In a couple of weeks I’ll be heading for Las Vegas, where I’ll be speaking at Dr Roizen’s Preventive & Integrative Medicine Conference on two subjects: 1) differences between omega-3s and omega-6s, and their impact on inflammation in the body, and 2) organic vs. nonorganic fruits and vegetables.

We humans have such a short memory. Although all agriculture was organic for the vast majority of history, the term itself was coined only in 1939. It was less than one hundred years ago that the need first arose to distinguish between a traditional, ecological approach to farming and the growing amounts of food grown with application of modern synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. Initially, farmers called this new 20th century method of food production “chemical farming.” Other related terms I’ve come across include “inorganic farming,” technically inaccurate when applied to food production, “industrial,” “conventional farming,” and even “traditional farming.” Oh, how the mighty have fallen. This is what I want to talk about.

To review, the word “organic” refers to how farmers grow and process fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy, and meats. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) requires organic foods to meet strict standards. Organic farmers employ crop rotation, rotational grazing, mulch, manure, compost, and (yes, it is) labor-intensive hand weeding to control weeds, prevent disease, conserve soil and water, and reduce run-off. In contrast, industrial farming employs synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides, antibiotics, growth hormones to reduce pests, control weeds, and prevent disease. To call this strategy “traditional” is the mark of a short memory. To call it “conventional” is confusing, to say the least.

Think about the power of words to influence our opinions and behavior and you’ll begin to get a sense of why grocery carts today tend to be filled with boxes instead of broccoli. Try to remember how your great-grandparents ate their meals, and don’t let anyone convince you that “conventional” farming is the same as “traditional.” Read more about the words we use to describe the things we eat (and the way we grow them) at What’s So Wild About Salmon?

Next week: The dirty dozen vs. the clean fifteen.