Organic producers, businesses and people who choose organic produce have received their best Christmas present yet courtesy of scientists working for the European Parliament, which has just published a major study into the benefits of organic food and farming. The report concludes that eating organic food has a variety of benefits for human health, ranging from better early development to reduced risk of disease and more potentially beneficial nutrients.

Peter Melchett, Soil Association policy director, said: “This report is a great Christmas present for organic farmers and everyone who eats organic food. Organic food sales have been growing strongly for three years, and a key reason that people buy organic food sales is that they feel it is better for them and their family – that is why more than half the baby food sold in the UK is organic. This new, independent, scientific review confirms people are right.”

The study, entitled ‘Human health implications of organic food and organic agriculture‘, was carried out by the European Parliament’s independent Research Service and draws together existing scientific research into the differences between organic and non-organic food and farming. It is an overwhelming win for organic farming, finding that organic farming practices can help develop healthy food systems which are beneficial for public health.

To date, there have been very few studies exploring the benefits of organic food and farming on human health. While the authors agree that more research, in particular more long-term studies, are required to fully understand the evidence, the report states that early studies have found a number of benefits of organic food, including:

*Reduced risk of allergies in children

*Reduced likelihood of obesity in adults who ate organic

*Dietary patterns of people who eat organic are associated with health and environmental benefits, such as reduced risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions

*Reduced exposure to pesticides through food, which can reduce risk of negative effects to children’s cognitive development

*Reduced exposure to the heavy metal cadmium, which is present in high concentrations in artificial fertilisers and non-organic soils 

*Higher omega-3 fatty acids in milk and meat, thanks to higher grass, clover and forage content of animals’ diet

*Reduced risk of antibiotic resistance through organic farming practices, as organic animals are in some cases less likely to develop diseases related to intensive production

*Improved in-vitro development in offspring when animals were given organic feed, although the significance of findings for human health is unclear

Peter Melchett added: “Organic food is generally more expensive than non-organic, for example because organic standards require not just free range but smaller flock sizes, lower stocking densities (the amount of space allowed for each bird, pig or cow), and cows and sheep eating mainly grass-based diets and no GM animal feed.

“Organic farmers do not use manufactured fertiliser, leading generally to lower yields. In return, consumers get far lower use of antibiotics, organic meat with more desirable polyunsaturated and omega-3 fatty acids, dairy products with higher concentrations of total omega-3 fatty acids, and grains, pulses, fruit and veg with more desirable antioxidants and less potentially harmful cadmium, nitrogen and pesticide residues. And organic farming is good for the health of wildlife and the planet, with 50% more wildlife and lower greenhouse gas emissions.”