There are many reasons to eat organic, not just for the health of the person eating organic foods, but also for the health of the planet. By choosing organic, or at least avoiding the foods that are most heavily sprayed with pesticides, you can reap the following benefits:
You will dramatically reduce your daily intake of pesticides. Conventionally used pesticides are neurotoxins and can contribute to poor cognitive function, poor sensory/motor function, and fatigue.
You will be getting more nutrients from the food that you eat. Organic farming operations usually use more sustainable farming practices which help to stop soil erosion and preserve the nutrient content of the soil so that it can better sustain life.
You can positively impact the ecosystems in which farming takes place. Chemicals that are sprayed on conventionally grown crops do not stay on the crop but can run off into the water and effect not only the fish, but every organism that feeds off that water
You are helping out the people who grow the food. The toxic effects of pesticides are much greater than in the general public because they are dealing with them in greater amounts. Also, by reducing the demand for conventional produce by choosing farmers that don’t rely on pesticides and genetically modified seed.
You are avoiding the antibiotics, growth enhancing hormones, and other medications given to conventionally raised feed animals. Because animals are raised eating corn and are raised in unsanitary environments, many medications are needed in order to keep these animals from becoming sick.
By buying less conventionally grown produce you are not just helping yourself by decreasing you intake of pesticides but you are also voting for a more sustainable system of food production for the whole world.