Keep the Sprays Away, Choose Organic!

On a dreary winter morning, fresh orange juice is a sunny pick-me-up. And there’s great news for that morning cuppa orange this month: As of February 28^th, 2022, the insecticide chlorpyrifos will be banned for use on citrus.^{3, 4} While this is excellent news, imazalil and thiabendazole, two synthetic fungicides, are still used in high concentrations on conventional citrus fruit. Both are known carcinogens and hormone-disruptors^{5, 6, 7, 8} and a 2020 study conducted by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) found that 90 percent of non-organic citrus fruits tested had residues of imazalil or thiabendazole, with 50 percent of samples containing residues of both. It is important to note that the test samples were peeled, so the residues were found on the edible part of the fruits.⁵

It’s often assumed that if we peel the fruit, we don’t need to worry about pesticides, but this study proves otherwise. Additionally, when we handle the fruits, zest a little lime on a decadent dish, or enjoy a refreshing slice of lemon in our water, we’re exposed to the chemicals. A 2007 study found that there is no way to entirely remove imazalil.⁹ According to the EWG, these fungicides are typically applied to fruit post-harvest to prolong shelf life.

Healthy Soil = Healthy Trees

The lifespan of a citrus tree is an amazing 100 years.¹⁰ Unfortunately, citrus greening, or huanglongbing (HLB), a bacterial disease caused by psyllids (a type of tiny insect) has cut short the lives of millions of acres of citrus trees around the world.¹¹ Fortunately, for our health and the health of citrus groves, organic farming has solutions. 

Use of cover crops to improve soil quality is a common practice in organic and regenerative farming. Researchers and organic farmers have also found that cover crops can help prevent HLB as they support trees’ optimal health, attract beneficial insects to ward off the psyllids that cause citrus greening, and perhaps best of all, they support pollinators like bees.^{12, 13}

Citrus to the Rescue

When a ship set sail in the 1700s, it was expected that half of the crew would not make it due to widespread scurvy, the vitamin C deficiency disease. Adding lemons and oranges to the sailors’ diets saved the day!¹⁴ Citrus fruit may be popularly associated with vitamin C for this very reason; however, it is also an excellent source of fiber. Not only do citrus fruits support your optimal wellbeing in terms of immune function, cardiovascular health, and collagen production in their vitamin C content, they also support healthy digestion with fiber.^{15, 16}

From scurvy-ridden sailors on the Seven Seas, to Greek Goddess Hera’s dowry to Zeus of a collection of citrus fruits, to modern day breakfast juices, citrus fruits are historically and globally loved, and best enjoyed organic, without a dowsing of chemical sprays.

References

1. Wu, Guohong Albert, et al. “Genomics of the Origin and Evolution of Citrus.” Nature, vol. 554, no. 7692, 2018, pp. 311–316., https://doi.org/10.1038/nature25447.
2. Editore. “The Lemon - the Golden Fruit.” 5terre, 2 Dec. 2015, https://www.cinqueterre.it/en/content/lemon-golden-fruit.
3. Faux, Rob. “Unfinished Business: Completing the Chlorpyrifos Ban.” Pesticide Action Network, 21 Oct. 2021, https://www.panna.org/blog/unfinished-business-completing-chlorpyrifos-….
4. Reeves, Margaret. “No Brain-Harming Insecticide Needed.” Pesticide Action Network, 13 Aug. 2015, https://www.panna.org/blog/no-brain-harming-insecticide-needed.
5. Temkin, Alexis, et al. “Tests Find Hormone-Disrupting Fungicides on Most Citrus Fruit Samples.” EWG's 2021 Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce | Citrus, https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/citrus.php.
6. “What's on My Food: Imazalil.” What's On My Food Presented by Pesticide Action Network, https://www.whatsonmyfood.org/pesticide.jsp?pesticide=604.
7. “What's on My Food: Thiabendazole.” What's On My Food Presented by Pesticide Action Network, https://www.whatsonmyfood.org/pesticide.jsp?pesticide=157.
8. USDA. “USDA PDP Database.” United States Department of Agriculture, https://apps.ams.usda.gov/pdp.
9.  Kruve, Anneli, et al. Pesticide Residues in Commercially Available Oranges and Evaluation of Potential Washing Methods. July 2007, https://www.kirj.ee/public/Chem/2007/issue_3/chem-2007-3-3.pdf.
10. Laszlo, Pierre. “Introduction, Including a Definition of Citrus Plants and Fruits.” Citrus: A History, University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 2007, p. 11.
11. Cochrane, Ellen F., and Shade, Jessica. “Combatting Huanglongbing in Organic Systems.” International Journal of Horticulture, Agriculture and Food Science, vol. 3, no. 1, 2019, pp. 1–11., https://doi.org/10.22161/ijhaf.3.1.1.
12. Popenoe, Juanita, and Diepenbrock, Lauren. “Citrus Grower Sees Success with Cover Crops.” Citrus Industry Magazine, 29 Mar. 2019, https://citrusindustry.net/2019/04/02/citrus-grower-sees-success-with-c…. X
13. Riley, Nano. “Can Cover Crops Save Florida's Citrus?” Civil Eats, 14 Feb. 2020, https://civileats.com/2020/01/22/can-cover-crops-save-floridas-citrus/.
14. Price, Catherine. “The Age of Scurvy.” Science History Institute, 14 Aug. 2014, https://www.sciencehistory.org/distillations/the-age-of-scurvy.
15. Vitamin C. Linus Pauling Institute. https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/vitamins/vitamin-C. Published January 1, 2021. Accessed July 2021.\
16. Nekrich, Anna. “The Powerful Health Benefits of Citrus Fruits.” The Whole U - University of Washington, 31 Aug. 2020, https://thewholeu.uw.edu/2020/08/31/citrus/.