Is organic healthier?

A lot of people have different reasons for choosing organic products over conventionally produced foodstuffs.  One of the most common reasons is that organic is supposedly healthier.  I looked into this claim.  Here is what I found:

• There is no significant nutritional difference.

• While pesticide use is often criticized in conventional farming because of studies that show links to diseases, organic farming practices do allow the use of non-synthetic pesticides.  These pesticides are insufficiently researched and have unknown effects.  Also, a few researched organic pesticides have been noted by the EPA as likely carcinogens.  The residues of pesticides, organic or synthetic, found in food rank low in comparison with the naturally occurring carcinogens found in foodstuffs.  Furthermore, as a consumer, all pesticides present in food are below the safety standards set by the EPA.  As a consumer then, there is no known difference.  Both conventional and organic practices allow the use of dangerous pesticides that have been linked to diseases, although, neither practice should be causing harm to the consumer because of the EPA standards and the occurrence of stronger carcinogens in foodstuffs.

• The ones truly at risk of disease are the farmers working with these pesticides.  Less organic farms uses pesticides of any kind.  However, the use of organic pesticides is not as regulated as the use of synthetic pesticides.  This is an important point to make because organic pesticides do not work as well as synthetic pesticides.  Therefore, much more of an organic pesticide must be used to achieve the same effect as a synthetic one.  Because little is known about the long term effects of many organic pesticides, this increased exposure to a seemingly "good" pesticide can cause much more harm than using a known to be dangerous synthetic pesticide.

Basically, there is no health benefit to eating organic.  All foods are subject to EPA standards that make sure they are safe for consumption.  There are many unanswered questions about the dangers of organic pesticides, but what is known about them shows them to be just as dangerous as synthetic pesticides.  In fact, organic pesticides may be more dangerous because they more must be used to achieve the same effect.  They are naturally occurring; and, thus thought to be safe without the proper data.  However, a study in Science showed that residual pesticides rank low in the list of cancer causing agents found in foodstuff.

What is the ethical standpoint then?  There isn't one.  From a health stand point, this is personal preference.  There is no philosophical view of why organic is better than conventional when they are essentially the same.

What is organic?

Here's a glance into the differences between conventional and organic farming:

Conventional	Organic
Apply chemical fertilizers to promote plant growth.	Apply natural fertilizers, such as manure or compost, to feed soil and plants.
Spray insecticides to reduce pests and disease.	Use beneficial insects and birds, mating disruption or traps to reduce pests and disease.
Use herbicides to manage weeds.	Rotate crops, till, hand weed or mulch to manage weeds.
Give animals antibiotics, growth hormones and medications to prevent disease and spur growth.	Give animals organic feed and allow them access to the outdoors. Use preventive measures — such as rotational grazing, a balanced diet and clean housing — to help minimize disease.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/organic-food/NU00255