There’s no question that keeping farmland free of pesticides is better for the environment. So are other aspects of organic farming, such as crop rotation and periodically allowing land to lie fallow. But just because food is organic doesn’t mean its production and distribution are necessarily good for the environment. Consider a can of organic black beans from Bolivia, a bag of organic rice from China or a box of organic apricots from Armenia. Transporting such products to your neighborhood grocery store creates a carbon footprint much bigger than transporting locally grown products.
Additionally, converting natural habitat to vast tracts of farmland can harm local flora and fauna. Coastline-preserving mangroves in Southeast Asia are ripped out, for example, to make space for palm-oil plantations, rice paddies and coconut farms.
Organic food grown and produced in distant lands may also come to U.S. stores with a social cost. What are the working conditions for the farm laborers and factory employees who tend and process those products? And how fair are their wages?