Organic vs Non-organic

“for everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving.” ( 1 Timothy 4:4)

Time Magazine’s 8th Sept 2010 issue comes with an interesting front cover story: The Real Cost of Organic Food. Cancer patients are specifically been advised to take such food to stay health. I personally am not sure as to how far they can help in their illnesses. The cost is just too high to consume such food on a longer term basis.

Grass-fed beef is lower in fat, and milk without chemicals is definitely good. Cattles that eat more grass have higher ratios of omega-3 fatty acids to Omega-6s. Corn-based feeding will result a huge drop in omega-3s (Evening primrose oil which has Omega-6 if taken on its own can have adverse effect if not countered with sufficient Omega -3). Cows raised in farms are dosed with antibiotics and growth-boasting hormones, leaving chemical residues in meat and milk. They are also given high-calorie food to fatten them up fast for slaughtering. Processed foods are high in fat and sugar, and salt. Chemical fertilisers are commonly used to increase the yields of the crops tremendously. That helped to bring cost of production down.

But the question is: can an ordinary family with tight budgets afford them. Recently I checked the shelves of Fairprice supermarket and got the prices of the following organic vegetables:

3 organic cucumbers - $3.35
2 large corns - $2.60
One packet of bok choy - $3.55

Their cost seemed to equate with exotic food items, generally about 3 times more than the non-organic vegetables. Besides the hefty prices one has to pay, there is also no way to evaluate the reliability of the certification, especially if they come from certain countries like China.

My motto is don’t go extreme and worry too much, enjoy what we eat, be thankful and ask God bless the food as we partake!