How to Differentiate Between Organic and Pesticide-free Vegetables

With all the labels on produce, it’s hard to tell what is what in the organic aisle of your grocery store. Here is a quick guide to keep you straight.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Pesticide-free fruits and vegetables are grown without the use of pesticides and non-organic fertilizers. Usually, produce is given this label if the farmer isn’t organic-certified or is too small to afford the certification process. Nevertheless, your produce manager wants you to know that this farmer’s product has integrity.
2. Organic means that the farmer’s practices are within the certification guidelines. The organic label does not mean that the farmer uses sustainable agriculture practices, which increase the life of our land. The five-digit PLU label on organic fruits and vegetables will start with a “9.”
3. Sustainable agriculture: large factory farms now produce within organic guidelines, but do not practice farming techniques that increase the life of our ecosystem and the nutritional values of their food products. Sustainable farmers also seek to increase the nutrients in food by producing healthier soil and increasing the life of our ecosystem. Traditional farming practices dramatically deplete or eliminate nutrients in the soil. This means that plants are completely dependent upon the fertilizer for all their nutrition. Thus, the fruit of the plant only has the nutrients available in the fertilizer. Traditionally-grown fruits and vegetables can literally lack up to 65% of their potential in nutrients. Farmers using sustainable farm practices work for their produce to reach its fullest nutritional potential, using practices that increase the microbiotic life in their soil.
4. Ask your produce manager when you have a question. The only way to be an educated consumer is to take action on your own behalf. A good produce manager will be happy to share knowledge with you. A bad produce manager will lose your trust and business.
5. Learn more by checking Slow Food USA. This website is dedicated to consumer education and the reestablishing of the biodiversity of food crops. Some plants, such as tomatoes, have lost up to 95% of the diversity of the species. See Resources below for a link.