Recently, a large organic association announced that one of their top messages to promote organic foods through a new marketing initiative will be: “Organic is free from 700 chemicals allowed in conventional crops.”  Let’s discuss this in the context of produce.

This statement inaccurately conveys that one production method is safer than the other when the science clearly shows both organic and conventional fruits and vegetables are safe and can be eaten with confidence.  Further, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) states:  “Organic is a production term – it does not address the quality, safety or nutritional value of a product.”

But there is a lot more to unpack with this messaging.  This statement ignores that farmers of conventional and organic fruits and vegetables often use the exact same tools to control pests and diseases, that their integrated pest management strategies are remarkably similar, and that all farmers take great care with their pest and disease control programs.

But why disparage conventionally grown in the first place?  The Alliance for Food and Farming (AFF) actually has an entire section at safefruitsandveggies.com which shares messaging that resonates positively with consumers to promote the benefits of both organic and conventional produce.  It’s called “Facts, Not Fears” and is available to anyone and everyone.

Specific to fruits and vegetables, perpetuating the “fear barrier” with this type of messaging is concerning because:

• Only one in 10 Americans consume enough each day;
• Decades of studies show reduced risk of diseases, like cancer, heart disease and diabetes, associated with eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables;
• Peer reviewed research has shown this type of messaging may be negatively impacting purchasing of any produce – organic or conventional – among low income consumers;
• The results of a new AFF survey among registered dietitians shows significant agreement that these types of disparaging statements raises safety fears and impacts their ability to increase produce consumption among clients and consumers;
• Year-after-year government sampling programs find that over 99% of the residues found on the foods tested were well below established safety standards, if residues were present at all. These findings have led the USDA to consistently state that “residues do not pose a food safety concern.”

We understand that encouraging better diets and increased consumption of fruits and vegetables is not an organic association’s main objective. However, scaring consumers away from the more affordable and accessible forms of produce by invoking fear can have public health implications, especially on low income consumers.  There should be some level of recognition and concern about the potential negative impact of promoting the “fear barrier” by any group.

Read, learn, choose but eat more organic and conventionally grown fruits and vegetables every day for improved health and a longer life.