13 Dec Real Benefits of Organic Farming | Cornucopia Institute
Myths and misconceptions about organic agriculture have become commonplace, fueled by agro-chemical funded research studies that distort the truth. These campaigns suggest that organic farming is flawed by allowing some pesticides, that organic production is worse for the environment, that organic food isn’t actually any ‘healthier’, or that organic farming cannot support our population. However, as Kestrel Burcham shows in her article “Organic Strikes Back”, all of this is untrue.
Contrary to ‘Big Foods’ claims that organic foods are not healthier, research shows they contain higher levels of certain micronutrients such as antioxidants and polyphenols. Organic diets also reduce exposure to harmful pesticides, including those known to be endocrine disruptors. What few pesticides are used occasionally on organic products, meanwhile, must go through a stringent review which most all substances fail. As for the environment, no modern studies suggest organic food in any way harms the environment. All credible research only shows benefits to soil and climate health over time.
Similarly, that organic agriculture cannot feed the world lacks evidence. Studies repeatedly demonstrate that with proper management, organic farms can yield as much as conventional ones. They exceed them under adverse weather conditions like floods and droughts.
There is simply no evidence of any kind that backs up these myths about organic farming. All claims to the contrary rely entirely on outdated or shoddy research paid for by the agrochemical industry. These same papers, of course, do not try to identify All modern research points to organic as a net good.
To read the full original article by Kestrel Burcham, published on the Cornucopia Institute’s website, you can access the text here.