The more I read, the more convinced I am about Organic.

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Organic everything from food to cleaning materials to clothing. It started as an interest in the environment, more than my own health. Organic farms are alive with wildlife whilst intensive ones are more like deserts but as I've researched it more I've been convinced of the health benefits too. Not only the damage done by the pesticides etc but the way intensive farming methods mean that food is just less nutritious than it should be.

However, it has to be said that most of what I've read is definitely written from the POV of the organic farmer or environmental campaigner. Who can recommend something coming from the opposing POV?

No-one? I'm kind of hoping someone can convince me it's all nonsense and save me a fortune.

Well, I imagine it IS better for the environment not to be filled with pesticides/insecticides/nitrates, etc. And organic farming is better for the animals in terms of welfare, apparently.

However, you need to weigh that up against the sheer number of people that need to be fed in this world. There is not the capacity to feed them all using organic methods alone.

As someone I can't remember said, the SINGLE most environmentally friendly thing you can do is not have another child.

I take that line when harangued for not buying organic everything - though, to be fair, I tend to buy organic food for my own family for perceived health reasons. Bugger everyone else's though.

Oh Yes, Awesome, the earth mothers with a millions kids and associated pets, using organic everything and cloth nappies so they can be all smug about their environmental credentials make no sense at all.

I understand your argument but the trouble is, some of what I've read suggests we could do it organically - if we ate less meat and didn't use valuable arable land for biofuels etc,

Just contact any pesticide manufacturer and they'll argue your ears off that non-organic is far better.

I'm a farmer's wife and our (non organic, conventional) farm is teeming with wildlife!

I don't buy organic, but I do try to buy local & seasonal

I'm not convinced by organic for organic's sake. I certainly wouldn't buy organic vegetables that have had to be trunked half way around the world if there was a local (UK) alternative available. Similarly I don't see the point in shipping organic grain great distances in order to feed local cattle just so that the cattle can be designated organic.

I have to declare an interest. I work in the food industry and, even though some of the products I'm responsible for are organic, I know that the nutritional benefits of organic are often overplayed. Organic farming can be as intensive as conventional a lot of the time and, because the yields per hectare are usually lower, more land is needed together with more water in order to produce the same quantities.

What is often overlooked is that herbicides, pesticides and fertilisers are horrendously expensive. Most farmers and food producers will do their level best to keep usage to a minimum purely to avoid costs. The people I deal with work very hard to improve growing techniques to eliminate common problems rather than splash around the chemicals. But, since the premium for organic is not what it used to be, they don't have the incentive to go 100%.

I was convinced until I started study with the OU and completed an environment course. I always thought organic and local was best. However, some organic local apples are stored for up to a year in air free chambers .... Less environmental damage is done by flying non organic apples half way around the world!

I do like the idea of organic consumption however, but it is not black and white and we have to be savvy. I like the idea of organic for my own health and am worried about chemical deposits in my body. Only time will tell...

It's about striking a balance. I'm 100% convinced that organic is best for me and the planet, but sometimes I buy non-organic if the price difference is silly and I very rarely buy imported organic apples, blueberries and similar that is grown in the UK.

Organic dairying person here, so have to declare an interest!

I think our milk tastes much better for being organic, even apart from the health benefits.

Welfare is so much higher than in conventional production - especially in terms of ratios of cattle in cattlesheds, minimal antibiotics, and better calf-rearing.

Environmental benefits are higher - as well as the fact that the land receives no fertilisers, pesticides etc - organic farms are likely to be in the OELS scheme (organic entry level stewardship) which means for example that you have to leave a much larger (unfarmed) gap between the hedge and the grass/crop which obviously makes the hedgerow a much better habitat for wildlife.

As a consumer though, even though I'm obviously a massive supporter of organic, I have to draw the line somewhere, otherwise I'd be skint! So I prioritise buying organic veg and dairy products, but not stuff like organic clothes, although I would like to.

I think the perfect blend would be a balance of organic but also local and seasonal (as the poster up thread mentioned). This would be of a massive benefit for everyone involved. We don't need blueberries on Christmas Day.