Is Organic Food Worth It for Safety? Here’s What to Know

It’s an age-old question and one brought to the forefront again this summer with headlines like these: EPA issues an emergency order for the first time in 40 years to ban a weedkiller than can harm fetuses. Or this one: A substance found in rocket fuel is also found in mac and cheese.

So, can you really avoid toxins at the grocery store? Is paying more for organic food worth it or are you just throwing away your hard-earned cash?

The answer: it’s complicated. Buying organic food will reduce your exposure to synthetic chemicals, but the U.S. Department of Agriculture allows organic-certified food to be grown on hydroponic farms, which some people believe do not have all the benefits you’ve come to expect when buying organic.

“Only in the U.S. is hydroponic allowed to be sold as organic,” said Hugh Kent, who owns the King Grove Organic Blueberry Farm in Eustis. “You can’t do (hydroponic organic farming) in the EU, you can’t do it in South America, you can’t do it anywhere in the world but the U.S.”

Kent’s 200-acre farm has been in his family for more than 100 years. In order to get that coveted green USDA Organic seal, farmers like Kent must follow a long list of strict requirements, including not using most synthetic pesticides.