for questions about claims based on organic food, food produced to certain standards.
Questions tagged [organic-food]
22 questions
33
votes
1 answer
Organic food is worse for the environment because it requires more land than non-organic food
I've heard that organic crops and husbandry are worse for the environment than non-organic equivalents because in the absence of pesticides and fertilizers much more land is required for an organic yield equivalent to what would be achieved with…
Brian M. Hunt
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23
votes
3 answers
Are people dying of starvation because we cannot produce enough food?
I have been watching a BBC documentary Botany: A Blooming History - Episode 3 Hidden World
In it, (at ~51m35s) Timothy Walker, the presenter, says:
...Certainly there may be risks attached to genetically modified
plants. But, it is a known risk…
JW.
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22
votes
3 answers
Does organic food have more vitamins than nonorganic food?
Aside from the issue of pesticides there's the claim that organic food has more nutrients, vitamins and minerals than nonorganic food:
Organic food is known to contain 50%
more nutrients, minerals and vitamins
than produce that has been…
Christian
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19
votes
3 answers
Are organic vegetables higher in carcinogens?
My common senses would have told me that organic vegetables are healthier and less harmful compared to vegetables treated with pesticides. A recent post on Quora made me think otherwise.
Organic vegetables are much higher in carcinogens than are…
Abhijit
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17
votes
3 answers
Do organic cigarettes, such as American Spirit, contain less radioactive material than other brands?
Many cigarettes contain radioactive polonium from the use of phosphate/apatite fertilizers. The National Institutes of Health lists tobacco as by far the largest source of radiation for the American public.
A common argument for organic cigarettes…
endolith
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14
votes
1 answer
Is the current crisis in the Sri Lankan economy caused by a decision to mandate organic farming?
The Sri Lankan economy is currently having something of a major crisis. This BBC report points out they are about to default on major international loan payments:
Sri Lanka crisis: Government requests emergency financial help from IMF
While the…
matt_black
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12
votes
1 answer
Is buying organic vs. conventional products better for the environment?
From http://www.goldengatexpress.org/2013/04/07/true-organic-food-benefits-environment-sustainability/:
Another reason to choose organic products is that the environmental footprint attached to organic food is smaller than that of conventionally…
Renee
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- 3
10
votes
2 answers
Is most truffle oil artificially flavored olive oil?
According to this article on Priceononmics.com entitled There Are No Truffles in Truffle Oil:
Despite the name, most truffle oil does not contain even trace
amounts of truffle; it is olive oil mixed with 2,4-dithiapentane, a
compound that makes…
Twilight Sparkle
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10
votes
1 answer
Should we prefer organic lemon and orange peels?
In many recipes, when it comes to add some lemon (or orange) zests, the authors advise to choose an organic fruit, because of the pesticides.
I know there is no proof that non-organic fruits and vegetables are more dangerous than organic ones, but I…
Einenlum
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9
votes
1 answer
Does organic food have less heavy metal contamination than non-organic food?
Watching CBS morning news on December 6, 2011, it was claimed a way to reduce heavy metal consumption (especially inorganic arsenic) was to buy organic food. the CBS website has the clip here, the claim is made at 2:30.
Is there any proof organic…
erdiede
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9
votes
1 answer
Do "naturally raised" animals contain less bacteria?
Related:
Are artificial hormones in beef really something to worry about?
Does organic food have more vitamins than nonorganic food? (kind of)
I watched Food, Inc. (LINK) perhaps two years ago and recalled a clip from Joel Salatin (wiki), a…
Hendy
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7
votes
2 answers
Are milk and butter from grass-fed cows better for you?
Is there any evidence that grass fed milk and butter are better for you as claimed broadly in this Lacross Tribune article:
New study shows evidence milk from grass-fed cows is healthier
Cows that feed on pasture grasses and dry forage produce milk…
Benjamin
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7
votes
1 answer
Are sprout seeds safe to eat?
In this article called “8 façons de t’intoxiquer à un barbecue” (which could be translated by “8 ways to poison yourself at a barbecue”), a Canadian skeptic talks about sprout seeds :
I would translate that by:
As for raw sprouts (bean sprouts,…
Einenlum
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7
votes
0 answers
Does organic food have more antioxidants than nonorganic food?
I know that there are a lot of studies out there that claim that organic food is not significantly different than nonorganic food in nutritional content, but this new study seems to challenge this claim.
Is this study legitimate? It is a…
Nathan BeDell
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6
votes
0 answers
Does commercially-produced cotton cloth contain unhealthy chemicals that cause fertility problems?
The article Czy Twoje ubrania Cię trują? "Wchłaniamy chemię przez skórę. Stąd np. problemy z płodnością" (Do your clothes poison you? "We absorb chemicals through the skin, hence, for example, fertility problems") is in the website of a popular…
gaazkam
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