During my recent chat on Mark Hahn’s Drive Time Live radio program, we dove into the thorny world of organic farming. Mark warned me that I might ruffle a few feathers among his organic-farming listeners, but I assured him my critique isn’t about the farmers themselves—rather, it’s about a broken system. The USDA wears two conflicting hats, simultaneously promoting and regulating organic agriculture, which opens the door to ethical lapses and fraud in a $52 billion industry. Consumers think organic means safer, cleaner, and more nutritious, but often, the reality is the opposite: lower yields, greater consumption of land and water and environmental stress, and chemically treated crops regardless of the label. When it comes down to it, I told Mark, the data simply don’t support the hype. If you care about cost, safety, nutrition, or the planet, skip the organics—and for heaven’s sake, let’s get USDA out of the marketing business.
Here is our entire conversation.
Looking for a bit more?
Henry I. Miller, MS, MD
Henry I. Miller, MS, MD, is the Glenn Swogger Distinguished Fellow at the American Council on Science and Health. His research focuses on public policy toward science, technology, and medicine, encompassing a number of areas, including pharmaceutical development, genetic engineering, models for regulatory reform, precision medicine, and the emergence of new viral diseases. Dr. Miller served for fifteen years at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in a number of posts, including as the founding director of the Office of Biotechnology.
