(EPA and USDA reports show that by the time the average child is one year old, the infant will have received the acceptable lifetime dose of eight pesticides from just 20 commonly eaten foods. The Environmental Working Group (non profit research institute) reports that children mayreceive 35% of their lifetime dose of carcinogenic pesticides by the age of 5. A USDA study (April 94) tested 6,000 produce items (12kinds of produce) and pesticide residues (49 different pesticides) were found on 61% of the samples. All items were prepared for human consumption(washed, peeled or cored) before being tested.)

 

Studies comparing the health effects of organic and non-organic feed on animals have found clear positive health effects of organic feed Experiment 1: reduced sperm motility in bulls transferred from organically to non-organically grown fodder. Motility was restored whenorganic fodder was resumed. Experiment 2: greater number of eggs (nine versus three and six) and higher fertilisation rate (100 percent versus 29 and 26 per cent) in rabbits fed organically versus non-organically fertilised feed. (Aehnelt & Hahn, 1978). Aehnelt E andHahn J, 1978, 'Animal fertility: a possibility for biological quality assay of fodder and feeds', Biodynamics 25, p 36–47 Almost all fertility and growth criteria tested, including total number of perinatal young, number of living perinatal young, live weight at birth,and number and weight of young at day 90, showed significantly better results for the organically fed rabbits than the non-organicallyfed rabbits. Edelmuller I, 1984, 'Untersuchungen zur qualitatserfassung von produkten aus unterschiedlichen anbausystemen(biologisch-dynamisch bzw. konventionell) mittels futterungsversuchen an kaninchen', dissertation, University of Vienna, Austria The use of organically grown feeds led to higher pregnancy rates, more embryos, larger litters and better health of rabbits over threegenerations, in spite of the fact that the feed pellets for the two groups were shown to be identical in terms of known essential andharmful ingredients. The fertility rate of rabbits declined over three generations in rabbits fed non-organically grown feed. Staiger D,1988, 'The nutritional value of foods from conventional and biodynamic agriculture', IFOAM Bulletin No. 4, p 9–12 Better weight gain after coccidial illness and fewer incidents of illness in chickens fed organically grown feed; significantly higher eggweight, yolk weight and body weight at 32 weeks in organically fed chickens compared with birds fed chemically fertilised feed.Plochberger K, 1989, 'Feeding experiments. A criterion for quality estimation of biologically and conventionally produced foods',Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 27, p 419–428 Fewer stillbirths and perinatal deaths in first litters in rats fed organically grown feed versus non-organically grown feed over a period ofthree generations. The rats fed organic food had a greater capacity to compensate weight loss during and after lactation and gainedmore weight. Velimirov A, Plochberger K, Huspeka U and Schott W, 1992, 'The influence of biologically and conventionallycultivated food on the fertility of rats', Biol Agric Hort 6, p 325–337 "In Pfeiffer's experiments the number of mortalities among 80 mice fed organic grains was about half of that among 80 mice fed mineral-fertilized grain (about 9% vs. 17%). Both groups preferred the organically grown wheat (90% of the time). Chickens on organic grain beganlaying earlier, and at faster rates. They laid twice as many fertile eggs, and the eggs kept better." (Pfeiffer, E.E. Soil Fertility: Renewal, andPreservation. New York: Trans. F. Heckel. Anthroposophic Press, 1938.) -- From Nutritional Characteristics of Organic,Freshly Stone-ground, Sourdough & Conventional Breads, Judy Campbell, B.Sc., Mechtild Hauser, and Stuart Hill, B.Sc., Ph.D., P.Ag.,Ecological Agriculture Projects, McGill University (Macdonald Campus), Canada, EAP Publication - 35 http://eap.mcgill.ca/Publications/eap_foot.htm

Long-Term Field Experiment in Sweden: Effects of Organic and Inorganic Fertilizers on Soil Fertility andCrop Quality, Artur Granstedt and Lars Kjellenberg, Proceedings of an International Conference in Boston, Tufts University, AgriculturalProduction and Nutrition, Massachusetts March 19-21, 1997. An agricultural field experimentbegan in Järna, Sweden, in 1958 that lasted until 1990 -- 32 years. It included eight different fertilizertreatments, each with a four-year crop rotation without repetitions: summer wheat, clover/grass mix, potatoes,beets. The focus was primarily on aspects of crop quality, and the fertilizer application rates for the varioustreatments were adjusted to bring about comparable yields. Two "daughter experiments" were run inparallel during 1971-1976 and 1971-1979. The experiments compared two systems, biodynamic farming andconventional farming. Compared with the conventional treatments, the crude protein content ofpotatoes and wheat was lower in the organic treatments, but protein quality was higher (i.e. relatively pureprotein and essential amino acids, lower amount of free amino acids). Resistance to decomposition and storequality for potatoes were higher in the organic treatments, and in wheat starch quality seemed to be higher.The organic treatments resulted in a higher soil fertility capacity and in crops with higher quality protein, ahigher starch content, and a greater ability to tolerate stressful conditions and long-term storage than theinorganic treatments. The organic crops developed a structure that, studied through a picture formationmethod (Crystallization with CuCl2), shows a higher organizational level which is evident in terms of bothsoil and crop formation as a result of the long-term effects of organic manure compared with conventional NPK-fertilizer. http://www.jdb.se/sbfi/publ/boston/boston7.html 

Organically grown foods higher in cancer-fighting chemicals than conventionally grown foods, AmericanChemical Society, 4 March 2003 -- Fruits and vegetables grown organically show significantly higher levels of cancer-fightingantioxidants than conventionally grown foods, a new study suggests. The research found thatpesticides and herbicides actually thwart the production of phenolics -- chemicals that act as a plant's natural defenseand also happen to be good for our health. The study by UC Davis researchers measured antioxidantsfound in corn, strawberries and a type of blackberry called a marionberry. The results showed asignificant increase in antioxidants in organic and sustainably grown foods versus conventionallygrown foods: corn was 58.5% higher, marionberries were about 50% higher, strawberries about 19% higher. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/03/030304073059.htm

Full study: Comparison of the Total Phenolic and Ascorbic Acid Content of Freeze-Dried and Air-DriedMarionberry, Strawberry, and Corn Grown Using Conventional, Organic, and Sustainable Agricultural Practices, Danny K. Asami, Yun-JeongHong, Diane M. Barrett, and Alyson E. Mitchell, Department of Food Science and Technology, University of California-Davis, March 3,2003, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 51 (5), 1237 -1241.                      http://pubs.acs.org/cgi-bin/sample.cgi/jafcau/2003/51/i05/html/jf020635c.html Acrobat file (60kb)http://pubs.acs.org/journals/jafcau/sample.cgi/jafcau/2003/51/i05/pdf/jf020635c.pdf Fruits of Success: Organic food is not just tastier and better for the environment, it also makes better business sense, New Scientist, 18April 2001 -- The first comprehensive study of apple-growing systems provides evidence that thereare financial as well as environmental rewards for apple growers who go organic. The study compared theeconomic and environmental sustainability of conventional, organic and integrated apple productionsystems in Washington State from 1994 to 1999, analyzing differences in yields, costs, taste, soil quality,energy use and environmental impacts. Headed by soil scientist John Reganold, the research project plantedGolden Delicious apples on four acres loaned by a 50-acre commercial farm in the state's Yakima Valleyapple district. Each growing system was tested in four different plots, laid out in a random fashion.The threesystems gave similar apple yields. The organic and integrated systems had higher soil quality and potentiallylower negative environmental impact than the conventional system. The organic orchard was moreenergy efficient than the conventional and integrated systems, requiring less labour and less water per appleproduced. The organic system produced sweeter and less tart apples, higher profitability and greaterenergy efficiency. The organic system ranked first in environmental and economic sustainability, theintegrated system, using a combination of organic and conventional techniques, ranked second and theconventional system last.                        http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns9999642 Comment by Pesticide Action Network North America (PANNA)http://www.panna.org/panna/resources/panups/panup_20010810.dv.html

Sustainability of three apple production systems, John P. Reganold, Jerry D. Glover, Preston K. Andrews & Herbert R. Hinman,19 April 2001, Nature 410, 926 - 930 -- Abstract http://www.nature.com/cgi-taf/DynaPage.taf?file=/nature/journal/v410/n6831/abs/410926a0_r.html

Organic Food and Farming: Myth and Reality, Soil Association and Sustain, 2001 -- Counters the myths spread by theopponents of organic food and farming. Endorsed by 36 public interest groups ranging from the National Federation ofWomen's Institutes to WWF-UK. Myth 1: Myth Organic foods are no healthier than non-organic foods. RealityWrong: food produced organically contains fewer contaminants. Some scientific studies have shown thatthere are more nutrients in organically produced food. Useful summary of research findings, with references.(Acrobat PDF, 32 pages, 154k)http://www.soilassociation.org/web/sa/saweb.nsf/24ffc96e2350a4e680256ab10047def0/0f72781fb39de61880256ae4005dea9b/$FILE/Myth&Reality.pdf

Organic Foods vs Supermarket Foods: Element Levels, by Bob L. Smith, 1993, Journal of Applied Nutrition, Vol 45-1 -- Overa two-year period, organically and conventionally grown apples, potatoes, pears, wheat, and sweet corn were purchased inthe western suburbs of Chicago and analyzed for mineral content. Four to 15 samples were takenfor each food group. On a per-weight basis, average levels of essential minerals were much higher in theorganically grown than in the conventionally grown food. The organically grown food averaged 63% higher incalcium, 78% higher in chromium, 73% higher in iron, 118% higher in magnesium, 178% higher inmolybdenum, 91% higher in phosphorus, 125% higher in potassium and 60% higher in zinc. Theorganically raised food averaged 29% lower in mercury than the conventionally raised food. See Full report http://journeytoforever.org/farm_library/bobsmith.html

Effect Of Diets Based On Foods From Conventional Versus Organic Production On Intake And Excretion OfFlavonoids And Markers Of Antioxidative Defense In Humans, Lisbeth Grinder-Pedersen, Salka E. Rasmussen,Susanne Bügel, Lars V. Jørgensen, Lars O. Dragsted, Vagn Gundersen, and Brittmarie Sandström, August 2003, Journal ofAgricultural and Food Chemistry, 51 (19), 5671 -5676 -- Danish scientists have substantiated anutritional difference between organic and conventional vegetables. They found that organically grownvegetables have a higher concentration of flavonoids -- natural antioxidants. The study was a double-blinded randomised, human crossover intervention study with strict control of dietary intake. Test-persons were given organic food andconventional food in turn for periods of 3 weeks. During the test-periods blood and urine samples were collected and tested for the intakeand excretion of five selected flavonoids and effect on markers of oxidative defense. The study was conducted by The Institute of FoodSafety and Nutrition under The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration; The Department of Human Nutrition and Centre for AdvancedFood Studies under The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University; and Risø National Laboratory. See Full report http://journeytoforever.org/farm_library/diet_effects.pdf (Acrobat file, 68 kb)

Organically Produced Foods: Nutritive Content, Mary V. Gold, Alternative Farming Systems Information Center, NationalAgricultural Library, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, June 2000 -- Bibliography on thenutritive value of organically produced foods: vitamin and mineral content, as well as related chemicalconstituents. A few references deal with the general relationship of soil qualities and crop composition, alldocuments cited contain information about nutrients found in food as related to organic production. Most areresearch results, some are overviews of literature or research, many compare organic foods with thoseconventionally produced. 216 documents cited. Special Reference Briefs Series no. SRB 2000-03 http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/AFSIC_pubs/srb0003.htm

Research by the Organic Advisory Service of the Organic Retailers & Growers Association of Australia (ORGAA)compared nutrient content of organic and conventionally grown vegetables. Four vegetable varieties, tomatoes, beans, capsicums and silver beet, were grown on a certifiedorganic farm using compost and soil regenerative techniques and were later analysed for vitamin and mineral elements. A similar rangeof vegetables grown conventionally was sampled and analysed from a supermarket. Results showed significant differences in minerallevels in favour of the organic produce. Calcium levels in some produce increased by eight times, potassium by ten times, magnesium byseven times and zinc by five times. See "Food with Attitude", Permaculture International Journal (March-May 2000, No. 74, ISSN1037-8480), p.27.1900 300 1600 2600 Magnesium S 26 10 11 690.19 0.13 0.57 Zinc O 3.4 1.2 2.5 130 S-supermarket produce, O-organic/revitalized soil, mg/kg Australian Government Analytical Laboratory

"Organic Farming, Food Quality and Human Health", the Soil Association, Bristol, UK. Key findings: "The evidence fromproperly conducted scientific studies shows that on average organic food is better for you than non-organic food: It's morenutritious. On average our research found higher vitamin C, higher mineral levels and higherphytonutrients -- plant compounds which can be effective against cancer. There's also less water in organic vegetablesso pound for pound you get more carrot for your carrot. Tests with people and animals eating organicshow it makes a real difference to health. Alternative cancer therapies have achieved good results relyingon the exclusive consumption of organic food. Animal feeding trials have shown better reproductivehealth, better growth, better recovery from illness." http://www.soilassociation.org/sa/saweb.nsf/9f788a2d1160a9e580256a71002a3d2b/de88ae6e5aa94aed80256abd00378489 Executive Summary http://www.soilassociation.org/web/sa/saweb.nsf/848d689047cb466780256a6b00298980/80256ad80055454980256a9d004983d4!OpenDocument  Key findings http://www.soilassociation.org.uk/web/sa/saweb.nsf/848d689047cb466780256a6b00298980/80256ad80055454980256a9d005707d8!OpenDocument

Organic food might reduce heart attacks, New Scientist, 14 March 2002 -- Salicylic acid is a chemical signal in plants infected bypathogens and it is responsible for the anti-inflammatory action of aspirin. People who take aspirin have a reducedrisk of developing hardening of the arteries and bowel cancer. Dietary salicylic acid may help to preventthese conditions. The study determined the contents of salicylic acid in organic and non-organic vegetablesoups purchased from supermarkets. The organic soups had a significantly higher content of salicylic acid,suggesting that the vegetables and plants used to prepare them contained greater amounts of thephenolic acid than the corresponding non-organic ingredients. Consumption of organic foods may result in agreater intake of salicylic acid.  http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99992033

Salicylic acid in soups prepared from organically and non-organically grown vegetables, Baxter GJ, Graham AB,Lawrence JR, Wiles D, Paterson JR, Area Biochemistry Department, Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary, Scotland, Dec2001, European Journal of Nutrition 40(6):289-92 -- Abstract http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11876493&dopt=Abstract 

Research Shows More Vitamin C In Organic Oranges Than Conventional Oranges, American Chemical Society,June 2, 2002 -- Organically-grown oranges contain up to 30% more vitamin C than those grown conventionally, according to researchby Professor Theo Clark of Truman State University. Conventional oranges are larger thanorganically-grown oranges, and they have a deeper orange color. Because of their size, "we were expectingtwice as much vitamin C in the conventional oranges," said Clark. But to his surprise, chemical isolationcombined with nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy revealed that the organically-grownoranges contained 30% more vitamin C than the conventionally-grown fruits -- even though they were only abouthalf the size. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2002/06/020603071017.htm

The Haughley Experiment was started on Lady Eve Balfour's farm in England in 1939 and continued for 33 years, comparing two similar sections under crops and livestock, one under organic management with no imports (a closed system), and the other the same plus chemical fertilizers and pesticides, with ongoing sample analyses of soil, cropsand livestock products, totalling thousands of individual analyses. The experiment had many significantresults. The many different chemical analyses revealed no consistent or significant differencesbetween the sections, other than the usually higher water content of the chemically grown fodder. Yet the findingsconfirmed many reports from organic farmers in different parts of the world, that a given output of animalproducts -- milk, meat, eggs, etc -- required from 12-15% less input of food when the food was grownorganically. For example, though the organic herbal leys (pastures) were of clearly sparser growth than themuch lusher chemical section leys, the cows on the organic section gave, over a 20-year period,around 15% more milk. The organic cows also lived longer, and the organic section had far less pest and diseaseproblems. -- See "Towards a Sustainable Agriculture -- The Living Soil", by Lady EveBalfour, address to IFOAM (International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements) conference in Switzerland, 1977. Full report - http://journeytoforever.org/farm_library/balfour_sustag.html -- See also "The Living Soil" by Lady Eve B. Balfour, Faber & Faber, London, 1943. Full text online at the Soil and Health Library http://www.soilandhealth.org/ 

Organic Crops Competitive with Conventional Systems, May 1999 -- Farm profits from organic cropping systems can equalor exceed profits from conventional rotations in the Midwestern United States, according to a study by the Henry A.Wallace Institute for Alternative Agriculture. The report reviews past and current research onconditions that make growing organic crops profitable, as well as studies that compare organic grain andsoybean production with conventional production. The Economics of Organic Grain and SoybeanProduction in the Midwestern United States, Rick Welsh, policy analyst, Henry A. Wallace Institute for AlternativeAgriculture -- full report (Acrobat file, 301Kb)

<http://www.winrock.org/wallacecenter/documents/pspr13.pdf

Soil Fertility and Biodiversity in Organic Farming, Paul Mäder, Andreas Fliebach, David Dubois, Lucie Gunst, Padruot Fried,Urs Niggli, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture and the Swiss Federal Research Station for Agroecology andAgriculture, May 31, 2002, Science 296:1694-1697 -- A 21-year Swiss study of organic and conventionalfarming systems provides evidence that large-scale organic farming is economically viable andenvironmentally sustainable over the long haul. The trial demonstrates that organic crop production is amazinglyefficient -- organic farming produced more food with less energy and fewer resources.Although expenditure on fertilizers and energy was 50% lower and pesticide use was 97% lower, yields of organic cropswere only 20% lower on average. Published in Science, May 31, 2002, the study reported that organicfarming methods used 50% less energy, 97% less pesticide and 51% less fertilizer than conventionalmethods. The study, co-sponsored by the Swiss government, began in 1978. The researchers used 96 smallplots on a site near Basel, Switzerland, growing potatoes, barley, winter wheat, beets and grassclover. Full report:http://www.mindfully.org/Farm/Organic-Farming-Fertility-Biodiversity31may02.htm

Soil minerals, chemicals and food Alex Jack, a health writer in Massachusetts, and Anne-Marie Mayer, a nutrition researcher in Britain (now at Cornell), separately compared government reports on the levels of vitamins and minerals in fresh food in the 1990s and from several decades ago. Both revealed significant declines in calcium and iron in a variety of raw fruits and vegetables. Each comparison also noted declines in other nutrients, including vitamins A and C, and potassium.

Alex Jack reported on his comparison of US Department of Agriculture food composition tables from 1975 and 1997 that average calcium levels in 12 fresh vegetables have declined 27%, iron levels have dropped 37%, vitamin A levels, 21%; and vitamin C levels, 30%. "This suggests a steady deterioration in soil, air, and water quality, as well as reduced seed vitality, that is depleting minerals," he said.

Jack took his findings to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), hoping for a reasonable explanation. After two years, he’s still waiting. So is Organic Gardening magazine, which published an open letter, seeking an explanation from Dan Glickman, then-Secretary of Agriculture. Glickman didn’t respond, but USDA employee Phyllis E. Johnson did. In her letter to Organic Gardening, Ms. Johnson said that the nutritional content of produce is not as important as things like appearance and big yield. -- "Vegetables Without Vitamins", LE Magazine, March 2001 http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2001/mar2001_report_vegetables.html 

A similar analysis comparing British nutrient data from 1930 and 1980 indicates reductions of essential minerals in both fruits and vegetables. According to the report, published in the British Food Journal (1997, vol 99, no. 6, pp 207-211), average calcium content has declined 19%; iron, 22%; and potassium, 14% in the 20 vegetables compared. Author Anne-Marie Mayer said: "Agriculture which relies on NPK (chemical) fertilizers and pesticides, that adds little organic matter to the soil and that alternates between soil compaction and ploughing, could produce food depleted in minerals."

The 1999 report on the University of Wisconsin-Madison's ongoing 37-year project monitoring the effects of nitrogen fertilisers in the US concluded that agriculture's continuing overapplication of nitrogen fertilizers is causing irreparable damage to the soil. It said US farms have "a 50% applied nitrogen efficiency rate" -- only half the nitrogen applied to the soil is actually used by the crop. The other half becomes harmful nitric acid. They said three decades of such overuse of nitrogen has destroyed much of the soil's fertility, causing it to age the equivalent of 5,000 years. -- "Acidification From Fertilizer Use Linked To Soil Aging": http://www.cals.wisc.edu/media/news/03_99/acid_soil.html

Paul Bergner, in "The Healing Power of Minerals, Special Nutrients and Trace Elements" (Prima Publishing, 1997), lists official figures from the US Department of Agriculture showing a fall in the mineral and vitamin contents of fruits and vegetables between 1914 and 1992. From 1963 to 1992, with the use of chemical fertilizers at a peak, calcium levels fell an average 30%, iron 32%, magnesium 21%, phosphorus 11%, potassium 6.5%.

Back to Why organic? http://journeytoforever.org/garden_organic.html 

  

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