Organic Foods I live 1 block from an organic food store-and my roommates swear to God that it tastes better, so of course for house meals we have to go and buy over-priced produce (my opinion). Since I've spent a large portion of my young adulthood in chemical laboratories-I simply don't have the atavistic fear of artificial chemicals that most Americans seem to have. In fact, the idea of microbes and "natural fertilizers" (cow shit with possible e. coli) tends to scare me more. So it's nice to see a Left-Centre attack on organic food. Sure, it's not like Ron Bailey's perspective, but as long as I don't have to listen to my roommates lecture me on how positive buying from organic grocery stores is-I'll be happy. Here is a quote from the Salon story:

So here's the final paradox. Mass production and government standards mean more organic production and consumption, which means fewer chemical pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers are going into the air, soil, water, and, of course, our bodies. But just as U.S. regulations for certified organic foods are about to be put into place, the label "organic" may become obsolete -- or, at the very least, lose its cachet. This is why Gould, who grinds his own flour, sprouts his own sprouts and buys chicken from a non-certified Portland-area farmer, says the future of sustainability depends on linking producers and consumers via regional production and networks of farmers' markets, food coops, and CSAs.

Update: The following seems a common sentiment:

I'm just being a selfish consumer and buying higher quality organic veggies and fruits (not all the time, just the items I like eating raw). If Safeway would sell edible "chemical" produce, I'd buy it. Right now, it's crap.

OK-I'll admit that organic vine ripe tomatos can be really good. But is this the because it is organic, or that agribusiness tends to produce low quality produce-and there is less agribusiness involvement in organic right now? In other words, if small family farms lavished a lot of attention on their crop...and used nitrogenous fertilizers and GMOed seed, it also would taste rather good. But in the context of heavily cooked foods (stews and fries), which is what I was thinking of, the taste differences are minimal in my experience because most of it comes from spices and oils.