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The key conclusion of the review was that… “there is no evidence of a difference in nutrient quality between organically and conventionally produced food-stuffs” (Dangour et al. 2009). Journalists and media commentators around the world jumped on the band-wagon and started laying into the organic movement as a bunch of feel-good new-agers with no substance to their claims over health and nutrition, and at first glance this simplistic view seemed to have been supported by this new report. But, as with most issues that are contentious, the simple answers belie the complicated truth.

Why Eat Organic Food?

Do you eat organic food?
Would you eat more if you had better access and it was cheaper?
If you answered yes to these questions, why? At the heart of this discussion are the reasons people choose to buy, and grow, organic food.
As part of an extensive study undertaken by an organisation known as “Quality Low Input Food” (funded by the EU and conducted over 5 years), a survey was conducted on consumers who irregularly bought organic food. The three highest-rating reasons for buying organic products identified amongst these consumers were,
i) fewer chemical residues
ii) fewer artificial ingredients
iii) lower impact on the environment, nutritional quality was not in their top three.
This is not to say that nutritional quality is not a factor with consumers, but it would appear that there are more factors at play.

It is better for you

Even if we consider other motives for preferring organically grown food, there is still a considerable body of evidence that indicates that the nutritional quality of organic food is superior to conventional produce. To name a couple, Magkos et al. (2003) found that vitamin C, iron, magnesium and phosphorus levels were higher in organically produced leafy greens and potatoes, whilst a recent review by The Organic Center in the US concluded… “organic plant-based foods are, on average, more nutritious in terms of their nutrient density”.

It is better for the environment.

By its very nature, organic farming is “lighter” on the environment than conventional farming. The central ethos of organic farming is the preservation of biological, hydrological and geological resources which are the foundation of our food-chain. Organic input standards include protection of biodiversity, low-input farming techniques and long-term protection of the soil (the resource on which sustainable farming is founded). These standards and practices lead to soils that have the capacity to store carbon, providing a real opportunity to make the production of food a net sink of this over-abundant element. According to the Ohio State University, “Soil carbon sequestration is a natural, cost-effective, and environmentally-friendly process. Once sequestered, carbon remains in the soil as long as restorative land use…is followed.” The potential for agriculture to sequester carbon is enormous.

An article published in the journal “Science” (Lal 2004) states “…carbon sequestration has the potential to offset fossilfuel emissions by 0.4 to 1.2 gigatons of carbon per year, or 5 to 15% of the global fossil-fuel emissions”.

Consuming with a conscience

Whether you choose to buy organic produce for reasons of health, environmental sustainability or simply because you like the idea, what you are doing is supporting an industry that considers all the inputs used to bring you the end product. Compare that to a coal mine or a fertiliser factory, where the environmental impacts can be very large, but they are not costed into the end product, therefore making these operations fundamentally unsustainable as the pollutants produced damage the environment and the resources they consume will inevitably run out.

Whilst these products may be cheap in the market place now, their true cost is not reflected in the price we pay for them in the long term. Pollutants like C02, heavy metals and nutrient run-off enter our environment and it is the broader community that pays the price in the end. Organic food may appear more expensive, but this is because the organic standards applied by the certification bodies include the true costs of production. If similar standards were applied to other products, this would drive innovation towards more cost effective, efficient and (most importantly) sustainable production and manufacturing.

Of course you could do even better than buying organic produce and grow your own. That way there’s no transport and there are no “ifs and buts” about how the food you eat was raised. You are in control from seed to fruit so you can say with confidence that what you are eating is as pure as you want it to be.


References and further reading

Dangour, Dodhia, Hayter, Allen, Lock and Uauy (2009) Nutrional quality of organic foods: a systemic review. Am J Clin Nutr : 90 : 680-685.

Mangkos, Arvaniti, Zampelas. (2003) Organic Food: nutritious food or food for thought? A review of the evidence. Int J Food Sci Nutr: 54: 357-371.

www.qlif.org

www.bfa.com.au

www.organic-center.org/reportfiles/5367_Nutrient_Content_SSR_FINAL_V2.pdf

Lal (2004) Soil Carbon Sequestration Impacts on Global Climate Change and Food Security Science 304 (5677), 1623. [DOI: 10.1126/science.1097396]
 

Article contributed by Tim Sansom

Published in The Diggers Club
www.diggers.com.au