‘Organic’ is sprouting up everywhere—is it really healthier or just hype?

Fake Prada and pirated CDs have been part of Bangkok’s mojo for years, but fake organic food? Toru Tanaka learned firsthand what “organic” in Bangkok means when he opened his restaurant Shan last year. “Many people talk of organic, non-chemical, ‘safe safe safe’—and in actuality the food was grown using chemicals.” Tanaka had a difficult time sourcing organic ingredients for his Chinese hot-pot restaurant on Thonglor, but was able to find a Japanese farmer outside of Bangkok raising organic livestock. “There are large organic suppliers in Bangkok, but I can’t trust everyone. I have to check out the farms myself.” He reported that many suppliers have fancy brochures boasting of their organic, all-natural practices—when that isn’t really the case.

So what’s with all the fuss? The O-word is sprouting up all over the place these days; in grocery store produce sections and restaurant menus alike. “We have seen a staggering increase over the past four years in demand from our customers for organic produce, eggs and meat,” reported Sudaporn Singhadhepthada, Business Development Manager for Villa Market. With daily media coverage (or hysteria) regarding food safety, the worried and wealthy have taken refuge in the comfort of buying organic.

Is organic really healthier?

According to IPM Danida (Integrated Pest Management), an estimated 40 percent of Thai farmers are using pesticides considered harmful, and 14 percent admitted using illegal pesticides—chemicals deemed dangerous. It’s scary to think of what else you’re eating with your afternoon somtam—is there an invisible chemical coating serving as a daily dose of poison?

Crops and livestock considered “organic” are grown and raised without the assistance of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, synthetic hormones or non-natural livestock feed. For years, chemicals have served as the farmer’s weapon of choice in order to control crop-destroying pests like bugs and rats, yielding larger harvests and prettier fruit. Farmers spray crops, but then pesticide residue remains on the fruit or vegetable, and eventually winds up in our bodies. Thousands of studies have examined the health effects of pesticides, with varying results.

Last year a group of American scientists conducted a study of 23 children. The children consumed their regular diets for three days, then only organic food for five days, and then went back to their usual non-organic diet for the remaining seven days.

“We were able to demonstrate that an organic diet provides a dramatic and immediate protective effect against exposure to organophosphorus pesticides that are commonly used in agricultural production,” the study said. The study defined organophosphorus (OP) pesticides as a group of insecticides known to cause neurologic effects in animals and humans.

Does organic food taste better?

People are turning to organic food not only for perceived health benefits, but for taste too. Norbert Kostner, the executive chef at the Oriental Hotel, grew up on a farm in Italy.

     “Organic products taste better, sure. They are more natural. For example, a carrot that grows in 90 days instead of the natural 120 days has a different flavor. Take a chicken. A chicken brought up in 48 days with chemically enhanced food and antibiotic injections, [versus] a free-roaming chicken fed natural food brought up in six months. You will have a different flavor, and I think, increased nourishment as well,” he said.

     “I’m not an expert, but this is my gut feeling telling me that natural is better. It’s logic, not rocket science, to know that organic food is better—because it’s part of nature, it’s part of the earth.”

Vitoon Panyakul agrees. Panyakul is the director of Green Net, a Bangkok-based organization that helps farmers convert to organic farming. “I’m careful about what I eat. People who work in the agricultural sector—conventional or organic—know that there are such certain crops, certain fruits, that are more dangerous than others,” he explained. “Vegetables are intended to be grown during a certain season. When they are grown outside of that season, they are more prone to insects and therefore more chemicals are used to control them. If you eat cabbage in the wintertime, it was probably grown with fewer pesticides. If you eat cabbage right now, it’s more dangerous.”

The label says organic, but…

Confusion exists among the public with the many different labels on our food. Organic, hygienic, pesticide-free—it can be bewildering. Thailand does not have a centralized organic certification system. Two government entities offer certification for farmers. The Department of Agriculture (DOA) and the National Bureau of Agricultural Commodity and Food Standards (ACFS) offer certification for farmers, but they’re based on standards that are not necessarily accepted by the international community.

Other goods are “certified organic” according to international standards instead of the Thai government, while some produce in the marketplace is organic, but isn’t labeled as such. Instead of relying on obtuse labels, consumers must take an active role.
 “Consumers need to seriously question the integrity of the organic products they are buying, and the authenticity of the labeling. It would weed out some of the not-so-good practices of organic operators or traders,” Panyakul advised.

Hopping on the bandwagon

Farmers are converting their farms for both economic incentives and health benefits. Direct exposure to harmful synthetic agro-chemicals can result in health problems. Of the 606 Thai farmers polled in 2004, 339 of them reported experiencing mild signs of pesticide poisoning, from skin rashes to numbness.

     By going organic, farmers save on health costs, eliminate expenses on synthetic chemicals, and are able to grow a wider variety of crops (thus lowering their own food costs).

     Panyakul entered the field of agriculture with the hope of helping farmers out of poverty. He summed up the benefits by saying, “Generally, the organic farming life is much more economically sufficient and socially content than conventional farming.”

Fortune cookie says: The future is bright

With growing consumer awareness, increased marketplace demand, and farmers joining on the trend, the organic future of Thailand looks strong. Organic products generated nearly 950 million baht in 2006, including 427 million that was exported mainly to Europe and Japan. The momentum is growing—and Panyakul feels good about it. “I’m optimistic about the future of organic farming in Thailand. We’re now in the early stages of the global warming cry—and I think environmental awareness will grow much stronger.” For a list of organic producers and stores, visit the DOA here.

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Illustration by Pongton Yimyam

published as "The O-Word"