The following is an excerpt of an article by David Despain via The Genetic Literacy Project.
For some farmers, “organic” looks like an attractive deal. The switch from conventional farming may mean lower yields and greater labor needs, but the extra costs are incurred are often made up for through higher profit margins that come from charging premiums to consumers. At least that’s the conclusion in a recent study by two Washington State University professors, who found that premiums paid to organic farmers ranged up to 32 percent more than for conventional crops.
Most customers who are willing to spend more for the “certified organic” seal or a “non GMO” label do so because of their belief that their food will be “safer,” “healthier” or more “environmentally friendly.” In the absence of convincing evidence that organic foods are truly healthier or safer in comparison to conventionally grown crops, the claim “environmentally friendly” has garnered special attention in recent years as the rallying justification for eating organic foods.
Growing concerns about climate change—and estimates that one-third of greenhouse gas emissions come from agriculture—have helped fuel the organic industry and environmental groups’ marketing of organic foods as reducing environmental impacts. Even mainstream media outlets like The Wall Street Journal have pushed the idea forward in their reporting last year: “Organic practices could counteract the world’s yearly carbon dioxide output while producing the same amount of food as conventional farming, that organic foods.”
Read the full article here.