_tag"
    ["description"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["parent"]=>
    int(0)
    ["count"]=>
    int(1)
    ["filter"]=>
    string(3) "raw"
  }
}

Julie Hancher is the co-founder and Executive Director of Green Philly, an independent media organization making sustainability accessible, affordable and actionable. Since launching Green Philly in 2008, she has grown it from a passion project into a leading voice for local climate storytelling, pairing impactful journalism with community events and experiences. Julie is a frequent speaker on climate, media innovation and the future of local journalism, and is the creator of SustainPHL and EcoFair. Outside of Green Philly, you can find her hiking, biking, traveling, or exploring Philadelphia. View all posts by Julie Hancher