Hi John,

It’s very valuable for me to get a response from someone deeply entrenched in the organic debate. The intent of my article was not to bash organic farming. I apologize if it came across this way.

My goal is to help people to eat more fruits and veggies. Period.

Virtually all studies show that increasing fruit and vegetable intake is a health win, regardless of whether they are organic. Yet, around the world, we are falling far short of our recommended fruit and vegetable intake (only 1 in 10 Americans and 2 in 10 Canadians meet the RDI!).

I worry that the message that only organic is safe is counter-productive to the urgent need for everyone, especially those in the lowest income brackets (who likely can’t afford organic), to dial up the fruits and veggies in their diet.

I fully recognize that there is more to the organic label than just the choice of pesticide — e.g ecosystem and social considerations. I have simply chosen to focus this article on one aspect because it is misunderstood, and because my science background allows me to address it. I’m not saying this is the only aspect that matters. I am in fact very eager to learn more about the other considerations. I have the financial luxury of choosing organic if I want to support it for reasons other than safety considerations. Many others do not.

I have re-worked my introduction to make these points clear. I already had some of this context in my Epilogue but not everyone will make it that far!.

Regards,

Dr. Chana Davis