On Monday, while conducting my usual perusal of The Badger Herald, I came across an article that I found disturbing. Apparently, unbeknownst to me, it is Real Food Week at the University of Wisconsin. Being a human who eats food, I was intrigued to learn what this week of nourishment had in store for our humble campus. However, my interest quickly turned to outrage when I learned that Real Food Week was perpetuating the scam of organic food.

Real Food Week is being promoted by Slow Food UW, an aptly chosen name for an organization that insists on agricultural practices that grow food in a slow and inefficient manner that will not sustain an increasing world population.

This Real Food Week is meant to get UW to change 20 percent of its dining services budget to what Slow Food UW arrogantly refers to as “real food.” According to the Herald article which quoted Slow Food International member Paige Kelly, “Real food” is organic, locally grown food that uses environmentally friendly methods and treats animals fairly.” And just so everybody is aware, by this definition, that’s not McDonald’s clogging your heart; it’s merely an illusion.

Now, I support locally grown food and being friendly to animals and the environment. It’s the organic aspect of this definition of “real food” that I have a major problem with. Organic food is a scam and does nothing to improve a person’s health. Study after study has revealed organic food is just as healthy as its cheaper, agriculturally sustainable, non-organic counterparts.

Slow Food UW would like to see $1 million of the $4 million that UW spends on food be “real food.” However, if UW shifts one-fourth of its food to organically-produced food, it will need to spend $5 million to purchase the same amount because organic food is anywhere from 20 percent to 100 percent more expensive than food grown by conventional methods for two reasons.

First, the methods used to produce organic food are vastly less efficient than those used in non-organic foods. Studies have found that organic food methods on average produce about 25 percent lower yield than food grown using conventional methods. One-fourth less food would be a massive decrease if one were to apply these methods to the entire state or country. It is simply not a sustainable method of food production.

The second reason is people’s own sense of vanity. For some reason, organic food has become a hot commodity here in the United States. The term “organic” is only a connotation that people perceive to mean healthier and a better choice. And why shouldn’t they? The U.S. Department of Agriculture even hands out stickers that scream, “Pick me, I’ve been guaranteed organic.” But all they really do is guarantee the person who buys organic food will pay more at the checkout.

We should not be promoting organic food and perpetuating a lie that is economically unsustainable. We should, however, be promoting eating healthier food or preparing food in a healthier manner. Instead of getting McDonald’s on Saturday, eat an apple. Instead of drinking soda, drink cranberry juice or better yet, water. Instead of cooking with butter, use vegetable oil. Eating healthier is the message that our campus should promote. Instead, we are stuck listening to a group of misguided hippies on the virtues of organic food.

I have lived my entire life on my family’s small dairy farm and we have gotten by fine using conventional growing methods and approved pesticides (that have had no negative side-effects on my development). The only difference between a gallon of milk produced on my farm and a gallon of milk produced on an organic farm is $3.57.

Jared Mehre ([email protected]) is a junior majoring in political science, sociology and legal studies.