Organic is not more nutritious

STATEMENT 30 JULY 2009

Study finds no additional nutritional benefit in “organic” food

A major independent research project released today has concluded that organic food is no better for health than food produced by more advanced agricultural techniques. The study, conducted by the Nutrition and Public Health Intervention Research Unit at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, on behalf of the UK Government’s Food Standards Agency, is the biggest of its kind ever conducted, reviewing all data collected on the topic over the past 50 years.

Friedhelm Schmider, Director General of the European Crop Protection Association (ECPA), commented: “This is great news for consumers.  It proves that the 98 percent of food we consume, which is produced by technologically advanced agriculture, is equally nutritious to the less than 2 per cent derived from what is commonly referred to as the “organic” market. 

“The most important consideration for the entire population is to have access to enough affordable, high quality food – especially fresh fruit and vegetables.  That less expensive produce has been shown to be as nutritionally beneficial as pricier organic alternatives is a great benefit to cost-conscious shoppers. 

“Nevertheless, we support "organic" as a market choice by supplying the pesticides used in organic production, as well as those used by more technologically advanced forms of production.  We  trust European legislators will take on board this research and ensure a level regulatory playing field for all types of agricultural production.”

The European Crop Protection Association (ECPA) represents the crop protection industry interests at European level. Its members include all major companies and national associations across Europe.

For more information: www.ecpa.eu.

For more information:

Study link: http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/organicreviewappendices.pdf