Pesticides on Strawberries

It is our conscious decision that eating organic food is optional.

Maybe I sound defensive, but a lot of my peers, of whom I respect and admire, make eating organic foods compulsory. They site the negative side effects of hormones, antibiotics, and pesticides as the primary reason for spending the extra money on special food. Added nutritional value and better taste are secondary reasons. I've done my own research, and I'm still not convinced that eating organic foods makes a significant difference in our health and development.

But, sometimes I have a friend who is really convincing, and I can't shake the feeling that I'm doing something wrong. Specifically, Kira eats fresh strawberries almost every day. She loves them for breakfast. Strawberries are one of the most notorious items in produce for having pesticide residue; supposedly, according to my friend, of whom I totally trust and believe. I'm a little worried that although the pesticide residue found on strawberries is at a tolerable level as established by authorities, it is possible Kira is getting greater exposure thanks to her eating them almost every day. Or perhaps authorities account for a higher level of consumption than what Kira is eating, and thus Kira is still safe...?

On the other hand, I think all strawberries, grown conventionally or organically, will have some pesticide residue. The difference is that conventional agriculture utilizes synthetic pesticide while organic agriculture uses natural pesticides (I think). If this is true, then wouldn't the conventionally grown strawberries be safer because synthetic pesticide is more targeted, thus causing fewer negative side effects from residue?

Can someone please put me out of my misery and tell me the real deal? Sometimes I can't stand my neuroticism.