Abstract

This review summarises existing evidence on the impact of organic food on human health. It compares organic vs. conventional food production with respect to parameters important to human health and discusses the potential impact of organic management practices with an emphasis on EU conditions. Organic food consumption may reduce the risk of allergic disease and of overweight and obesity, but the evidence is not conclusive due to likely residual confounding, as consumers of organic food tend to have healthier lifestyles overall. However, animal experiments suggest that identically composed feed from organic or conventional production impacts in different ways on growth and development. In organic agriculture, the use of pesticides is restricted, while residues in conventional fruits and vegetables constitute the main source of human pesticide exposures. Epidemiological studies have reported adverse effects of certain pesticides on children's cognitive development at current levels of exposure, but these data have so far not been applied in formal risk assessments of individual pesticides. Differences in the composition between organic and conventional crops are limited, such as a modestly higher content of phenolic compounds in organic fruit and vegetables, and likely also a lower content of cadmium in organic cereal crops. Organic dairy products, and perhaps also meats, have a higher content of omega-3 fatty acids compared to conventional products. However, these differences are likely of marginal nutritional significance. Of greater concern is the prevalent use of antibiotics in conventional animal production as a key driver of antibiotic resistance in society; antibiotic use is less intensive in organic production. Overall, this review emphasises several documented and likely human health benefits associated with organic food production, and application of such production methods is likely to be beneficial within conventional agriculture, e.g., in integrated pest management.

Keywords

Agricultural crops; Antibiotic resistance; Food safety; Nutrients; Organic food; Pesticide residues

Published in

Environmental health
2017, Volume: 16, number: 111, article number: 111

SLU Authors

• Mie, Axel

  • Department of Crop Production Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    
  • Karolinska Institute

• Gunnarsson, Stefan

  • Department of Applied Animal Science and Welfare, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

Associated SLU-program

SLU Plant Protection Network
AMR: Bacteria


Sustainable Development Goals

SDG3 Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
SDG2 End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture


UKÄ Subject classification

Other Health Sciences


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12940-017-0315-4

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/91171