Why are the vegetables in supermarkets so beautiful?

On the shelves of supermarkets, you will find vegetables that are uniform in shape and shiny.

In contrast, I sometimes come across claims like this: Supermarket vegetables are so covered in pesticides that they repel insects and diseases, are forced to grow large with massive amounts of chemical fertilizers, and are mass-produced to be identical in shape. Therefore, supermarket vegetables are dangerous.

What is the truth of the matter?

I am a farmer who produces green onions, which fall into the category of so-called 'conventional cultivation,' and I ship my entire harvest to the agricultural cooperative, from where it is sent to urban areas through the market.

However, only a portion of these end up on supermarket shelves.

Even if I use pesticides and chemical fertilizers as needed, I cannot create perfect produce, and the shape and quality of the harvested green onions vary. During the sorting process, thin ones are classified as 'B' or 'M,' those that are too thick or too short, or those with noticeable insect damage are classified as 'thick' or other grades, and those that are bent are sorted into 'bent' grades. Only those that are straight, have a long white part, and have beautiful leaves are classified as 'L' or '2L' and end up on supermarket shelves.

Even if the shape is good, if there is even a tiny spot of insect damage, it becomes a downgraded product called a 'second,' which is sent to bargain sales or discount stores.

In other words, the vegetables on supermarket shelves are beautiful and uniform in color and shape because they have been carefully selected from a large harvest.

It is true that if you use a large amount of pesticides, you can prevent insects and diseases. However, the number of times each pesticide component can be used and the safe number of days until harvest are strictly determined, so they are by no means free to use as much as one likes. Also, pesticides are expensive and require labor to spray, so I prefer not to use them unless absolutely necessary.

As for chemical fertilizers, because the price of imported raw materials is soaring, there is an increase in hybrid fertilizers that combine organic and chemical components to reduce costs by incorporating domestic compost. In the off-season, I also pay attention to soil preparation by spreading compost such as pig manure on the fields.

Under various constraints, each farmer works hard every day, using ingenuity under the scorching sun to produce as many 'L' and '2L' grade vegetables as possible, which sell for the highest prices.

Also, we must not forget the benefits of pesticides and chemical fertilizers in ensuring that a large amount of vegetables can be stably placed on shelves every single day.

Those pesticides and chemical fertilizers are also evolving every day in terms of their impact on the environment and safety.

The internet is overflowing with articles that view pesticides and chemical fertilizers as dangerous and reject them entirely, or that look down on conventional cultivation to increase the added value of their own produce.

But conventional farmers take pride in providing stable, inexpensive, and safe food. Conventional farmers are not mindless, selfish, or greedy for money.

Farmers and farming methods each have their own roles. Everyone is different, and everyone is good.

It is difficult to know the truth amidst the overflow of various information.

I hope this post is of some help to you.

Please feel free to eat Japanese vegetables with peace of mind.