The battle rages on: organic or not? Is it more nutritious? Does it taste better? Is it worth the money? The answers are of a subjective nature, merely reflective of their owners. However, when considering some of the more objective and consequential ramifications of this question, the facts speak for themselves. Elson Hass states in his book, Staying Healthy with Nutrition that “…at least 107 different active ingredients in pesticides have been found to cause cancer in animals or humans; of these 71 are still in use of food crops…” For more information on classification of pesticides by hazard (from extremely hazardous to slightly so) as according to World Health Organization, WHO, click here.
Certain pesticides have an estrogenic effect. Increased levels of this hormone has long been known to increase occurrences of certain cancers. While DDT, the most well known estrogenic pesticide, was outlawed in the US in 1972, it still remains in the soil, water, and therefore in our bodies. However, Atrazine the most frequently used pesticide in the world as according to the National Institute of Cancer, is “a known endoctrine disrupter and has been associated with increased numbers of mammary tumors, uterine cancer, and other cancers in animal studies.” (Haas, p.418) The Environmental Group in Washigton, DC has found that “19.1 million people in 702 communities were drinking water contaminated with atrazine,” (Haas, p.418) at above threshold levels. Atrazine is present at highest concentrations in milk, corn, sugar, and meat.
These hormonal disturbances have serious effects on animals and humans. M. Sarah Rosenthal lists a few examples in her book Stopping Cancer at the Source. She mentions Florida swamp male alligators with non-developed or malformed penises due to chemical spills of estrogenic qualities. She also brings our attention to Canadian fish found living in contaminated waters; some of them are hermaphoriditic, some are even exploding due to thyroid hormone hyperactivity. In the bird population, male birds have become sterile, eggs are developping with damaged shells and frequent birth defects. In addition, Sweden has experienced a dramatic increase in the birth of male infants whose testicles failed to descend into the scrotum. In Britain, testicular cancer has tripled over the last 50 years making it the most common cancer among men under 30. In Denmark, there has been a 400% increase in testicular cancer. Lisa Szabo states in her USA Today article that "About 15% of 1,239 girls studied showed the beginnings of breast development at age 7, according to an article in today's Pediatrics."
The problem is not necessarily with the residual amount of pesticides present on the actual food, but rather their accumulation in our surface water, groundwater, sediment, soil and air due to their resistance to chemical break down. From there they are absorbed into the food becoming part of its cellular makeup.
Buying organic (for those who can spare the extra change) becomes about the bigger picture. Seeking out businesses which are conscientious of their practices behooves us all. While many of us are familiar with larger super stores offering organic foods such as Whole Foods or the local Publix, the shopper looking to support the local farmer and the small business owner can also frequent smaller stores such as BM Organics located at 4861 N Dixie Hwy, Oakland Park, FL.
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