Organic food: facts and figures 2003
BRIEFING PAPER
Nutritional benefits of organic food
On average, organic food contains higher levels of vitamin C and
essential minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron and chromium
(Shane Heaton - Organic Farming, Food Quality and Human Health, 2001).
In a review of 41 studies from around the world, organic crops were
shown to have statistically significant higher levels of vitamin C,
magnesium, iron and phosphorous. Spinach, lettuce, cabbage and
potatoes showed particularly high levels of minerals. (Virginia
Worthington –Nutritional Quality of Organic Versus Conventional
Fruits, Vegetables and Grains, 2001)
Nitrate levels in organic food are on average 15% lower (Virginia
Worthington - Nutritional Quality of Organic Versus Conventional
Fruits, Vegetables and Grains, 2001). Scientists from Glasgow
University have found a link between the levels of nitrates in
vegetables and gullet cancer, which has trebled over the last 20 years
and claims more than 3000 lives a year. They believe that an increase
in the use of nitrate fertilisers since World War II may be one of the
main reasons for the rise in this cancer.
Organic vegetables have higher levels (between 10% and 50%) of
secondary nutrients. These include antioxidants which help to mop up
harmful free radicals implicated in cancer. (Shane Heaton - Organic
Farming, Food Quality and Human Health, 2001).
Deficiencies in certain vitamins and minerals can lead to a variety of
symptoms including muscle cramps and depression. (Truth About Food)
Between 1940 and 1991, trace minerals in conventional UK fruit and
vegetables fell by up to 76% - US figures show a similar trend (Defra
and USDA)
Additives
Health problems as diverse as heart disease, osteoporisis, migraines
and hyperactivity have been linked to food additives whose use is
banned in organic food. 297 additives are permitted in conventional
food and 27 are allowed in organic food, some which have to be added
for legal reasons.
The following are specifically banned in organic processed food:
Hydrogenated fat, which is linked to heart disease, is banned under
organic standards.
Phosphoric acid, which is a highly acidic ingredient used in cola
drinks. It can leave the bones brittle and porous and lead to
osteoporisis.
Aspartame, the most widely used artificial sweetener. Reported
reactions to aspartame include headaches, nausea, diarrhoea,
convulsions and seizures.
Monosodium glutamate, which is thought to be responsible for
dizziness, headaches and asthma attacks.
Sulphur dioxide which can often cause problems in people who have
asthma.
Pesticides
Cox’s apples can be sprayed up to 16 times with 36 different
pesticides – many of these are hard to remove even if the fruit is
washed. (Truth About Food)
500 chemicals are routinely used in conventional farming. Only four
are permitted in organic farming.
Government tests have shown that some spinach contains pesticide
residues that exceed the safety level for toddlers. Pesticide residues
were also found in three-quarters of the dried fruit that was sampled,
half of the bread, a third of the apples and celery, and a quarter of
the chips from fish and chip shops. Six sample of baby food contained
residues at high levels. (Pesticide Residue Committee 2003)
Even though cancer-causing chemicals such as lindane and DDT have been
banned, Government tests in 2000 showed that food still contains
residues. Other chemicals are linked with cancer, breast cancer,
decreasing male fertility, foetal abnormalities. DDT has been found in
67% of feta cheese samples. (Working Party on Pesticide Residues
annual report, 2000)
Little is known about the effects of multiple residues – the cocktail
effect. In 1999, 93% of oranges had multiple residues. There has been
very little research done but all current knowledge points to there
being a very distinct possibility that chemicals would react with each
other. The Government has highlighted the need for this research to be
done on this area.
Antibiotics
There is growing concern about the high use of antibiotics and
possible effects on human health. The House of Lords Select Committee
on Science and Technology concluded in 1999 "There is a continuing
threat to human health from imprudent use of antibiotics in animals”.
The British Medical Association is concerned that "The risk to human
health to antibiotic resistance is one of the major health threats
that could be faced in the 21st century."
GM
Although it is claimed by the biotechnology companies that there have
been no ill effects of several years of GMO consumption in the US,
there have been no epidemiological studies to support this statement.
Instead, the following developments indicate negative effects may be
occurring:
UK: a 50% rise in soya allergies is reported since imports of GM soya
started
Ireland: doctors report a rise in soya allergies in children since the
start of GM soya imports.
US: people in the US reported allergic reactions to Adventis’s
Starlink corn, after it mistakenly entered the American food chain. 12
of the cases are being studied by the FDA to see if a link to the corn
can be proven.
US: coinciding with the introduction of GMOs in food in the US, food
derived illnesses are believed to have doubled over the last seven
years.
In May 1999 the British Medical Association’s Board of Science
published The Impact of Genetic Modification on Agriculture, food and
heath which stated:
“We cannot at present know whether there are any serious risks to the
environment or to human health involved in producing GM crops or
consuming GM food products. Adverse effects are likely to be
irreversible; once GMOs are released into the environment they cannot
be subject to control.
“There should be a ban on the use of antibiotic resistance marker
genes in GM food, as the risk to human health from antibiotic
resistance developing in micro-organisms is one of the major public
health threats that will be faced in the 21st Century. The risk that
antibiotic resistance may be passed on to bacteria affecting human
beings, through marker genes in the food chain, is one that cannot at
present be ruled out.”
Hidden costs of intensive farming
Around £120 million a year is spent removing pesticides from the UK’s
water supply – mainly as a result of the chemicals used in
conventional farming. Water customers pay around £7 each per year to
remove nitrates and pesticides from water supplies, but this is
expected to rise to £25 a year in the next five years according to
Water UK. The main pollutants include fertilisers and nitrate-rich
slurry from animal waste which soaks into the ground.
The annual cost of agriculture to the environment is £1.4bn (Barbara
Young, chief executive of the Environment Agency,speaking at the
Labour Party Conference. Reported in Farmers Weekly, 4 October).
The Government has paid almost £280 million in compensation to farmers
following the BSE crisis. In a Commons written answer, Elliot Morley
said £147,872,499 was paid for the slaughter of animals suspected of
having BSE, while £121,128,636 was paid out following selective
culling, that is animals associated with BSE infected cows between
1989 and 1993 (Defra, May 2002)
The Government has paid £2.7b in payments and compensation as a result
of the foot-and-mouth crisis (Hansard, 4 February 2002). Of this,
£1.5b was paid in compensation to farmers whose animals were culled
(Hansard, 10 May 2002). Around £55m has been paid as compensation to
businesses affected by the crisis. Other expenses include advice to
farmers and tourism promotion.
Food miles
A typical Sunday lunch (beef from Australia, runner beans from
Thailand, potatoes from Italy, carrots from South Africa, broccoli
from Guatemala and fruit from America and New Zealand) could travel a
total of 49,000 miles.
Importing a kilo of Chantrelle mushrooms from Zambia results in 4505g
of CO2 being emitted. The average person is responsible for 9.63tonnes
of CO2 emissions. A weekly basket of imported food for a family of
four could add 1.1 tonnes to per capita emissions. A typical Sunday
meal could travel 49,000 miles – equivalent to two journeys around the
world and releasing 37kg of CO2.(Sustain: Eating Oil – food in a
changing climate, 2001).
Distributing products by plane results in 50 times more CO2 than sea
freight. International trade in food almost doubled between 1968 and
1998. For every 1000 fruit products bought in the UK only 6 will be
grown here (Sustain: Eating Oil – food in a changing climate, 2001)
The food system accounts for up to 40 per cent of all UK road freight.
(Sustain: Eating Oil – food in a changing climate, 2001)
Local food
Sales value of all food sold at farmers’ markets increased by 83 per
cent from £30 million to £55 million. The amount of organic food sold
at farmers markets increased and now accounts for around 15 per cent
of total sales at farmers markets (increasing from £4 million to £8
million)
Certification
All organic farms and food processors are inspected once a year.
Organic farms and food
Demand for organic food increased by a 55% between 1999 and 2000 and a
third between 2000 and 2001. The UK market is currently worth over
£920m (Organic Food and Farming Report 2002)
There are 3,865 organic farmers (including around 600 in Wales, 700 in
Scotland and 100 in Northern Ireland). There are 2,000 processing
facilities in the UK (Organic Food and Farming Report 2002).
The amount of organic land in the UK almost doubled between April 2001
– 2002 and is equivalent to three times the size of Greater London
(Organic Food and Farming Report 2002)
Find out more
For information about where to buy organic food check out The Organic
Directory 2002 - 2003. Available from bookshops or the Soil
Association (0117 929 0661 or
www.soilassociation.org) it's published
by Green Books and costs £4.95.
The Soil Association has a network of organic farms that are open to
the public. To find out about a farm near you, visit
www.soilassociation.org or call us on 0117 929 0661.
If you'd like to stay on an organic farm, The Green Holiday Guide
provides details as well as information about over 1,500 cottages,
campsites and eco-friendly guesthouses. Published by Eceat, it costs
£9.95 and is available from bookshops and the Soil Association (0117
929 0661 or
www.soilassociation.org).
The Soil Association is a membership charity and we urgently need your
support to continue our work. We can keep you up-to-date with the
latest news through our magazine Living Earth and newsletters. To
become a member please contact our membership department on 0117 914
2447 or join online at
www.soilassociation.org
Address of this document:
http://www.soilassociation.org/web/sa/saweb.nsf/librarytitles/Briefing...eets101
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