No one likes to be lied to. Health in the United States is one of the biggest concerns of citizens today. Proponents of organic food claim that organic foods are more nutritious, don't use pesticides, are better for the environment, benefit small farmers, and, above all, simply taste better. Organic foods aren't as good for you or the environment as today's advocates would have you believe. Those who subscribe to an organic lifestyle will tell you that organic foods contain more nutrients than foods made from conventionally produced foods today. Researchers have sifted through fifty years of nutritional studies, most of which have been poorly conducted. A systematic review of these studies was conducted by leading experts in the field and their results were reviewed by the American Society for Nutrition. They concluded that: So if you buy a bag full of apples, some of the apples in that bag contain more nutrients than the apples. other apples in the same bag. Scientific research has demonstrated that organic products are in no way nutritionally superior or inferior to their non-organic counterparts. Most people believe that organic farmers do not use pesticides. This is not one hundred percent true. To be clear, pesticides are poisons that farmers use to keep garden undesirables, virile insects and weeds away. While there are ways to keep insects at bay using pesticide-free methods, these methods simply aren't as effective at saving crops as using pesticides. The only pesticide-free way for farmers to keep weeds out of gardens and hand-picked. This is not economically feasible for small farmers and is not practiced by any large-scale organic farm. Perhaps the biggest selling point of organic production...... middle of paper ...... There is no scientific evidence that organically grown crops are more nutritious than conventional crops. Organic farmers use pesticides and it is economically difficult not to. The move away from synthetic pesticides is forcing organic farmers to use more harmful natural alternatives. Unless a person buys directly from the farm, the profits from organic food will not flow to small farmers. Be informed; look for the certified organic label and follow up with USDA Organic Agriculture. The USDA has a list of farms and regulations as well as laws for labeled certified organic foods. Understand what is harmful and what is prohibited in certified organic foods. Know where local products come from and buy local. Also, when shopping at the farmers market, ask the farmer what methods they believe in and what they put on their produce..