Is Organic Food for Elitist Jerks?

Published on Wednesday, August 24, 2011, by James Norton / Edit Post

A story in the Telegraph quotes the new head of the UK's Soil Association as saying organic food is not just for "people who wear sandals and drink champagne," as part of an effort to broaden the appeal of organic food and reclaim it from a not entirely inviting upper strata of society.

Sometimes it's hard to avoid the feeling that coastal elitism is the vanguard of healthier, more expensive, and often more exclusive dining. Organic food often costs more, it requires far more prep and effort than simply dining on the market's finest nuke-and-puke options, and is championed by not entirely down-to-earth celebrities including Sting, Madonna, and Gwyneth Paltrow. There's certainly a culture war raging in the U.S. that has largely manifested itself in a battle over what kids eat both at home and at school.

It's being fought between Republicans who insist that it's every American child's God-given right to eat deep-fried lard burgers at every lunch in his or her public school cafeteria, at least until said public school is defunded entirely. Meanwhile, local food advocates, vegetarians, and vegans, who tend to vote Democratic if not Green, would push for a way to include more fresh vegetables and less fried meat, even at the expense of local favorites and/or the wishes of schoolkids (who, let's be honest, would generally rather eat a fluffernutter sandwich washed down with Mountain Dew than have a righteously nutritious local meal).

This raises the question: Is organic food for elitist jerks?

• Are you an elitist jerk if you eat it?
• Do elitist jerks tend to eat it more often?
• Can you make expensive and/or time-consuming healthy food decisions and still vote Republican and/or earn less than $50,000 a year? (Ask a hunter or avid fisherman for an interesting alternative perspective.)

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  • The cooking subcommunity of the Elitist Jerks forums wishes to correct the poor assumptions in this article. We like good food, not necessarily organic. In addition, we wish to point out that the term "organic" is horribly misapplied, as all food is made almost entirely of organic molecules. So-called "organic" produce usually owes any increased quality to being produced in smaller, non-factory...+READ

    The cooking subcommunity of the Elitist Jerks forums wishes to correct the poor assumptions in this article. We like good food, not necessarily organic. In addition, we wish to point out that the term "organic" is horribly misapplied, as all food is made almost entirely of organic molecules. So-called "organic" produce usually owes any increased quality to being produced in smaller, non-factory farm environments, not to the specific lack of pesticides. The correct term for somebody who pays more attention to the "organic" label than to quality is not "Elitist Jerk", it is "Stupid".

    Thank you for your attention.-COLLAPSE

  • The organic label has been co-opted by big agri-business and now conventional food and organic is pretty much the same. Even if people who eat all organic are elitist, you can feel comfort in knowing that they are being screwed over

  • How about just feeding these kids healthier alternatives, do away with the "organic" label, let's start there. Let's start with real food, let's steer kids away from processed "food", something doesn't have to be "organic" to be healthy. I find "organic" chips, organic "cookies" to be the biggest oxymoron out there.

  • Actually, if you take the time to look at the big picture, Republicans would push hard for healthier eating habits. It is democrats who feel the need to push for more government rules and regulations on farming, which drives up the prices of fresh produce. If Republicans could get their way and open up farming, take government regulations out of it, people would be able to eat healthier. This...+READ

    Actually, if you take the time to look at the big picture, Republicans would push hard for healthier eating habits. It is democrats who feel the need to push for more government rules and regulations on farming, which drives up the prices of fresh produce. If Republicans could get their way and open up farming, take government regulations out of it, people would be able to eat healthier. This really has nothing to do with politics though, this has to do with each person as an individual and their responsible or irresponsible choices. It doesn't matter if both parents work, whoever goes grocery shopping can purchase healthy foods to keep in the home. You can pack lunches for your kids and not supply lunch money to buy greasy burgers and pop. But, given the general tone of this article (clearly written by some bleeding heart liberal)I'm not surprised that the blame is put on a political party rather than individuals themselves. I'm all for healthy eating and instilling those values in our youth, but it shouldn't be forced by the government, and it shouldn't cost the average household every single dime they earn.-COLLAPSE

  • It is unfortunate that elitist jerks espouse the virtues of organic food and farming methods (and drive up the prices at markets such as Whole Paycheck) when the people who suffer the effects of conventional farming are the most marginal people in our society already. The people who can only afford conventional foods are the ones least likely to have or afford health care, and eat more processed,...+READ

    It is unfortunate that elitist jerks espouse the virtues of organic food and farming methods (and drive up the prices at markets such as Whole Paycheck) when the people who suffer the effects of conventional farming are the most marginal people in our society already. The people who can only afford conventional foods are the ones least likely to have or afford health care, and eat more processed, nutritionally empty foods because they are cheaper, which tends to lead to obesity, among other problems.
    The environmental effects of conventional farming also affect marginalized people disproportionately, be they minimum wage farm workers exposed to toxins or residents drinking water polluted with pesticide run-off.
    So I suppose the ultimate irony is, the people who can least afford organic food are the ones who need it the most.

    www.cherokeepurple.blogspot.com-COLLAPSE

  • I think it depends how one spends there money on organic. If the reference is to people who blindly pay more for any product that is simply marked organic, than yes it is elitist. People who choose to source local organically grown products are to me a different story. Walking into a grocery store and paying top dollar for every product marked organic is to mevery different than avoiding the...+READ

    I think it depends how one spends there money on organic. If the reference is to people who blindly pay more for any product that is simply marked organic, than yes it is elitist. People who choose to source local organically grown products are to me a different story. Walking into a grocery store and paying top dollar for every product marked organic is to mevery different than avoiding the grocery store altogether and going direct to the producers.-COLLAPSE

  • Our family eats mostly organic and vegetarian. It is a choice for health and for the environment/animals.

  • I more or less agree with cindobindo and I'm liberal. Organic food is at a competitive disadvantage when every food law is made to aid large food companies. If you go to any impoverished country in the world do you know what they are eating? It's very likely to be a subsistence crop they grew themselves. Something considered organic under whatever definition you have. Are they considered elitist?...+READ

    I more or less agree with cindobindo and I'm liberal. Organic food is at a competitive disadvantage when every food law is made to aid large food companies. If you go to any impoverished country in the world do you know what they are eating? It's very likely to be a subsistence crop they grew themselves. Something considered organic under whatever definition you have. Are they considered elitist? Joel Salatin has great arguments about organic vs industrial food. Strange how Penn & Teller never interviewed him on Bullshit since he's a libertarian as well.-COLLAPSE

  • Just watch the Bullshit episode on organic food. It really puts things into perspective, that "organic" really IS just a buzzword.

  • It is a very sad commentary that the vast majority of our society chooses wealth over raising sons who respect humanity and daughters who respect themselves.

    It is no coincidence that prisons are overflowing with our sons and our daughters are getting pregnant at 16. This is a direct effect of a cause. That cause being, there is nobody home to raise the children. The fact that our children are...+READ

    It is a very sad commentary that the vast majority of our society chooses wealth over raising sons who respect humanity and daughters who respect themselves.

    It is no coincidence that prisons are overflowing with our sons and our daughters are getting pregnant at 16. This is a direct effect of a cause. That cause being, there is nobody home to raise the children. The fact that our children are also fat just further proves my point.-COLLAPSE

  • If only it was possible for the vast majority of us to be anything other than poor with a single household income.

  • I agree with cindobindo 100%. I will add that the two income household has led to the moral decay that we now experience. Not only are there no parents at home to feed their children healthy meals, there are no parents at home to teach their children family values. Too many people rely on schools to teach morals and values.

  • I am a conservative,and I appreciate what Heinlein said: "There are two kinds of people in the world,people who want to control other people,and people with no such desire". The eagerness of so many on the Left to pass laws and regulations DICTATING what people will be ALLOWED to eat is,to me,reprehensible. If the government would butt out of food and food production ENTIRELY,with NO subsidies...+READ

    I am a conservative,and I appreciate what Heinlein said: "There are two kinds of people in the world,people who want to control other people,and people with no such desire". The eagerness of so many on the Left to pass laws and regulations DICTATING what people will be ALLOWED to eat is,to me,reprehensible. If the government would butt out of food and food production ENTIRELY,with NO subsidies for ANYONE,an absolute bare minimum of regulations,and REAL free trade with such things as sugar,food would be much more plentiful,with more local farmers, and cheaper for EVERYONE. If the federal government would VERY GREATLY reduce its own size along with the money supply and rein in inflation,perhaps more families could get by on a single income,and married parents could choose to have one parent work,the other to stay home, and chase the kids away from all the blue screens and make them go outside and PLAY with their FRIENDS, and NOT mindlessly consume empty calories all day while sitting hypnotized in front of a TV or monitor or other electronic babysitter,and actually sit down for nutritious meals and snacks at decent intervals. THAT would END the "obesity epidemic of childhood in this country". Nothing else WILL.-COLLAPSE

  • Wow, ikotka, where do you live that making over $50K a year is "lower-middle class"?

  • Republicans are the bad foodies? What a bunch of macaroons.

  • Political jabs: petty and immature.
    So since I make over 50k I'm an elitest snob? Cool. Kinda thought I was lower-middle class...but if you say so!
    I grew up eating local farm raised 'organic' beef before it was the cool thing to do. And boy oh boy can you tell the difference. Same with fruits and veggies. Go buy some of both- organic strawberries and inorganic strawberries and watch how the...+READ

    Political jabs: petty and immature.
    So since I make over 50k I'm an elitest snob? Cool. Kinda thought I was lower-middle class...but if you say so!
    I grew up eating local farm raised 'organic' beef before it was the cool thing to do. And boy oh boy can you tell the difference. Same with fruits and veggies. Go buy some of both- organic strawberries and inorganic strawberries and watch how the inorganic ones just live forever. Yech. Not natural.
    A great motto I heard and whole heartedly agree with: Buy the best to put inside and on your body (clothes/shoes/makeup/bed sheets) and be frugal with everything else.-COLLAPSE

  • Best commenter on the topic, EVER is Broke-Ass Grouch
    http://brokeassgrouch.wordpress.com/2010/10/15/stocking-the-broke-ass-pantry-what-you-need-on-hand-to-get-by-on-nathan/
    Sadly enough, despite years of growing her own vegetables, making cleaning products, and raising chickens in her scrub of a ghetto yard, she has to sell the farm....

  • What a load! I am a conservative republican with a capitol C, and I eat only organic. Where did this elitist jerk get the impression we want kids to eat "deep fried lard burgers at every lunch"?

  • Answer to title question: Generally speaking, yes.

    "....consumers of organic food tolerate the real and substantial risk of illness from pathogens in manure, but fear the effects of pesticides, which have never been shown to cause illness."

    Mischa Popoff's book "Is It Organic?" should have ended the debate, but so should the East Anglia Climate Research Unit's leaked emails have ended the...+READ

    Answer to title question: Generally speaking, yes.

    "....consumers of organic food tolerate the real and substantial risk of illness from pathogens in manure, but fear the effects of pesticides, which have never been shown to cause illness."

    Mischa Popoff's book "Is It Organic?" should have ended the debate, but so should the East Anglia Climate Research Unit's leaked emails have ended the AGW scam. Go figure.

    (The book, BTW, explains why authentic, conscientious, organic food growers are as much victims of the global organic industrial-complex as the consumers.)-COLLAPSE

  • Ever since I switched from eating non-organic produce to predominantly organic, my acne has greatly lessened (was moderately-severe), and now has almost disappeared completely.

    If that's not proof that the chemicals used in growing non-organic produce are bad for you, then I don't know what is.

    Now, this doesn't mean that I won't eat non-organic produce if I'm out for dinner or at a...+READ

    Ever since I switched from eating non-organic produce to predominantly organic, my acne has greatly lessened (was moderately-severe), and now has almost disappeared completely.

    If that's not proof that the chemicals used in growing non-organic produce are bad for you, then I don't know what is.

    Now, this doesn't mean that I won't eat non-organic produce if I'm out for dinner or at a friend's house--it just means that I personally won't buy it for myself. Besides, once you start talking about free-range meats, my only answer is that free-range is sooo much better tasting (as are local produce, even if they aren't certified organic). So what if I'm willing to splurge a little on it? I'm a poor university student, and I don't eat much meat. It's a treat to have it once in a while, particularly if it's bison. Mmm...

    Of course, I get as much of my food from farmers' markets and such, even if they're not certified organic (though many of their practises still are). Does that make me elitist? It sure as hell shouldn't. I just prefer to support local farmers and not have acne breakouts like I used to.-COLLAPSE

  • We live on way less than $50k a year and I buy organic when it isn't double (or more) the price of the "conventional" alternative. We also have a garden, and sure, it's time consuming, but not really all that expensive. Pre-cooked, packaged organic foods are mostly way beyond our budget.

    But I'm probably an elitist jerk anyway.

  • Although, I prefer inorganic food, perhaps a more interesting question is how does the species survive....?

  • It is elitist to think that it is better to give your food dollars to a giant food and chemical conglomerate or industrial farm, who will pass their profits on to a small amount of corporate executives and wealthy shareholders (i.e., other corporations and their executives), rather than to give your food dollars to local farmers and other food purveyors who funnel their profits directly into your...+READ

    It is elitist to think that it is better to give your food dollars to a giant food and chemical conglomerate or industrial farm, who will pass their profits on to a small amount of corporate executives and wealthy shareholders (i.e., other corporations and their executives), rather than to give your food dollars to local farmers and other food purveyors who funnel their profits directly into your community through jobs and taxes. When we stop propping up the food industry with subsidies that artificially deflate the costs of factory-produced food, maybe organic food won't seem so "elitist".-COLLAPSE

  • I'm an elitist jerk!

  • Organic food isn't a "magical" delusion, as some here on this thread seem to insist. It's common sense not to want any unnecessary extra chemicals on your food, and I am very thankful that I make enough money to buy the organic options that are available to me. I LOVE me some junk food, but at home I try to prepare things that are very basic and simple from organic ingredients. And I grow my own...+READ

    Organic food isn't a "magical" delusion, as some here on this thread seem to insist. It's common sense not to want any unnecessary extra chemicals on your food, and I am very thankful that I make enough money to buy the organic options that are available to me. I LOVE me some junk food, but at home I try to prepare things that are very basic and simple from organic ingredients. And I grow my own food when I can (though I'm not too good at it yet). Even if you think global warming is bunk, it makes sense to buy local and support your own community. Do these things make me "better" than other people? Oh hell no. But they do make me happier and more peaceful, and that's really what I'm striving for.-COLLAPSE

  • Like "vitamin water," organic is a lovely scam -- I applaud those smart enough to profit from it.

  • No.
    Yes.
    Yes, although, if you're one of the very rich, you just have people make the food for you. Also, as an added bonus, if they bring you Whole Wheat instead of Whole Grain you get the chance to yell at them because "they are NOT the same thing, STEVE!"

  • The one sentence jab at Republicans makes you an elitist jerk.

  • The issue isn't just whether a food is organic - it's also whether the food has been raised or grown well, which is a little more than simply a matter of whether chemical A or pesticide B or hormone C. Chickens that were raised like chicken rather than some factory products taste better. So do their eggs. Tomatoes that were ripened on the vine and quickly brought to my table taste better. MUCH...+READ

    The issue isn't just whether a food is organic - it's also whether the food has been raised or grown well, which is a little more than simply a matter of whether chemical A or pesticide B or hormone C. Chickens that were raised like chicken rather than some factory products taste better. So do their eggs. Tomatoes that were ripened on the vine and quickly brought to my table taste better. MUCH better.

    It's an added bonus to me that the animals I eat were treated respectfully and most of the plants I eat are grown in such a way that is less damaging to the environment and possibly to my health (I admit the data isn't definitive, but I think a conservative approach to ingesting chemicals I'm not familiar with is well justified).

    I'm not wealthy by American standards, but I'm willing to pay extra for what I consider to be good food because I think it's important and I enjoy it. I scrimp and save elsewhere in my life. I guess i don't really care if I'm called elitist for these choices. But anyone who thinks that's elitist has a much different way of looking at the world than I do.

    Everybody has got to care about something.-COLLAPSE

  • You are not an elitist jerk if you eat organic. You are an elitist jerk if you think eating organic makes you a better person that someone who doesn't eat organic.
    I eat organic because I don't want all those chemicals dumped into the earth or my body. It's not so expensive, as long as I eat what's in season and buy organic produce from a local farm, instead of organic produce flown in from...+READ

    You are not an elitist jerk if you eat organic. You are an elitist jerk if you think eating organic makes you a better person that someone who doesn't eat organic.
    I eat organic because I don't want all those chemicals dumped into the earth or my body. It's not so expensive, as long as I eat what's in season and buy organic produce from a local farm, instead of organic produce flown in from Chile.
    Anyone that has a yard and some sun can grow their own organic food, cheap.-COLLAPSE

  • • Are you an elitist jerk if you eat it? -- No.
    • Do elitist jerks tend to eat it more often? -- Yes.

    The fact that elitist jerks like something does not make it intrinsically elitist. Sometimes something that people perceive as being better actually is better, and thus there are legitimate reasons for choosing it other than being an elitist jerk. Whether your consumption choices make you an...+READ

    • Are you an elitist jerk if you eat it? -- No.
    • Do elitist jerks tend to eat it more often? -- Yes.

    The fact that elitist jerks like something does not make it intrinsically elitist. Sometimes something that people perceive as being better actually is better, and thus there are legitimate reasons for choosing it other than being an elitist jerk. Whether your consumption choices make you an elitist jerk is based more on why you make your choice, not the choice itself.

    As other people have noted, the economics of our food system are our of whack. Actually, the economics of our entire system is out of whack. The reason people believe they can't afford more healthy food is not because healthy food is too expensive, but because it appears to be more expensive than unhealthy food. Clearly the fact that Americans pay the lowest proportion of their income on food in the entire world means that the problem is not that food -- even organic food -- is too expensive, but that other things (housing, health care, etc.) are too expensive and are squeezing food budgets.

    The cost gap between organic and non-organic foods has been going down, and probably will continue to do so as both supply and demand increase. Early adopters always pay more, and then prices drop as production improves and the market broadened.

    Finally, I don't think that "the first question" is whether the organic food I buy is healthier for me than conventional food. To me the question is a lot more complicated than that. It's about promoting a food production system that is healthier: healthier for the planet, healthier for farmers, healthier for both the environment and economy of communities and maybe even healthier for individuals.-COLLAPSE

  • i think the first question to ask is if there is actually any, or one for that matter, conclusive studies that find organic foods to be healthier than conventional foods. and because the answer to that first question is that no, there is absolutely no evidence that organic foods are any better for us, i would say that the organic moniker is nothing more than a high-end brand, like apple or bmw...+READ

    i think the first question to ask is if there is actually any, or one for that matter, conclusive studies that find organic foods to be healthier than conventional foods. and because the answer to that first question is that no, there is absolutely no evidence that organic foods are any better for us, i would say that the organic moniker is nothing more than a high-end brand, like apple or bmw is. you can draw your conclusions about elitism and brands from there.-COLLAPSE

  • Was there any reason for this sentence, "It's being fought between Republicans who insist that it's every American child's God-given right to eat deep-fried lard burgers at every lunch in his or her public school cafeteria, at least until said public school is defunded entirely." ?

  • In Russia a lot people have a 'dacha' where they grow fresh veggies and preserve them in the winter.

    In the USA a lot of people have a 'garden' where they grow weeds or maybe a lawn.

    How difficult is it to put that yard to work for you?

  • Your shameless swipe at Republicans was petty and uncalled for.

  • If the government would subsidize broccoli, kale, and other vegetables then we would have affordable healthy food to eat. Instead they subsidize corn, soy, and wheat so our food contains soy lecithin, modified corn starch, and high fructose corn syrup. More and more studies are proving that fructose if the fuel for cancer.

  • It was when I was involved with Student Action with Farmworkers that I decided that I *could* afford organic: (PDF File) http://www.saf-unite.org/sites/all/files/newsletters/v16-2-Summer-2008.pdf

    So if being willing to pay more to keep at least some farmworkers from being exposed to potentially fatal toxins makes me an elitist jerk, then fine. But I do earn significantly less than $50K a year,...+READ

    It was when I was involved with Student Action with Farmworkers that I decided that I *could* afford organic: (PDF File) http://www.saf-unite.org/sites/all/files/newsletters/v16-2-Summer-2008.pdf

    So if being willing to pay more to keep at least some farmworkers from being exposed to potentially fatal toxins makes me an elitist jerk, then fine. But I do earn significantly less than $50K a year, and I'd say I eat 98-99% organic.-COLLAPSE

  • Organic food is for people who believe in magical thinking, i.e. that somehow there is some such critter as "pristine" perfectly, safe food that comes from the soil of nature and is unaffected when touched by human hands. And yes, many elitists somehow feel they are worthy, nay--deserving, of such golden nutriments.

  • There's no way that caring about what goes into your body is at all elitist.

    The worst part is that this mentality only continues to fester and get worse: uneducated/disinterested people lay it on their kids, who grow up to think the same thing, who then lay it on their kids, so on ad infinitum. It's pretty much solely the fault of ad execs, who've turned the word from a descriptor of...+READ

    There's no way that caring about what goes into your body is at all elitist.

    The worst part is that this mentality only continues to fester and get worse: uneducated/disinterested people lay it on their kids, who grow up to think the same thing, who then lay it on their kids, so on ad infinitum. It's pretty much solely the fault of ad execs, who've turned the word from a descriptor of something great into a grotesque, misappropriated buzzword.

    The solution is to change what people feel when they see or hear the word, or at least that's where to start. Better food belongs on everyone's table, regardless of income.-COLLAPSE

  • Doing x doesn't make one an elitist jerk. Doing x and telling everyone about it, lying in order to make it superior and telling others what to do makes one an elitist jerk.

    On the specific topic of food, I don't know what's going on in the UK, but I still view the dedicated organic (Not including those that jumped on the bandwagon) as hippies. They wear sandals, but instead of drinking...+READ

    Doing x doesn't make one an elitist jerk. Doing x and telling everyone about it, lying in order to make it superior and telling others what to do makes one an elitist jerk.

    On the specific topic of food, I don't know what's going on in the UK, but I still view the dedicated organic (Not including those that jumped on the bandwagon) as hippies. They wear sandals, but instead of drinking champagne, they smoke...-COLLAPSE

  • Only in the US is the food system so backwards that actually eating healthy foods is more expensive than eating engineered / processed foods. If the real costs (e.g., fuel, commodity subsidies, additional healthcare) of the garbage food that most Americans eat was included in the total price consumers pay over time, most budget-minded consumers would change their behavior. Eating natural food...+READ

    Only in the US is the food system so backwards that actually eating healthy foods is more expensive than eating engineered / processed foods. If the real costs (e.g., fuel, commodity subsidies, additional healthcare) of the garbage food that most Americans eat was included in the total price consumers pay over time, most budget-minded consumers would change their behavior. Eating natural food wouldn't be elitist, it would just be savvy. And if people want to eat those deep-fried lard burgers (which I believe they have the right to do), go right ahead; but know that you'll be the one footing the bill when your heart explodes in your 30s.-COLLAPSE

  • That is what used to be the attitude but now with the preponderance of evidence in favor of healthy and organic eating it is hard to argue that it is not a good idea. The effort should be in making it more available and less expensive so all of us could afford it all the time. I do believe that the time is coming when the local growing and less cost for storage and distribution will make these...+READ

    That is what used to be the attitude but now with the preponderance of evidence in favor of healthy and organic eating it is hard to argue that it is not a good idea. The effort should be in making it more available and less expensive so all of us could afford it all the time. I do believe that the time is coming when the local growing and less cost for storage and distribution will make these items more available at a lesser price and then we will not be able to say that it is only for the elites.-COLLAPSE

  • Speaking as an elitist jerk, yes.