Organic Produce: A Guide

When faced with the prospect of buying organically, many consumers find the price difference between conventional and organic products a bit shocking.  While it is true some organic produce will be grossly more expensive than their conventionally grown counterparts, you can still stay within your budget.  One of the keys to being a successful vegan (especially if you are on a budget) is to buy what is in season.  When you buy organic produce in season, the difference in price will not be as drastic because producers in the country are able to keep supply at a level that is near demand (for both commercial and retail purposes), bringing the cost lower.  Even still, some may find the price increase not feasible - which is understandable.

The list below will be helpful in identifying which kinds of produce you should always buy organically (if concerned with harmful pesticides), and those you can buy conventionally in a financial squeeze.  Of course, organic produce is better for your health, the environment, and the economy by reducing the impact and indirect social costs incurred when growing conventional produce.  Buying organic encourages farmers to grow their produce in a manner that protects the environment.  The more everyone buys organic, the more demand increases - further encouraging others farms to go organic and make a higher profit.  Most organic farmers have dealings with smaller distribution channels, cutting out most of the “middle man” costs of conventional produce, making the farmers’ organic crops more valuable.  Buying organically encourages sustainability and helps smaller farms thrive in an industry dominated by Big Agriculture and be more eco-friendly in their crop production.

“Dirty Dozen”
These produce items contain the MOST pesticides located in them, according to many studies by the USDA and EWG, in order - starting with the worst:

• Peaches
• Apples
• Bell peppers
• Celery
• Nectarines
• Strawberries
• Cherries
• Kale
• Lettuce
• Carrots
• Pears
• Spinach

“Clean Fifteen”
These popular fruits and vegetables showed the lowest amounts of pesticides, from best to worst:

• Onions
• Avocado
• Pineapple
• Mangoes
• Asparagus
• Kiwi
• Cabbage
• Eggplant
• Papaya
• Watermelon
• Broccoli
• Tomatoes
• Sweet potatoes
• Grapefruit
• Honeydew melon

Additionally, I try to always buy the following in their organic form, to encourage organic practices in an industry dominated by Big Agriculture and their powerful Washington lobby:

• Wheat
• Corn
• Soy

Going green, and saving green

When faced with the decision to buy organic products, most people assume that going organic will have an adverse effect on your wallet.  While this may hold true for meat and dairy eaters, buying organic on a vegan diet is actually comparable to a conventional omnivorous diet, sometimes less.  Why? A lot of the staples of a vegan diet - grains, legumes and healthy oils - can be purchased in bulk, with a shelf life much longer than the meat or dairy in most kitchens.  If you are fortunate enough to live in a city with an organic grocer, they probably have a bulk section where you can purchase any amount of these dry goods for a set price per pound.  Buying  organic bulk is a double whammy for the environment: you avoid costly and resource-heavy packaging AND you are helping the overall price of those organic goods go down.  Every time you purchase in large quantities, you have a trickle-down effect on the market as a whole, encouraging the producers to increase their production efforts which, in turn, makes the production cost go down; ultimately, you, the consumer, see these benefits later on with a reduction in price.  This is known as economies of scale, which is paramount to making organic goods more accessible to the general public.

But what if I don’t have an organic grocer or a bulk section?  You are in luck, because the internet is there to help.  Namely, the natural & organic section on Amazon.  Yes, Amazon.com has a virtual grocery store.  You can get everything from flours to baking mixes, herbs, spices, oils, BULK FOOD (!), canned tomatoes, pastas, coconut water - almost anything - all for less than what you pay for at your local grocer.  What is even more amazing, is that most of your purchases qualify for free shipping.  You may be thinking this is counter-intuitive to organic principles, but in reality it is quite the opposite.  Food suppliers send the goods directly to the Amazon grocery warehouse in Kentucky, then Amazon ships the food directly to you.  In turn, this lightens the load on grocery store distribution channels as well as making a trip in your car to the grocery store obsolete.  Truly, a win-win situation!

Just remember to recycle the cardboard boxes that arrive at your door.