Is Organic Good For You?
You do not have to look far these days to find chefs and cooks telling us, that organic food tastes better.
At Doves Farm we have always believed this to be the case although only now is science beginning to explain how going organic helps the environment, your diet, animal welfare and local farmers.
Researchers in many parts of Europe have been growing and comparing crops using a variety of agricultural methods to see how they differ. In 2007 Professor Carlo Leifert of Newcastle University was able to demonstrate that:
- Organic fruit and vegetables contained around 40% more antioxidants.
- Antioxidant levels in organic milk were found to be up to 60% higher than in milk taken from conventionally reared cows.
- Organic produce has higher levels of important minerals such as zinc and iron.
Some more recent organic findings:
- Recent studies, as well as a large body of literature, clearly show a positive effect of organic production on the nutritional value of food products. [1]
- It has been demonstrated that organically produced foods have lower levels of pesticides and veterinary drug residues and, in many cases, lower nitrate content.[2]
- Crops under organic production are less “pushed” or “forced” than in conventional agriculture, which means that their growth is generally slower, resulting in higher quality since the organisms have enough time to synthesize their vital components. [3]
- Organic plant-based foods are on average 25% more nutritious than conventionally grown produce. [4]
- Strong evidence that organic meat, milk and eggs have higher levels of protein, more vitamins and minerals and elevated levels of heart-healthy omega 3 and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) fats [4]
- Organic foods taste sweeter because artificial fertilizer disrupts natural sugars. [5]
- Organic animal welfare standards are higher than conventional farming. [5]
- Organic foods can simply taste better because there are no pesticides affecting the taste mechanism. [6]
- 4.5 billion Litres of chemical fertilisers and pesticides are used on crops annually and a portion of our taxes go towards tackling the pollution of our water supplies by fertilisers and pesticides Defra cited the cost at around £20 million a year. [7]
- A £12million, four-year European Union-funded study, found a general trend showing organic food contained more antioxidants and less fatty acids than conventional agriculture. [8]
- According to the World Health Organization there are an estimated 20,000 accidental deaths worldwide each year from pesticide exposure and poisoning. [9]
- The cell walls of organically produced foods are more robust than those cell structures artificially and speedily expanded by the application fertilizers. [9]
There is huge amount of information about organic farming and organic produce on the www.ifoam.org website.
Data Source
[1] See for instance K Woese, D Lange, C Boess, KW Bogl, A comparison of organically and conventionally grown foods: results of a review of the relevant literature, Journal of Science, Food and Agriculture, 74, 281-293, 1997. This study reviewed 150 research projects comparing organic and non-organic food, and concludes that organic foods have a trend towards fewer undesirable components or contaminants and higher desirable components (such as vitamins) compared to non-organic foods.
[2] United Nations, Food and Agriculture Organization, Food Safety and Quality as Affected by Organic Farming, Report of the 22nd regional conference for Europe, Portugal, 24-28 July 2000.
[3] See, for example, Magkos, F (2003), Caronaro, M et al. (2001 and 2002), Tinttunen, S and Lehtonen, P (2001), Tarozzi, A (2006), Young, JE (2005), Veberic et al (2005), Asami et al. (2003) and Caris Veyrat, C et al. (2004).
[4] "New Evidence Confirms the Nutritional Superiority of Plant-Based Organic Foods," State of Science Review, March 2008 Author(s): Charles Benbrook, Xin Zhao, Jaime Yanez, Neal Davies and Preston Andrews http://www.organic-center.org/science.nutri.php?action=view&report_id=126
[5] International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) www.ifoam.org
[6] The Soil Association; www.soilassociation.org
[7] UK Parliamentary Publications; Select Committee on Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Eighth Report, 4 A possible pesticides tax; http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200405/cmselect/cmenvfru/258/25807.htm
[8] Eat your words, all who scoff at organic food; Jon Ungoed-Thomas October 28, 2007 http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/health/article2753546.ece
[9] 10 reasons why organic can feed the world: http://www.theecologist.org/trial_investigations/268287/10_reasons_why_organic_can_feed_the_world.html
