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NUTRIENT VALUE OF ORGANIC CROPS
Research and Studies
In Alphabetical Order by Title


We hope that you will visit this page regularly and suggest other resources for enriching it.
We look forward to your contributions


A Closer Look at What's in Our Daily Bread 
Erin Smith, Charles Benbrook, Donald R. Davis, The Organic Center -- Apr 2012


Advantages of Organic Agriculture 
Re'Gie Smith, Sustainable Agriculture Systems Class, Kentucky State University -- 2010


Agroecosystem Management and Nutritional Quality of Plant Foods: The Case of Organic Fruits and Vegetables
K. Brandt, C. Leifert, R. Sanderson, C.J. Seal, Critical Review in Plant Sciences 30:1-2, 177-197 -- 2011


Are Forgotten Crops the Future of Food? 
Preeti Jha, BBC Online -- 22 Aug 2018 
"Prof Azam-Ali explains that just four crops – wheat, maize, rice and soybean – provide two-thirds of the world’s food supply.  “We’re dependent on these four,” he says.  “But actually there’s 7,000 crops we’ve been farming for thousands of years.  We ignore all of those.”


Assessing Soil Quality in Organic Agriculture 
Alan J. Franzlubbers and Richard L. Haney, USDA Agricultural Resource Service, The Organic Center -- Oct 2006


Breeding the Nutrition Out of Our Food 
Jo Robinson, New York Times -- 25 May 2013
Seedmap: Breeding the Nutrition Out of our Food 
Seed Map Project: An Online Portal on Seeds, Biodiversity and Food


Changes in USDA Food Composition Data in 43 Garden Crops, 1950-1999 
Donald R. Davis, Melvin D. Epp, Hugh D. Riordin, Journal of the American College of Nutrition, Vol. 23, No. 62, 669-682 -- 2004 


Dirt Poor: Have Fruits and Vegetables Become Less Nuritious?
EarthTalk (registered trademark of E - The Environmental Magazine), written and edited by Roddy Scheer & Doug Moss, published in Scientific American -- 27 Apr 2011 
"Because of soil depletion, crops grown decades ago were much richer in vitamins and minerals than the varieties most of us get today"


Earth Matters: Tackling the Climate Crisis from the Ground Up (See esp. Box 2 & Box 3)
GRAIN -- Oct 2009


Elevating Antioxidant Levels in Food Through Organic Farming and Food Processing 
Charles Benbrook, The Organic Center -- Jan 2005


Food Futures Now: Organic-Sustainable-Fossil Fuel Free
Mae-Wan Ho, Sam Burcher, Lim Li Ching et al, Institute of Science in Society and Third World Network, Chapter 20, Pg 91-97 -- 2008


Fruit and Soil Quality of Organic and Conventional Strawberry Agroecosystems 
John P. Reganold et al, PLOS ONE -- 01 Sep 2010


Health Per Acre: Organic Solutions to Hunger and Malnutrition 
Dr. Vandana Shiva and Dr. Vaibhav Singh, Navdanya -- Nov 2011


Higher antioxidant and lower cadmium concentrations and lower incidence
of pesticide residues in organically grown crops:
 A Systematic Literature
Review and Meta-analyses

Marcin Barański et al, published in the British Journal of Nutrition -- 15 July 2014 Issue
"A new groundbreaking study from the University of Newcastle in the United Kingdom finds conclusive evidence that organic crops and the food made from them are nutritionally superior to their conventional counterparts." 
The Organic Center has provided a summary, Q & A document, and talking points in non-technical language to explain the findings of the report.
See also Center for Sustaining Agriculture & Natural Resources 


Historical Changes in the Mineral Content of Fruits and Vegetables 
Anne-Marie Mayer, British Food Journal, 99/6 207-211 -- 1997


How Industrial Ag is Making the Soil -- and Us -- Unhealthy 
Hannah Bewsey and Katherine Paul, Organic Consumers Association -- 11 Sep 2014
"Does an apple a day really keep the doctor away?  Not anymore, according to soil health experts—unless the apple comes from a tree grown in healthy, organic soil."


Identifying Smart Food Choices on the Path to Healthier Diets 
Charles Benbrook, Donald R. Davis, The Organic Center -- Aug 2011


New Evidence Confirms the Nutritional Superiority of Plant-Based Organic Foods 
Charles Benbrook et al, The Organic Center -- Mar 2008


Nutrition and Food Systems 
High Level Panel of Experts on Food & Nutrition (Report #12) -- Sep 2017
While hunger remains a critical concern, overweight and obesity are rapidly increasing all over the world, including in low- and middle-income countries.  Therefore, malnutrition in all its forms (undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies and overweight and obesity) now affects all countries, whether low-, middle- or high-income.  Those different forms of malnutrition can co-exist within the same country or community, and sometimes within the same household or individual, and can even paradoxically be linked: they thus must be fought altogether.


Nutritional Quality and Safety of Organic Food. A Review 
Denis Lairon, Agronomy for Sustainable Development, Vol. 30, Issue 1: 33-41 -- Mar 2010


Nutritional Quality of Organic versus Conventional Fruits, Vegetables, and Grains 
Virginia Worthington, Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, Vol. 7, No. 2, 2001, pg. 161-173 -- 2001


Organic Agriculture and Food Production: Ecological, Environmental, Food Safety and Nutritional Quality Issues 
Reza Ghorbani, Alireza Koocheki, Kirsten Brandt et al, Sustainable Agriculture Review, Vol 3, 77-107 
-- 2010


Organic Farming, Food Quality and Human Health: A Review of the Evidence 
Shane Heaton, Soil Association -- 2001


Organic Food and Human Health - Is There a Connection 
Charles Benbrook, Food Safety News -- 10 Oct 2012


Quality Low Input Food Project (Overview Summary)
Prof. Carlo Leifert (Project Co-ordinator), University of Newcastle (UK)  -- Aug 2009


Soil Biology Primer 
Elaine R. Ingham, Andrew R. Moldenke, Clive A. Edwards, Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA -- 2000
On-line resources related to basic soil biology, soil health & management, the soil food web and more that support healthy plants and crops.
 


Still No Free Lunch: Nutrient Levels in US Food Supply Eroded by Pursuit of High Yields 
Brian Halweil, The Organic Center -- Sep 2007


That First Step: Organic Food and a Healthier Future 
Christine McCullum-Gomez, Charles benbrook, Richard Theurer, The Organic Center -- Mar 2009


The Impact of Organic Farming on Quality of Tomatoes 
Aurelice B. Oliveira, PLOS ONE -- 20 Feb 2013 


The Rise of Africa's Super Vegetables 
Rachel Cernansky, Nature -- 09 Jun 2015


What Happened to the Essential Nutrients in Our Food 
Courtey White, Mother Earth News -- Jul 2014
"Everyone needs vitamins and minerals like potassium, calcium, magnesium and others to stay strong and healthy.  Find out why these essential nutrients have decreased in our food and how we can get them back."


With the Grain: A Closer Look at the Nutrient Quality of Grain, Grain-Based Products, and the Role of Organic Agriculture
Erin Smith, Charles Benbrook, Donald R. Davis, The Organic Center -- Jul 2012


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