YOUR TEXAS AGRICULTURE MINUTE

A place at the table for organic and conventional foods

By Gene Hall

We may be coming to a place where we can dispassionately evaluate our diets with respect to organic and conventionally grown foods. The media is accurately looking at the data.

It is a common misconception that organic food is raised with no pesticides at all. Most organic product comes from large farms that use naturally occurring chemicals, but some of them are toxic. The levels of either in your food are extraordinarily low.

It is true that organic uses less pesticide than their conventional cousins. They also yield less, which means more land is required. That’s part of the carbon footprint. In almost every case, organic food costs more. Evidence matters. Whether you eat on a budget or are willing to pay more for organic, you have every reason to believe your food is safe.

There’s a lot conventional farmers can learn from organic growers. I’m seeing more farmers that are growing both. It’s all about the market. Consumers vote with their dollars and farmers will respond.

The preceding commentary is brought to you by Texas Farm Bureau, the “Voice of Texas Agriculture.” Called “Your Texas Agriculture Minute,” TFB will issue thought-provoking editorials each week—via print and audio—to spark understanding of agriculture in the Lone Star State and its impact on each and every Texan.

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