In light of the ever-growing green movement, people seem to be more concerned with eating healthy, and better yet, eating organic.

The popularity of grocery stores such as Earth Fare and Whole Foods has boomed in the past few years. In response, chain stores such as Kroger have stepped up to the competition with the addition of special aisles dedicated to “organic” and “natural” products.

But what do words like “organic” and “natural” really mean, and why are they more expensive? Is “organic” simply a label we pay extra money for – like designer clothes – or are these products truly worth the extra cash?

In terms of nutritional value, the jury is still out. Professor and Extension Foods Specialist Judy Harrison and Sustainable Agriculture Coordinator Julia Gaskin both explained that there are conflicting reports on the nutritional advantages of organic food.

“There have been a number of different studies; some conclude [organic] is better and some that it is not,” Gaskin said.

One thing that will certainly affect the nutritional value and safety of produce, organic or not, is the way fruits and vegetables are handled.

“You have to look at the conditions that the product was handled in to make your decision – if you have a conventionally grown product that has been handled correctly, there is probably not that much difference in purchasing it versus purchasing an organic product that was mishandled,” Harrison said.

Harrison, Gaskin and a team of researchers from the food and science department have just recently received a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and will be doing some work with small farms and small market managers to make sure that locally- grown produce is safe.

“We are looking at different handling processes,” Harrison said.

Major factors that are taken into consideration with the handling of a product are the temperatures products are stored at and the cleanliness of those handling the products.

“I am not saying that conventional farming is better or organic farming is better,” Harrison said. “I am just saying that there is room for error in both systems.”

The best way to make sure you are getting as many nutrients as possible is to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables.

“Frozen fruits and vegetables can be an alternative for people on a budget, and there is certainly nothing wrong with canned foods, but they are a little lower in nutrients,” Harrison said

So if you are trying to just eat healthy, “organic” is not the magic solution; however, the system of organic farming is more environmentally friendly.

To earn the green USDA organic label, the farmer must follow a specific set of production rules and must be certified by a third party auditor.

“That symbol means it has been grown by the production rules that do not allow synthetic pesticides and a farm plan that includes building up the soil matter and soil health, which is the foundation of this approach,” Gaskin said.

Harrison also stressed that the terms “natural” and “organic” are not interchangeable.

“‘Natural’ is a term that is not very closely regulated and can mean a lot of things,” Harrison said.

Not only should consumers be aware of the differences between natural and organic, they should also recognize that there are varying levels of “organic.”

“100 percent organic means all of the ingredients and processing aids in that product have to be produced organically, so they have to follow all of the guidelines about production enhancement standards and the types of chemicals that are allowed,” Harrison said.

However, a product can be labeled simply “organic” if 95 percent of the ingredients were produced organically. The next step down is the label “made with organic ingredients.” This phrase can be used with products that contain at least 70 percent organic ingredients.

The production regulations are what cause organic products to be more expensive. There are fewer organic growers, and the methods that organic growers have to use are simply more labor intensive.

“In conventional agriculture, a farmer might apply an herbicide to get rid of some type of weed that is growing in the crops – an organic farmer would not have that luxury. They would have to do things like mulching, pulling weeds by hand,” Harrison said.

Gaskin said that weeds are the biggest problem in organic farming.

Although the organic standards do not allow synthetic or manmade pesticides, some farmers do use natural or plant-based pesticides.

“Organic growers are supposed to use a system of crop rotation and cover crops to prevent diseases and pests building up – that is there first line of defense,” Gaskin said.

If that does not work, then organic farmers do use the naturally-based pesticides that are approved for use by the USDA.

“The assumption is that plant-based materials are not harmful, and that is not necessarily true,” Gaskin said.

The debate between organic and conventional farming is a complicated one with many valid points of view.

“What I don’t like in the current debate about organic food is the ‘us versus them’ aspect,” Gaskin said. “Conventional farming has done a good job producing food that is abundant and cheap, but it has its environmental consequences.”

Some of the consequences that Gaskin discussed are soil erosion and the leaching of nitrogen that creates dead zones and water quality problems. The use of synthetic pesticides in conventional farming also causes concern. “Pesticides must be used carefully,” Gaskin said.

While the process of organic farming is typically a more environmentally sustainable process, buying organic food does not always mean you are helping the environment. Sometimes the means of getting the organic products to the chain grocery store from far away negates the environmental efforts of the farmers.

Robert Tate runs the Organic Agriculture Certificate Program (OCP) at UGA, and explained this notion.

“Right now over 94 percent of organic produce that is in the Southeastern grocery stores are not from the Southeast,” he said.

Many organic products that consumers purchase from the organic section of chain grocery stores have been shipped from places such as California, he said.

“Whole Foods is great, but they are still transporting and using all the energy it takes to transport,” he said.

Tate explained that the most sustainable way to eat fresh food is to grow it yourself. Since most students don’t have the means to manage a garden, Tate recommended purchasing from local farmers markets or joining a Community Supported Agriculture.

Members of a CSA can purchase a subscription from a local farm and get a weekly box of produce but must be willing to eat with the season.

Gaskin and Tate both agreed that eating seasonally is the best way to eat fresh and cheap food, and at the same time support local farms. Eating locally lessens the impact of shipping and transportation.

“We have some harvest guides that will tell you what’s in season,” Gaskin said.