Steven Shapin's What Are You Buying Organic?

In “What Are You Buying When You Buy Organic?” by Steven Shapin, Shapin discusses the current trend of people who are migrating to eating organic food only but also moves to dismiss any false connotations of what it truly means to be eating organic products. Shapin brings up the popular assumption that farms that claim to produce organic products are imagined to be a small family-owned business. That was not the case, as evidenced by Shapin’s article, where he pointed out that one of the biggest organic food producers, Earthbound Farm, went from a two-and-a-half-acre farm into a combined 26 thousand acres farming space. In addition, Earthbound Farm has production plants in different parts of the country which conjures up images of a large cooperate operation. (429) To keep up with the world …show more content…
Its purpose is not to dissuade consumers from purchasing organic food. He also discusses the positive implications of buying and consuming non-GMO organic products. For example, Shapin cited Michael Pollan’s book which explained the peace of mind when it comes to eating organic, “…but he wanted to test what it felt like to have ‘a meal that is eaten in full consciousness of what it took to make it.’ That consciousness, for Pollan, is more religious than political.” (438) This can be a true for many consumers who migrated towards the organic trend who felt it is morally inhumane to be eating corporate food when you have the option to eat “free range chickens” or “non-GMO fruits”. Furthermore, Shapin stated that organic farms can minimize its negative environmental impact by citing that Earthbound Farm “annually obviate the use of more than a quarter of a million pounds of toxic chemical pesticides and almost 8.5 million pounds of synthetic fertilizers, which saves 1.4 million gallons of the petroleum needed to produce those chemicals.” (429-430) Shapin aims to educate the readers on what it truly means to be