Organic Month Facts

Here are some of our favorite reasons why we think supporting organic is better for your health, the environment, & the economy.

Consider this: more than 1/3 of the world’s total food production relies on bees for pollination. But there’s a band of killers on the loose, and they’re called neonicotinoid insecticides. They’ve been implicated in the declining honey bee population.
Is organic better for the soil? That’s a big YES. Organic farming has been shown to increase soil health and microbial biodiversity!
The Certified Organic seal means the same thing in many different languages! It’s the ultimate stamp of trust for consumers because the USDA’s National Organics Program (NOP) regulates both domestic and imported goods, holding them to the same stringent standards. P.S. All of our stores carry only certified organic produce, unlike most other grocery stores!
2,000 is the estimated number of synthetic substances that can be added to conventional packed foods! The government leaves the proof of safety to the manufacturers without requiring third-party or federal oversight.
Artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives are prohibited in Certified Organic foods. Here’s one reason why that is excellent news—some of the most popular food dyes in the U.S., Red 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6, have been found to contain carcinogens!
Are you sipping on extra chemicals in your favorite cup of tea? Conventional herbs like chamomile are often sprayed with pesticides, so let’s all have a cuppa organic.
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are not something you want in your next burger or chicken sandwich. Choose organic to lower your risk of encountering them! A recent study found that both the production and the processing of Certified Organic meat resulted in a “significantly lower prevalence” of these unsavory microbes.
A recent study comparing organic and conventional cacao farms in Ghana measured six ways organic chocolate does it better: 20% higher profitability, 26% more biodiversity, 27% greater gender equality, 29% less water use, 24% less land degradation, and 22% fewer greenhouse gases.
Organic tomatoes aren’t just delicious, their nutrition score is better than the conventional kind. They have higher levels of lycopene (+20%) and vitamin C (+30%)!
9.4 million tons of glyphosate have been sprayed on fields around the planet since 1974, according to the most current estimate from a 2016 study. That’s more than 2,300 Olympic-sized swimming pools worth of carcinogenic pesticides and counting! Not by organic farmers, though, because organic agriculture prohibits glyphosate.
Occasionally, organic farmers must use a non-natural or nonorganic substance because nothing else is available and the need is critical. However, organic consumers can rest easy knowing that the National Organic Standards Board strictly regulates the use of such alternatives. A thorough evaluation of every proposed input is conducted and only allowed if its use is not harmful to human health or the environment.
Keep hearing that organic can’t feed the planet? Guess what does better in times of drought? Yup, that would be organic, and it has similar yields to chemically intensive conventional crops in normal conditions.
Synthetic fungicides, like the hormone-disrupting substances imazalil and thiabendazole, aren’t allowed in organic production. However, almost 90% of conventional citrus samples had residue of one or both, according to recent Environmental Working Group (EWG) tests.
Organic strawberries do it BEST! Studies have found that they have a longer shelf life, higher antioxidant activity AND taste better than conventional strawberries.
Sunshine and blue sky aren’t genetically modified, and guess what else is always Naturally NON- GMO? Organic produce!
We can all use more free radical scavengers to help combat the stress and pollution we face every day. The great news is organic apples have higher levels of free radical scavengers like quercetin and other flavonoids.
An apple a day...doesn’t keep the pesticides away if you’re buying conventional. According to the Environmental Working Group’s analysis, pesticides showed up on 90% of conventional apples tested, even after they were washed!
100% of the produce at Natural Grocers is USDA Certified Organic + 100% of our produce is naturally NON- GMO + There’s no risk of cross-contamination or co-mingling. No worries...priceless!
Did you know...ketchup made from organic tomatoes has higher antioxidant content than ketchup made from conventional tomatoes?
We know organic produce takes the cake (carrot cake, of course), when it comes to having higher levels of nutrients that are good4u^SM. Then there’s the icing on top: organic produce also has lower levels of bad things, like the toxic metal cadmium.
Where do you NEVER have to worry about the 24+ different pesticide residues found in conventional herbs & spices? That would be your Natural Grocers bulk herbs & spices because they’re all 100% Organic!
There is an area of approximately 5,550 square miles of dead zone that forms in the Gulf of Mexico every year that is three times as big as Grand Canyon National Park. It’s called a dead zone because there isn’t enough oxygen to support life, which is caused by chemical fertilizer runoff.
Organic farming is good for the whole neighborhood. In areas where it’s on the rise, known as organic “hot” spots, the nearby median household income is rising too, by over $2,000!
Did you know that onions are an excellent source of Quercetin? Quercetin is a potent free radical scavenger that serves to maintain cellular health by neutralizing free radicals. According to a six-year study comparing quercetin levels between organic and conventionally grown onions, organic onions came in on top, with the red varieties being the best!
We know Popeye jokes are so outdated, but he really must have been eating organic spinach! How do we figure? Because a study comparing conventional vs. organic spinach found that organic had 120% higher antioxidant activity.
Everybody wants the best pregnancy possible and organic veggies are happy to help. Studies show that consuming them “often” or “frequently” is associated with a healthy pregnancy.
Synthetic pesticides don’t do little brains any favors. Studies have shown that children exposed to pesticides commonly found on conventional foods were twice as likely to be diagnosed with ADHD. As for adults, the same exposure is linked to a 1.5-fold increase of developing Alzheimer’s!
The bad news: 94% of the U.S. population has measurable levels of pesticide breakdown products in their urine. The good news: Natural Grocers only sells organic produce.
Switching to a diet of 80% organic foods for one week reduces pesticide breakdown products in urine by 96%! Make the switch permanent and your liver and body will thank you, as well the fishes, sea turtles, and dolphins.
Does more nutrition taste better? Yes! Colorado State University did a little scientific snacking comparing organic to conventional apples, and guess who aced that test? Organic!