The organic debate runs on

Michael Skapinker has done the hard work of looking at the thinking behind the Food Standards Agency report that finds "no good evidence" that eating organic food would benefit most people. The report is a summary of lots of scientific papers that weeds out the ones with poor science to find a consensus. The consensus is, at present, that there is no evidence to support the health claims of organic food. An issue for local shops is that advocates of organic food are not likely to be swayed by this study and they will still want to buy food they believe to be better for them. So you may still be stocking organic food and having to present it in a way that implies its potential health benefits. As a placebo can often help people feel better, who is to say that buying a nice looking carrot will not make your shopper feel better too! The FSA says that it is niether for nor against organic food and that it is a matter for consumer choice. The people who carried out the research of the research say that they were surprised at how poor existing research was. The European Union is due to address that sometime in the next year or two! In the meantime, give your shoppers what they want.

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