Why Organic?

Earthbound Farm’s delicious organic salads, fruits, and vegetables are grown with a concern for the things we all value most — the health of our families, the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the future for our children and generations to come.

As organic farmers, we use a variety of environmentally friendly methods to grow healthy crops without relying on synthetic pesticides or fertilizers. (You can learn more about Earthbound Farm’s environmentally friendly farming methods in Organic 101.).

• Organic farming helps protect our air, soil, water, and food supply from potentially toxic chemicals and other pollutants.
• Organic produce is grown without synthetic pesticides. We use no synthetic herbicides, fumigants, or fertilizers.
• Organic produce is never genetically engineered or modified, and is never irradiated.
• Organic farming conserves natural resources by recycling natural materials.
• Organic farming encourages an abundance of species living in balanced, harmonious ecosystems.

We believe that organic food is the healthiest choice for people and the planet, but we also know it’s not always possible to find organic versions of every fruit and vegetable in the produce aisle of your local supermarket. This guide was compiled by the Environmental Working Group to help shoppers know which fruits and vegetables are most important to buy organic, and which conventionally grown ones tend to have fewer pesticide residues.

Watch Earthbound Farm co-founder and cookbook author Myra Goodman talk about the benefits of organic food on "Live with Regis & Kelly" with Donald Trump filling in for Regis!

 

Shoppers’ Guide to Pesticides in Produce
The Full List: 43 Fruits & Vegetables

RANK	FRUIT or VEGETABLE	SCORE
(worst) 1	Peaches	(most pesticide residues) 100
2	Apples	89
3	Sweet bell peppers	86
4	Celery	85
5	Nectarines	84
6	Strawberries	82
7	Cherries	75
8	Pears	65
9	Grapes (imported)	65
10	Spinach	60
11	Lettuce	59
12	Potatoes	58
13	Carrots	57
14	Green beans	53
15	Hot peppers	53
16	Cucumbers	52
17	Raspberries	47
18	Plums	45
19	Grapes (domestic)	43
20	Oranges	42
21	Grapefruit	40
22	Tangerine	38
23	Mushrooms	37
24	Cantaloupe	34
25	Honeydew melon	31
26	Tomatoes	30
27	Sweet potatoes	30
28	Watermelon	28
29	Winter squash	27
30	Cauliflower	27
31	Blueberries	24
32	Papaya	21
33	Broccoli	18
34	Cabbage	17
35	Bananas	16
36	Kiwi	14
37	Sweet peas (frozen)	11
38	Asparagus	11
39	Mango	9
40	Pineapples	7
41	Sweet corn (frozen)	2
42	Avocado	1
43 (best)	Onions	1 (least pesticide residues)

This produce ranking was developed by analysts at the not-for-profit Environmental Working Group (EWG), based on the results of nearly 43,000 tests for pesticides on produce collected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) between 2000 and 2004. Used by permission from EWG.

EWG is a not-for-profit environmental research organization dedicated to improving public health and protecting the environment by reducing pollution in our air, water, and food. For more information about pesticides in produce and to learn more about EWG, visit www.foodnews.org.

 

Take Organic 101 to learn more about Earthbound Farm's organic farming methods — then test your knowledge to earn a coupon for $1 off any Earthbound Farm product!