“Pesticide-Free” Claim Debunked

“Organic ‘Pesticide-Free,’ and Other Claims Debunked,” by American Council on Science and Health.
Now that the claim that organic foods are more nutritious than conventionally-produced ones is rarely espoused by responsible writers, organic producers and adherents have fallen back on the “fewer pesticides” claim. But is that really accurate? Blogger Steven Savage says no, not really. In his essay on why organic farming is less than optimal from an environmental point of view, Mr. Savage points out that some pesticides are indeed permitted for organic farming, albeit only those presumed to be non-synthetic. But some of these are quite toxic to many aquatic critters and are less effective — meaning they must be used more often — than their synthetic counterparts. In addition, because these pesticides may be less effective, some fungi may well remain on the crops, leaving them open to attack by other organisms. Read more.