At Witt's End...

F
          ORGANIC versus CONVENTIONAL FOODS


The following is a guest editorial by Jim Hazen, executive director of the Washington State Horticultural Association, that recently ran in the Seattle PI newspaper. OFS supports “organic” products as a choice for consumers who can afford to pay a premium price for a perceived benefit. However OFS members are deeply disturbed by unscrupulous retailer advertising and propaganda from the anti-pesticide folks that mislead consumers regarding what “organic” really is and falsely state that conventionally grown food contains harmful levels of pesticide residues. The bottom line is summed up nicely by Jim’s closing statement: “good health is built on facts, not marketing.”

All I can add to that is “AMEN.”


    Eat your veggies, organic or otherwise
                          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~                                    

By JIM HAZEN, Guest Columnist, SEATTLE PI, February 28, 2008

Fruits and vegetables are safe and healthy food choices for adults and children, regardless of whether they're grown using conventional or organic methods. No credible scientific study has demonstrated anything else.

A recent study by Chensheng Lu once again confirmed that organic produce is no more healthful than conventionally grown fruits and vegetables. The Seattle P-I turned the study on its head, shedding more heat than light on the subject with an article ("Harmful pesticides found in everyday food products," Jan. 30) and subsequent editorial.


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