Pros and Cons of Organic foods

Food is crucial, and one of the questions that most consumers across the globe are
asking themselves is whether to consume organic foods or not. Organic food farming and
sales have become increasingly common in the recent past (Mie et al., 2017). People tend to
support the idea that these foods are healthier compared to conventional foods. However,
organic foods have pros and cons. The pros are several, and this probably explains the
increase in consumption. First, organic foods are grown without using any chemicals or
pesticides and thus results in sustainable land use as there are no toxic residues to poison the
land (Mie et al., 2017). Also, organic farming protects biodiversity, and although there is
little empirical evidence to support this assertion, organic foods have beet nutritional value.
Additionally, research shows that when pregnant women consume organic foods, they reduce
the likelihood of neurodevelopmental problems and related disorders among children (Mie et
al., 2017). Another advantage is that the elimination of antibiotic use in organic farming,
specifically in meat and dairy production, helps control the spread of bacteria that is resistant
to antibiotics among human beings (Mie et al., 2017). Meat and dairy produced
conventionally require the use of antibiotics to mitigate the ill effects of crowding and
enhance growth. Such practices have effects on human beings.
On the other hand, there are cons associated with organic foods. First, although
chemicals and pesticides are not used in farming these foods, natural pesticides may be used,
and these potentially pose harmful effects (Seufert, 2019). Pesticides are used to boost
harvests and help farmers gain economically from food production (Seufert, 2019). Since
chemical pesticides are not used, farming organic foods may not be a lucrative business idea
for anyone interested in engaging in farming for money. It also makes organic farming a very
costly venture in terms of required resources and land.

PROS AND CONS OF ORGANIC FOODS 3

References

Mie, A., Andersen, H. R., Gunnarsson, S., Kahl, J., Kesse-Guyot, E., Rembiałkowska, E., …
& Grandjean, P. (2017). Human health implications of organic food and organic
agriculture: a comprehensive review. Environmental Health, 16(1), 1-22.
Seufert, V. (2019). Comparing yields: Organic versus conventional agriculture.
In Encyclopedia of Food Security and Sustainability: Volume 3: Sustainable Food
Systems and Agriculture (pp. 196-208). Elsevier.