Is organic food just a marketing scheme aimed at affluent consumers? A Stanford study and the media’s coverage of it indicate as much.

Here’s the NYT’s original coverage: Stanford Scientists Cast Doubt on Advantages of Organic Meat and Produce.

Scientists “concluded that fruits and vegetables labeled organic were, on average, no more nutritious than their conventional counterparts, which tend to be far less expensive. Nor were they any less likely to be contaminated by dangerous bacteria like E. coli…. The researchers also found no obvious health advantages to organic meats.”

Yet the study makes a case for organic with a number of points. Organic produce, researchers found, was much less likely to retain traces of pesticides. Organic chicken and organic pork were less likely to be contaminated by antibiotic resistant bacteria than their conventionally raised counterparts. Plus, the study found that organic milk contained more healthful omega-3 fatty acids.

I’m not the only one scratching my head. [...]