"Organic" Food Not All It's Cracked Up To Be

Just when I thought "green" was becoming a religion they go and do something reasonable.

I was very surprised to come across this article today in the "green content" section on MSN.

The article lists 6 myths about organic foods along with explanations. I simply assumed the article would be glowing with praise for the organic movement, but was taken aback to find a somewhat pessimistic take on it all.

Here are the 6 myths with my own cliff-notes explanations:

MYTH #1 ORGANIC FOOD IS ALWAYS BETTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
Inefficient methods use twice the resources.

MYTH #2: IT'S MORE NUTRITIOUS
Studies go both ways. No proof found.

MYTH #3: IT TASTES BETTER
Taste tests show only organic apples to score better.

MYTH #4: YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE AS CAREFUL ABOUT WASHING IT.
E. coli - the worst culprit, is equally present on any produce.

MYTH #5: YOU'RE SUPPORTING SMALL FARMS OR ECO-COMPANIES
Industry largely owned by mega-companies and produce is often imported adding to eco-impact.

MYTH #6: IT'S BETTER FOR YOU
Ingredients are ingredients, regardless of how they were grown.

They did go on at the end to say that organic livestock may be treated better and that your chances of getting Mad Cow Disease, although already infinitesimal, are nil with organic beef.

Personally I've never sought out any foods because they were "organic" and have generally thought the phenomenon to be as much about the vanity of the consumer as about the environment. Nonetheless it's heartening to see that some in the media are not above critical thinking on environmental issues.