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And the following wto replies were posted to the list:
Jean, <bsoup@ecol.net>:
Vegetables raised with chemical fertilizers (which are chemical salts) take in their nutrients dissolved in water. The salts cause the plants to bloat, just as excessive salt in human diets causes water retention and bloating.
Analysis of organic versus chemically raised vegetables shows that there is more food (as opposed to water) in organic food.
Organic vegetables are more nutrient dense, also, because organic plant nutrition allows the subsoil processes (cation exchange, mycorrhizae enhancement, e.g.) to bring lots of minerals into the plants, not just the "big three" nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in chemical fertilizers.
Furthermore, chemical fertilizers cause the death of soil microorganisms and break down soil structure, which in turn destroys the natural system of plant nutrition. Jean
E. Pullins, <pulli005@tc.umn.edu>:
Just a quick reply to your question. Conventional produce is larger than organic (usually) for a few reasons:
1. Fruits have larger plant cells because of water. The application of more
irrigation water can increase the size of some fruits and vegetables, and
there is more money per pound gained with water-laden foods. Commercial
producers of fruits and vegetables may apply a "lot" of water, which is
often subsidized (cheap). Most organic producers apply less irrigation. Some
conventionally grown crops are sprayed with chemicals that increase water uptake in cells, most notably grapes. These sprays are expensive, so it is not done on things like grain crops.
2. Fruits are bigger by breeding. The two kinds of producers often use
different seed and plant types (varieties).
A. Hybrid varieties are often much larger in size than open-pollenated
varities of fruits, vegetables, and grains. Not all food plants can be made
into hybrids, but many are. There is no genetic engineering in making hybrid
crops, but it involves some very elaborate plant crossing techniques.
Organic producers don't use hybrids as much as conventional producers, so
the fruits/veggies are often smaller.
B. Plant breeding for size has been a major focus of many fruit/vegetable
breeding programs, and these are the varieties that are used by large
commercial growers. Again, they make a lot of money selling water-pumped
foods. Organic growers need to select plants based on their ability to fit
within an organic rotation program, that look good and taste good at the
market, and that make them unique from what you get from a chain store. Much
"plant improvement" through plant breeding eliminates those desired
qualities!
3. Fruits are bigger by nuitritional input. Nitrogen promotes a lot of
growth in plants, but plants, like any other organism, can grow big and
still be somewhat under-nourished because other basic mineral elements are
in short supply. Inputs of fertilizers can result in larger sized cells, and
therefore larger sized leaves and fruits. Organic fertilizers are not as
quickly released to plants as "available" nutrients for uptake, and
sometimes they are applied in lower amounts to the soil in organic
production -- making them qualitatively and quantitatively different than
chemical fertilizers.
Because of these three factors, you end up with often smaller, tastier
fruits, leaves, veggies and seeds in organic production. Also, you get more
brillant coloring, variety of coloring and variety of flavors in organic
foods. There have been "taste test" experiments in which people have tried
to "study" the difference between conventional and organic produce. This is
absurd, because in so may ways, people are comparing apples and oranges.
There used to be a lot of experiments on plant growth promoting hormones in
the 70's and 80's, but they never amounted to much (from what I have seen).
The cost of applying such things is so exorbitant, even the conventional
producers couldn't justify using them much. I will be doing some research on
the subject soon for a paper I am writing, so I'll let you know if I find
anything out.
Best Wishes,
E. Pullins
pulli005@tc.umn.edu
Kelley Wiley <snkwiley@tellink.net>
Ya know.. I've always wondered that myself. But then I just think that the
organic food is the NATURAL size.. the monsterous stuff they grow with
chemicals and fertilizers is just not natural looking..
Kelley Wiley
Claire Robison >clairejr@cableinet.co.uk>>
As I understand it, chemical farmers use mainly three elements in their
fertiliser--nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK)--at the expense of
the hundreds of complex substances present in the organic fertiliser used
by orgie farmers. NPK is good at promoting rich-looking, fast and lush
growth, which, however, is depleted in much of the mineral and vitamin
content it should have.
This is not to mention the substances like secondary metabolites found at
high levels in organic food but at much lower levels in chemical and
processed food, which according to research done recently by the UK's
Soil Assoc and presented on the BBC's The Food Programme, act on the body
like anti-oxidants, preventing cancer and degenerative disease/ageing.
It is tempting to conclude that a lot of the energy that small
organically grown plants put into sythesizing nutrients, producing
natural disease resistance and forming whatever it is that makes things
flavorsome, NPK plants just put into shooting upwards and outwards.
Claire Robinson
[Source: postings to the biotech_activists@iatp.org list 26 Feb 2000]
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