With the growing demand for organic foods in the U.S., there has been a backlash from agribusiness groups, companies, and individuals who see organic as a threat to their interests. These critics accuse the organic industry of using deceptive marketing practices to get consumers to pay more money for organic food. Another line of attack has been that organic farmers use lots of pesticides, some of which are more toxic than those used by conventional farmers.

The reality is that some organic farmers do use pesticides but such products are primarily derived from natural substances, go through a strict regulatory approval process to ensure they are not harmful to the environment and human health, and are only allowed to be used when other pest control methods aren’t successful.

The fact is that the organic farming and food movement is based on producing healthier foods without the use of toxic pesticides.