Does Organic Really Make a Difference?
The following are just a few compelling research findings from among thousands of scientific studies striving to better understand the vital connections between diet, health, agriculture and the environment.

• Credible scientific data regularly shows that organic production of food and other products promotes both environmental and human health.Increasing organic production can protect human health and the natural world by reducing unsustainable practices including the widespread use and abuse of toxic substances.
  
  
• Recent research on pesticide exposures for individuals under 20 years of age on a daily basis:
  • 200 million exposures in food
  • 250 million exposures through drinking water

• Regulation must protect the most vulnerable:
  • Mom and the developing fetus
  • Infants
  • Children through adolescence
  • The elderly

• There have been double digit percentage declines of iron, calcium, selenium and other vital nutrients in many contemporary, high-yield, non-organic crops. Nutrient decline has occurred because the focus of plant and animal breeders, farmers, and agribusiness has been on increasing yields, not on food nutritional quality.
  
  
• Numerous studies have shown that nutrient-rich foods help reduce the risk of cancers, cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes, arthritis, bone disease, and birth defects.* Many other health problems are triggered or made worse by nutrient deficiencies.
  
  
• The difference in nutrient density in organic food, compared to conventionally grown crops, ranges from a few percent to sometimes over 20 percent for certain minerals, and on average, about 30 percent for antioxidants.

• Organic crops are, on average, more nutrient dense, they tend to taste better and store longer and virtually eliminate pesticide dietary risks. This trifecta of benefits is particularly valuable for the young and old, and people fighting illness or trying to slow the progression of disease.
  
  
• Average antioxidant intakes are about one-third optimal levels – a major reason why the USDA is recommending a 2X plus increase in fruit and vegetable intakes.

• Organic farming methods have increased antioxidant levels by a few percent to over three-fold compared to food grown using conventional production methods.
  
  
• By generating higher concentrations of antioxidants and polyphenols in fresh vegetables and fruit, grains and dairy products, organic farming may help people increase average daily antioxidant consumption without a proportional increase in caloric intake.

Sources:

• The Science Of Organics; Nourishing the Land, Animals and People in the 21st Century, Charles Benbrook, PhD, The Organic Center
• Elevating Antioxidant Levels in Food Through Organic Farming and Food Processing, Charles Benbrook, PhD, Chief Scientist, The Organic Center for Education and Promotion, January 2005
• Critical Issue Report; Today’s Bumper Yields of Fruits, Vegetables and Grains Deliver Fewer Nutrients and Less Intense Flavors, The Organic Center
• Enhancing Food Nutrition Quality and Human Health Through Organic Farming Systems; The 2nd International Symposium on Human Health Effects of Fruits and Vegetables, Charles Benbrook, PhD, The Organic Center