Most people who buy organic produce wouldn't like the idea that they are getting quite a bit of copper (technically a heavy metal) as part of the bargain. Why copper? Because fungicides based on copper (copper hydroxide, copper sulfate pentahydrate...) are some of the limited options that an organic farmer has to control plant diseases caused by fungi and bacteria, reports Steve Savage. (1) The reason to bring this up is to point out that: 1- pesticides are used on organic foods, and 2- some of the pesticides that are used on organic are not necessarily safer than those used by 'conventional' growers.
