Why I Only Feed My Family Organic Peanuts and Peanut Butter

My family loves most kinds of nuts, including peanuts, and peanut butter is a versatile, low cost and  high protein food. However it is also one of the most pesticide contaminated food that Americans eat. The reason for this is because peanuts are commonly rotated with cotton crops. Cotton crops deplete soils of nutrients and nitrogen rich legumes, like peanuts, help to build up the soil. So what is the problem? Cotton is considered to be one of the dirtiest crops in the world due to the incredibly high amount of pesticide use. Cotton is also not a food crop so the kinds of chemicals sprayed on cotton are not ones that would typically be used in edible agriculture (although those chemicals are also awful). Peanuts are then grown in those same heavily contaminated fields. The microorganisms in this soil are already damaged and this creates a poor environment which in turn encourages the proliferation of pests and fungus growth, this leads to the need for more pesticides and fungicides. It is not uncommon for peanut crops to be sprayed every 8-10 days with chemicals during the growing season. This cycle is one that is repeated with most conventionally grown crops. When you use more pesticides, you need more pesticides.  Peanuts have a soft absorbent shell and, according to the USDA, samples of peanuts that were tested were positive for up to eight different chemicals! Piperonyl Butoxide was found over a quarter of the time. This chemical is known as a synergistic, so it is typically considered to not be toxic on its own, however it is known to prevent the metabolism of other pesticides. It is in fact used because of this very reason: to make toxic chemicals last longer and prove more deadly to pests. This chemical is used widely in agriculture on everything from tomatoes to lemons and was found in 80% of household environments.

Throughout my entire childhood I knew maybe two people who were allergic to peanuts. These days it is incredibly common. Could there be a link between increasing peanut allergies and the high levels of poison sprayed on them? Could there be a link between food allergies and pesticides in general? There is currently research being done regarding this. I have one child who gets a rash whenever she eats conventional strawberries, but not organic ones. I don’t need a study to back this up, I have seen it with my own eyes.

Another concern regarding peanuts is aflatoxin. When peanuts are grown in warm, moist conditions (and many peanut crops are) this encourages the growth of fungus. This fungus can release aflatoxin, which has been linked to liver cancer. Aflatoxin can be present in organic peanut butters. MaraNatha peanut butter claims to have products that are “virtually free” from aflatoxin. This is the brand of peanut butter we buy for our home. We all prefer almond butter though, and we eat much more almond butter than peanut butter. I adapt most recipes calling for peanut butter to almond butter simply because that is what I usually have on hand. My absolute favorite is Justin’s Maple Almond Butter. This link is for a box of ten single serving packs because this was the best price point I could find online, you can find it in 12-16 ounce jars at stores like Whole Foods. Or just stir a little maple syrup into your favorite almond butter.

So if you are going to buy peanut butter, consider going organic. Remember that as a consumer the biggest vote you have is with your dollars. If people refuse to buy food that is grown with pesticides then producers will have no choice but to quit using it.