Organic food is grown without using synthetic fertilizers, chemical pesticides and insecticides, growth hormones, or antibiotics. It cannot be irradiated, contain genetically engineered organisms or genetically modified organisms, and cannot be grown using sewage sludge fertilizer.

Researchers at Stanford University, in California, reviewed the evidence that farming by these criteria is better than conventional methods. (more…)

There’s no difference in nutrient quality between organically and conventionally produced foods, according to reviewers at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, in the UK. (more…)

A study by Dr. Maria Amodio from the University of California, Davis compared the nutritional profile of conventional and organic kiwis (aka, Chinese gooseberries).

Here are the results.

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Another study fails to find nutritional benefit from organically grown crops.

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According to Claire Williamson, a nutrition scientist for the British Nutrition Foundation, “There appears to be a perception among many consumers that organic foods are more nutritious… However, to date there are limited data to support this view.”

But, there are some exceptions. (more…)

So far, demonstrating a nutritional advantage of organically grown food has been difficult.

Here’s a study that supports the added nutritional benefits of organic tomatoes. (more…)

Earlier this year a report from the University of Alberta concluded that the environmental impact of food-miles racked up by organic produce when making the trip from farm to grocery store cancels out the benefits of growing it according to organic principals.

Now, there’s this from a technician at Malaspina University College in British Columbia, Canada. (more…)

Scientists at Germany’s Federal Research Centre for Nutrition and Food compared wheat grown organically to wheat farmed conventionally with chemical fertilizers.

Here’s a summary of a report in the Toronto Sun based on an article published in the journal Agricultural & Food Chemistry.

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