Organics – love ‘em or hate ‘em – they are hot! The organic movement is an excellent case study of the profitability found in food producers responding to consumer demand. What a success this niche has become – I applaud the farmers who have made organics work for their situation.

At the same time, I urge a sense of caution so the face of agriculture isn’t “blemished.” False claims made about organics being safer than conventionally produced foods are an excellent case study about how the agricultural industry can be “divided and conquered.” After all, a farmer using modern agricultural production practices shouldn’t be condemned because conventional farming is what works best for him or her.

Let’s take a look at some studies comparing organic to conventional food from the recent Food, Land and People Symposium:

# Organics cost 57% more on average in one Consumers Report study. Much of this is largely due to the fact that average organic yields are 20-50% lower than conventional (The Guardian). In addition to driving up the cost of food, organics increase the land mass needed to support a growing world population.
# University of Minnesota shows that the organically grown produce had 9.7% positive samples for the presence of generic E.coli bacteria vs. only 1.6% for conventional produce on farms in Minnesota. Why? Simple – manure is the primary fertilizer to make the plants grow. The same study found food-borne disease pathogen salmonella only on organic produce samples.
# “We are still looking for the first cancer death victim from pesticide residues. But we have several examples of children being killed by pathogenic bacteria on organic produce” said Marc Morano of CNSNews earlier this summer.

A few accusations have been thrown at me about being “brainwashed” by large ag companies and that the entire agriculture industry is controlled by corporate giants dictating how to produce food. The course of my career has taken me to board rooms of many agribusinesses so I know firsthand the rigorous testing and research that all ag inputs undergo before being brought to the marketplace. Further, I haven’t met too many farmers who would tolerate being controlled by anybody – much less a company.

Why draw lines in the sandbox? If organics work for your business situation, then ride the wave – but don’t condemn conventional food production or be a part of spreading false information. If you work with conventionally produced food, perhaps it is time to study how the organic movement has been successful.

Whether you’re in the meat or grain business, the organic movement has exposed some weaknesses in our industry – namely, our unwillingness to communicate as one. At the end of the day, shouldn’t we, as one agricultural industry, work together to connect with consumers and help them understand the real facts about how their food is produced?