Beer
The Backstory
Environmental Issues
Beer is made primarily from barley and hops, with some wheat used to make "wheat beers." Producing these grains commercially involves petroleum-based fertilizers, herbicides, insecticides and fungicides, which pose threats to human health and ecosystems.
The Hops Debate
Hops, leafy flowering vines that need direct sunlight to grow, are sensitive crops and highly susceptible to pests, mildew and fungi, making it difficult, but not impossible, to grow hops organically in damp, cool, northern climates. Most of the world's organic hops are grown in New Zealand, with some grown on very small-scale farms in Wisconsin, the Northwest, Western Canada and England. Large organic breweries argue that there simply aren't enough organic hops for large-scale organic beer production, and so they petitioned the USDA to allow nonorganic hops to be used in organic beers, which the USDA has done. Consumer advocates and long-time beer brewers argue that the USDA is simply watering down its organic standards by allowing nonorganic hops, but other small brewers note that requiring the use of organic hops might strain an already small supply as more large companies enter the field.
Because the USDA has closed its public comment period on the use of nonorganic hops in organic beers, there's not much shoppers can do if they want a 100-percent organic beer aside from buying beers that have committed to using organic hops, such as those on our Product Comparisons page.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Transporting beer around the world in heavy glass bottles, then refrigerating it at stores until you take it home, consumes a great deal of fossil fuel resources. Moreover, more than 10 percent of U.S. beer is imported, journeying from even farther distances to reach American consumers, and due to the small scale of organic grain and hops production in North America, fossil fuels are also required to transport these ingredients to brewers. However, you can patronize very small brewers, such as Crannog Ales in British Columbia, that have sited their breweries on the farms where their organic ingredients are grown.
Personal Health Issues
The benefits of organic beer are largely environmental. Unlike conventional produce, which can absorb high levels of pesticides, conventional beer hasn't been found to contain many pesticide residues. A 1999 survey by the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization detected chlormaquat, an herbicide used on wheat, in beer but at levels so low as to not pose immediate risks to a beer drinker's health.
There's even some evidence that beer might be good for you. A 2000 article in the American Journal of Medical Sciences said that beer contains more B vitamins and protein than wine and that the antioxidant content of beer is equivalent to that of wine (although the antioxidants differ because those in barley and hops are different than those in grapes). Nevertheless, that doesn't mean you should overindulge. Organic or not, beer contains ethyl alcohol (ethanol), known to cause cancers of the mouth, pharynx, larynx and esophagus. A U.S. Department of Health and Human Services report also found other components and contaminants besides ethanol in wine, beer and spirits that are known or suspected human carcinogens, including acetaldehyde, nitrosamines, aflatoxins, ethyl carbamate (urethan), asbestos and arsenic compounds. No clear information is available on dosage levels and harm to health, but it's still important to enjoy beer, and any other alcoholic beverage, in moderation.
