On organic fruits and vegatables Los Angeles Times “California Cook” columnist Russ Parson in today’s Los Angeles Times writes that organic “is not a surefire solution to all of life’s (or even agriculture’s) ills.” He states that organic advocates oversimplify the benefits of organics:

“[T]he ones who need to do the apologizing are the often-well-meaning organic advocates who paint such a black-and-white picture of the way farming works that it seems there should be no choice at all.”

Parson takes exception with those who put forward organics as the “only” option in sustainable farming. He writes that “there is a huge gray area, and this is where most farming is done.”

“You can be a bad farmer growing organically, and you can be a good farmer and still use chemical pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers.”

Parson’s thoughts echo Dr. Clive James remarks in a video we posted last week:

“Can biotech crops contribute to more affordable food? Can biotech crops help mitigate climate change and contribute to sustainability? Can biotech crops contribute to global food security and the alleviation of poverty? We believe the answers to each of these questions are unequivocally yes. Biotech crops can make an important contribution, but are not a panacea. They can provide a contribution but are not the whole solution for these three questions.”