Organic Bananas vs Regular Bananas: Which is Healthier?

As demand for fresh produce has grown, the methods of production have also progressed. This is not necessarily for the better as more chemicals are being used to make sure production numbers stay high. These chemicals are things such as pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers. These chemicals have been proven bad and harmful to our environment, and also to our health. This is why many people are deciding to purchase organic foods instead.

Table of Contents

• What is organic produce?
• Organic bananas
  • Benefits of organic bananas
    • Healthier for you
    • Healthier for workers
    • Harmful for the environment
    • Make a statement
    • Sustainability
• Do they taste different from regular bananas?
• So which is better?
• FAQs

What is organic produce?

In simple terms, organic crop is any fruit or vegetable that has been farmed with no added chemicals such as pesticides that are deemed harmful to our environment and health. The more technical definition of the term is that the produce is only labeled as organic if grown on soil free of any prohibited substances for three or more years prior to harvest. When products have packaging that titles them as organic, this means that at least 70% of the product is organically grown.

Organic bananas

The one main difference between regular and organic bananas is how they are grown. Organic bananas are grown without any of the synthetic fertilizers or harmful chemicals that are found in conventional bananas. Other than this, they taste and act the same and are almost identical to regular store-bought bananas. Some may think after doing very little scientific research that the banana peel will protect the fruit on the inside from the chemicals, but this is incorrect. Not only are the chemicals absorbed through the banana peel, but the pesticide residue also ends up on your hands when you try to eat a banana.

Benefits of organic bananas

There are many reasons why you should choose organic bananas and other organic food. They are proven to be healthier for not only your body but also the environment. On top of this, there are also a variety of other reasons.

Healthier for you

If you are eating a banana, you are probably trying to be relatively healthy. So it may come as some bad news that the pesticides used in traditional banana farming can seep into the soil and absorb into the plant itself. These pesticides are unhealthy for human consumption and have been linked to a number of health effects such as respiratory problems and cancer.

Alongside this, there are many surprising health benefits to organic crop as it is naturally grown and has higher levels of everything good found in fruits and vegetables.

Healthier for workers

The workers who tend to the crops on these farms also are at risk of serious health issues, This is because conventional bananas are one of the most pesticide-intensive crops known to man. Some of the pesticides used in this farming are even considered illegal in the USA because of their harmful impact. The workers on these farms are exposed to noxious pesticides almost daily and this can lead to very long-term health problems such as birth defects, chronic illness, and respiratory problems and is also linked to developing cardiovascular issues.

Harmful for the environment

If chemical pesticides can be harmful to us, you can begin to imagine what they are doing to our planet as they are being absorbed into the soil and environment, damaging much more than just the pests they were designed for. The pesticides can run off into water systems which impacts drinking water and also aquatic life. This leads to biodiversity loss and can mess with our ecosystem’s natural balance.

Make a statement

It may not be obvious, but one of the clearest ways to make a statement and send a message is through the economy. With this being said, bananas are one of the most purchased and valued fruits in the USA. Because of this, if everyone started only buying organic fruits and bananas, then the economy would show this and send a clear message that there is high demand for more organic farms. If there is a demand and money to be made in organic farming, many more companies will start following through with this.

Non-organic bananas are one of the most widely consumed crops in the world, so to see a dip in their consumption will make even the most ignorant of people notice the demand for change.

Sustainability

As mentioned, pesticides harm the environment and are related to climate change. Eventually, this will be irreversible. However, swapping to organic farming will not only stop any more of this from happening, but it will also help reverse some of the previous effects of climate change. Farming will store carbon in the soil which helps mitigate previous effects of climate change.

Organic farming is also sustainable as it does not damage the soil or environment used for farming, whereas harmful chemicals will eventually make these places more and more difficult to grow in.

Do they taste different from regular bananas?

There is no evidence to suggest that regular bananas have any difference in taste from organically grown bananas. All of the same many health benefits and nutrition can be found in organic foods with the only difference being how they are grown.

With this being said, there is very little reason not to swap to organic bananas and organic foods in general. It may be slightly more difficult to find a retailer for said items but any farmer’s market or vegetable grocers will most likely sell them which will make buying organic bananas easier. It is also said that organic bananas bruise easier than regular ones, and this is a lie. The ethylene gas that bananas naturally produce is the exact same in both regular and organic farms.

So which is better?

There is no reason why you should continue to buy conventionally grown bananas. Swapping to organic bananas is not only healthier for you but is also healthier for the planet. The harmful pesticides used in banana farming is damaging the soil and the fruit as well as the workers who are farming the land. This will lead to serious environmental issues if something is not changed.

Organic fruit is generally healthier as well for the planet as natural farming methods give off no extra chemicals and also help store carbon in the soil which mitigates the previous effects of climate change.

FAQs