by Paige Benviniste
September 20, 2022
The organic food label means more than the absence of pesticides and herbicides. When you buy organic, you're buying food grown by farmers that are required to maintain and improve soil health. Soil health is not only important for the environment, it’s important for human health. Scientists are finding that food that is grown in healthy, complex soil is more nutritious and flavorful compared to its conventional counterparts. When you buy organic, you are buying food that is better for you and the environment.
There is no one size fits all approach to organic farming, some farms will have better practices than others. But when you buy organic, you’re supporting farmers that are building soil and plant health through crop rotations, cover crops, and compost. As stated in the National Organic Program (NOP) Standards: ”The producer must manage crop nutrients and soil fertility through rotations, cover crops, and the application of plant and animal materials.” Soil health is the foundation of organic farming.
By using farming practices that feed and enhance soil health, organic farmers are by default growing food that is more nutrient dense and flavorful. To summarize David Montgomery and Anne Bikle in their new book, What Your Food Ate, the authors found that food from organic farming systems have higher concentrations of vitamins and phytochemicals due to nutrient rich soils with strong microbial and fungal networks.
In addition to reviewing the literature, Montgomery and Bikle conducted their own research comparing organic, conventional, and regenerative farming practices. They found that the healthiest soils and plants came from farms that were using low- or no-till practices (regenerative) and organic fertilization (through cover crops, diverse crop rotations, compost, etc.).
The term "regenerative" has risen in popularity to describe farming practices that go beyond organic and what the National Organic Program requires of organic farmers. Add-on labels like 'The Real Organic Project' and the 'Regenerative Organic Certification' have emerged as a way for organic farmers to differentiate their practices from others. Add-on labels such as these can be a great way to find products that align with your values. But unlike the term organic, “regenerative” isn’t regulated and therefore anyone can use it (including conventional farmers, who can also practice low- or no-till methods but still use harmful agrochemicals).
With all of the various labels out there, buying food that is certified organic is still your best bet on buying food that is going to be healthier for you and the environment. Organic farming practices require farmers to feed the soil and demonstrate that they are improving soil health and not negatively impacting the land around them. Buying organic is a win-win, more nutrient dense and flavorful food without the use of pesticides/herbicides.