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By Sarah Gross

Organic has become a buzzword among those who are concerned about their health. But what does organic mean? What are the benefits of organic food versus conventional food? Why should students consider paying more for organic foods? This conversation has been debated heavily, but there are facts among the rhetoric that provide answers to these elusive questions.

Organic food in the US goes through strict regulations, according to Urvashi Rangan, who is director of technical policy for the Consumer’s Union. Rangan took part in a debate held on Intelligence Squared, a program broadcasted by NPR.

Rangan asserts that there are five main ways Organic food benefits consumers: Organic animals don’t eat excrement, antibiotics are not allowed, organic animals are not fed toxic heavy metals (like arsenic), synthetic pesticides are not used, and synthetic fertilizers are not allowed (i.e. human waste).

Believe it or not, the above-mentioned regulations actually are allowed to take place in conventional agriculture. Rangan states, “We feed antibiotics to animals every single day. We wouldn’t do that with humans. We wouldn’t feed humans antibiotics every day. Why do we do it in conventional agriculture?”

The daily use of antibiotics is irresponsible considering the on-going battle against antibiotic resistant bacteria (such as MRSA) that, according to the CDC killed 18,650 people in 2005. The CDC found that more people die of MRSA annually than of AIDS! (Only 16,000 people died of AIDS in the US in 2005).

One of the main arguments against Organic products is the increased price. Organic food is, on average, $1.60 for every $1.00 of a similar conventional product, according to John Krebs, who is chairman of Britain’s Food Standards Agency, who was also one of the experts debating on Intelligence Squared.

So why do organic foods cost more? Rangan explains that organic food is laborious to produce; instead of using chemicals to kill weeds, they must be physically pulled.

Another reason for the increased cost is because conventional crops, such as soy and corn, are subsidized by taxpayer money and organic products have yet to receive such subsidies.

While opponents to organic products claim that there are no significant health benefits, and that the chemicals used on conventional products do not pose health risks, there is reason to believe that this is simply not true.

Charles Benbrook, chief scientist at the Organic Center, also participated in Intelligence Squared. Benbrook links the use of certain pesticides to birth defects afflicting one in eight babies, as well as the 25% of Americans who are having difficulty conceiving. He acknowledges that there are pesticides available that are fairly safe, including one called Glyfosate.

But can a consumer really tell which products have residue from a safe pesticide versus that of an unsafe pesticide?

For students paying that additional 60 cents can sometimes be tough, considering that can almost buy a burrito at Taco Bell, but it is a wise decision to make, if possible. Organic products are heavily regulated, and are much more transparent than conventional products, allowing consumers to make an educated decision on the food they eat.

“Happy Days,” “The Dukes of Hazzard” and Blondie were big hits 30 years ago when Whole Foods Market opened its first store in Austin and introduced shoppers to organic and natural foods.

Today, according to a recent Harris poll, the number of organic products found in their grocery basket has increased from a year ago. Notably, 27 percent of adults say that organic and/or natural foods comprise more than a quarter of their total food purchases this year, up from just 20 percent a year ago.

As the organic foods industry has grown and become more mainstream, shoppers are also looking for ways to enjoy organic foods as part of a healthy diet.

Whole Foods Market, as it celebrates its 30th birthday, is making it easier for shoppers to eat healthy by offering more recipes with nutritional profiles, and cooking and shopping tips.

Here are some tips for healthy eating:

• Serve whole foods. Avoid artificial ingredients and processed foods such as sugar and bleached flour.

• Choose healthy fats such as in nuts, seeds and avocado. Minimize extracted oils and processed fats.

Focus on plant-strong foods. Think more veggies, fruits, grains, beans and legumes at every meal.

Choose nutrient-dense foods. Look for foods with high micronutrients (i.e., vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients and antioxidants) per calorie.

“Whole Foods Market was started to offer people healthy, high-quality food in its purest state,” says John Mackey, co-founder and co-CEO. “Going forward, we are deepening our commitment to healthy eating by providing education and support tools to inspire interest in foods that help improve and maintain health and vitality.”

Shoppers can find tips on cooking, eating and saving money, coupons and nutrition-packed recipes in Whole Foods Market stores.

Apple-Scented Oatmeal and Buckwheat

1 cup rolled oats

½ cup buckwheat groats

2 cups pure apple juice

2 cups water

1 cinnamon stick

Put oats and groats into a medium pot and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until toasted and fragrant, 5 to 7 minutes. Meanwhile, put juice, water and cinnamon into a small pot and heat over medium heat until hot. Carefully add hot juice mixture to oats and groats and return to the heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until liquid is absorbed and oats and groats are tender, about 10 minutes. Remove and discard cinnamon, ladle into bowls. Serves 4.

Evelyn Rosas is one of three dozen aspiring organic farmers planting, cultivating and harvesting organic botanicals on a 25-acre farm at the University of California Santa Cruz. She’s able to participate in this apprenticeship thanks to the Simply Organic Scholarship Award for the Apprenticeship in Ecological Horticulture at the University of California.

As the first winner of this newly endowed scholarship, Rosas is already planning how she’ll incorporate her experience at UCSC into her dream of making organic foods accessible and affordable to low-income populations. In her opinion, locating an organic farm and/or farmer’s market near low-income neighborhoods encourages positive neighborhood interactions and provides healthy food alternatives to the cheap fast food that is contributing to the health crisis of poor nutrition.

Rosas spent several years working at internships around the Austin area and saw first-hand the challenges of getting healthy organic food to low-income populations. Having witnessed the immense community impact of City Farm, a nonprofit urban farm, and Urban Roots, a nonprofit youth program on a farm, helped develop her community and ethical goals.

“I intend on being near an urban center, focusing on growing and providing affordable, accessible, organic food for all income levels,” said Rosas. “What’s better than pesticide-free and chemical-free food grown with love?”

Since the establishment of this scholarship award in perpetuity back in December of 2009, Simply Organic and Frontier Natural Products Co-op™ have made a combined contribution of $130,000 to the UCSC Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems.

Each year, one apprentice will receive tuition assistance to learn organic farming techniques, develop and evaluate new ideas to tackle issues of inequality in the food system, and integrate social and natural science research, academic and experiential education, and public service to transform the food system. The Frontier Foundation™ donated $60,000, while the remaining $70,000 came from the Simply Organic One Percent Fund, which is generated by one percent of sales on all Simply Organic products.