A horizontal full frame image of healthy fruits. | Gregor Schuster via Getty Images

Each year, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) releases a list of the "dirty dozen" that is, twelve fruits and vegetables that they highly recommend people should buy organic, as opposed to conventionally grown.

The list, which is based on the pesticide residues found on 48 popular fruit and vegetables, has similar findings this year to past releases. However, two notable additions for 2015 include hot chili peppers and kale/collard greens, which are highlighted because of the types of pesticides being used on the produce.

"Residue tests conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture have found these foods laced with particularly toxic pesticides. Among the chemicals at issue are organophosphate and carbamate insecticides." These types of pesticides attack the nervous system, according to National Geographic, so even though they're used in small doses in North America, people who eat a lot of these types of foods are advised to seek out organic options.

Although pesticides used in Canada, particularly on food, are highly regulated, there are still potential ill effects from ingesting these chemicals, particularly for people with compromised immune systems, according to Prevention magazine. And there are other reasons to consider buying organic produce as well.

As Director of the Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada Andrew Hammermeister pointed out in an email to The Huffington Post Canada, eating organic food is not just a matter of reducing pesticide intake.

"Organic foods are an excellent option for consumers that want to reduce exposure to synthetic pesticides, genetically engineered organisms, growth hormones, antibiotics, preservatives, food colouring, flavours etc.," he wrote. But it also benefits ecological sustainability, biodiversity and animal welfare, and reduces environmental exposure to nanotechnology and antibiotics.

Meanwhile, a study reported last year by the CBC noted that half of all organic produce in the country was found to contain pesticides. The reasons ranged from pesticide residue in water or soil, contact with non-organic produce, and of course, the possibility that some farmers are using pesticide when they claim they aren't. From the sample, 1.8 per cent of produce exceeded the allowable limits by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).

So what is a consumer who wants to avoid pesticides to do? First of all, eat from the "clean" fruits and veggies on the list below they have the least amount of pesticides, thanks to their thicker (and more protective) skins. Secondly, for the "dirty" produce, consider buying organic. Even though it is possible they'll contain some pesticides, it will be far less than conventionally grown foods.

Excerpt from:
Foods To Buy Organic In 2015, Especially For Fruits And Vegetables

Although the popularity and availability of organic fruits and vegetables continues to grow, for many consumers the whole thing still comes across as a bit of a fad a movement created by stores like Trader Joes and Whole Foods to get even more of their hard-earned cash.

Why pay $4 or more for a bunch of asparagus at Fresh Market, after all, when you can pay half that at Publix? Who has the time or patience for a 20- to 30-minute trek to a local produce stand when theres a two-for-one sale at the Wal-Mart down the street and you can pick up those razors you need as well?

Even for those ready to embrace a healthier lifestyle, there are lingering doubts about safety, taste and, of course, cost.

With all of these uncertainties floating around, the big question is this: Is the extra effort and money really worth it? And if so, how can organic food providers make it a little easier for the average person to get their hands on the good stuff?

I think for most of us, we want to know that what were eating is pure, said Cathy Hume, co-owner of Urban Oasis Hydroponic in Tampa. Logic tells you that eliminating as much false product in your system is bound to have a healthy effect on you.

Hume and her husband, Dave, have been naturally growing produce for eight years on a seemingly barren concrete slab on Linebaugh Avenue. They specialize in vertical hydroponic growing, a soilless technique that uses a nutrient solution to turn out sustainable produce.

They are not certified organic, Hume said, but they practice organic principles. We are not certified. We dont need to be. Our customers appreciate that they can come here and see their food; they can talk face to face with the people who actually go out there and plant it. We have relationships with these people.

Just down the road in Town N Country, Sweetwater Organic Farm abides by the strictest rules of USDA Organic certifications.

In the beginning, we went through a pretty intensive audit, said Kaitlin Hennessy, program director at Sweetwater. They look at land use, what fertilizers and insect repellent you use, and then every year afterward we are audited again to make sure we are continuing to do those practices.

For example, an acceptable fertilizer might be the use of liquefied seaweed. Its super high in nitrogen and is an organically occurring substance.

Read more:
Growers say organic food worth extra effort, cost