Dear Friend,

A sanctuary in Bend Oregon now reports that their male chimpanzee named Topo invariably selects organic fruits and vegetables over those that are conventionally grown whenever he is allowed to choose. This chimp has the same discriminating nature as those at the Copenhagen Zoo in Denmark, who consistently chose to eat organic bananas when zoo keepers put both organic and conventionally grown bananas in the primates' cages as part of the zoo's program to earn a "green label" as an environmental zoo. What's more, the chimps eat the organic banana skin and all, but peel the inorganic fruits before chomping them down.

Results from research conducted on test animals may just be the most recent confirmation of what these chimps know instinctively: a diet of organic foods results in slimmer bodies, stronger immune systems and higher blood levels of vitamin E. The animals fed an organic diet also appeared to be more relaxed than those fed conventional foods.

Whether the chimps prefer the taste of organically grown fruit, are avoiding the pesticide residues on the conventionally grown varieties or are opting for the increased nutritional value found in organically grown foods, we agree with them that selecting organically grown foods whenever possible is an important component of a Healthier Way of Eating.