It is a common belief that organic farm products’ nutrition value is higher than conventional farming-based products.
The following facts are now clearly understood.
Organic food contains little or no pesticide residues.
- The farms provide more employment.
- Organic farming improves soil biodiversity.
- The crops show better pollination.
- The soil structure in these farms is better, making these farms less prone to soil erosion.
- Organic farms are more energy-efficient.
A comparison of the nutritional value, sensory qualities, and food safety of organically and conventionally produced foods were made. Except for nitrate content, there is no strong evidence that organic food nutrition and conventional foods differ in various nutrients or contaminants (Bourn et al., 2002).
On the other hand, a nutritional quality comparative assessment study for fruits, vegetables, and grains raised in organic and conventionally grown crops showed that the former contained significantly more vitamin C, iron, magnesium, and phosphorus and considerably fewer nitrates (Worthington, 2001).
Phenols are important to human health. The total content of this class of metabolites was studied in marionberries, strawberries, and corn cultivated on organic and conventional farms. The three most common post-harvest processing treatments were studied: freezing, freeze-drying, and air drying. The phenol content was higher in organically raised crops (Asami et al., 2003).
One hundred sixty-two studies were analyzed, of which 137 examined nutrient quality in crops and 25 livestock products. Conventionally produced crops had a significantly higher nitrogen content, and organic crops had a higher phosphorus content and titratable acidity. The scientists also noted no evidence of a difference in nutrient quality between organically and conventionally produced foodstuffs. Small differences in nutrient content between the two could be related to differences in production methods (Dangour et al., 2009).
Compared to developing countries in the developed parts of the world, nutritional differences like the content of minerals, vitamins, proteins, and carbohydrates will determine the popularity of organic and conventional farm products. As the awareness of the importance of compounds that help protect the human body from disease is understood, this difference between organic and conventional crops became an area of interest for researchers. Organic vegetables and fruits were more likely to contain more of these defensive compounds when compared to those produced on conventional farms (Brandt et al., 2001).
Additional reading:
Nutrition Facts – a guide to good health