Reference: Benefits of Organic / Regenerative Agriculture on Human Health (Nutrient Density) & Env't · Mary Purdy

The case for the effects of organic/regenerative agriculture/agroecology on soil health, environment/climate and human health (including human gut microbiome).

This section also details the connection between the health of the soil and the implications it has for the health of the plants (“nutrient density/nutrient richness”) and how that translates into human health, the gut microbiome, and immune function. There are likely to be additional resources in other areas of these sustainability resources pages that also showcase the benefits of organic/regenerative/agroecological farming methods on the human and planetary health. Please be sure to look through other resource areas as well. Note that some of the benefits or organic/regenerative also means a reduced exposure to chemicals which also can carry health benefits and lower risk for numerous health issues. Be sure to see the section on the impact of pesticides on human health and the environment.

I have indicated *** next to some of the papers/studies I have found to be most relevant, substantial, and/or up to date.

You can also find more info on the connection between “Nutrient Density” and Regenerative Organic agriculture over at the “Nutrient Density Initiative” resources page HERE where I served as managing Director from 2024-2026 (You’ll see some crossover). Additionally, see the presentation detailing a white paper released in 2023 given on this topic here

You can find a downloadable list of sources and resources about the connection between farming practices, soil and nutritional health of food at this website of David Montgomery and Anne Bikle who wrote the powerful book “What Your Food Ate” (Again, there will be more crossover) David Montgomery’s newest book “Regen” will also be a great resource.

Please note: These articles have been updated through July 2026

5 benefits of regenerative agriculture – and 5 ways to scale it. World Economic Forum. Published January 11, 2023. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/01/5-ways-to-scale-regenerative-agriculture-davos23/

Regenerative agriculture is the way forward to decarbonize the food system and make farming resilient to climate shocks.
The solution to both the climate emergency and the food crisis is in the soil, quite literally. Farmers are stewards of the soil and they must be incentivized and rewarded as such. We call on players across the food value chain to commit to achieving that by helping progress these 5 key areas and unlock regenerative agriculture at scale.
The risk and cost of transition is the key priority that must be tackled, and we believe there are five ways to do it (Just 2 examples below)
- 1. Agree on common metrics for environmental outcomes. Today, there are many disparate efforts to define and measure environmental outcomes. We must move to a set of metrics adopted by the whole food industry, making it easier for farmers to adjust their practices and for positive changes to be rewarded.
- 2.Develop new sourcing models to spread the cost of transition. We must move from sourcing models that take crops from anywhere to models that involve collaboration between off-takers from different sectors to take crops from areas converting to regenerative farming.

Abbey, L., Ofoe, R., Gunupuru, L. R., & Ijenyo, M. (2021). Variation in frequency of CQA-tested municipal solid waste compost can alter metabolites in vegetables.Food Research International, 143, 110225.

Variations in frequency of MSW compost application altered metabolomics profiles of vegetables.
Metabolite composition varied with vegetable species as influenced by compost application frequency.
Annual compost application enhanced all the metabolites except glucose.
Food nutrient density and functional properties were improved.

Agroecology in Andhra Pradesh, India: Unveiling Hidden Costs and Benefits through True Cost Accounting . Global Alliance for the Future of Food. Published June 29, 2023. https://futureoffood.org/insights/agroecology-in-andhra-pradesh-india/. ***

Food systems debates and discourse are often skeptical about agroecology and regenerative approaches, arguing that there is a lack of research and evidence that demonstrate its potential to scale up and feed the world. There is in fact a wealth of evidence showing that these approaches can repair our relationship with nature and build climate resilience while producing nourishing and sustainable food.
The analysis demonstrated that the agroecological practices and principles of natural farming generated the most beneficial economic, environmental and social outcomes, resulting in 49% net increases in farmer incomes, increased diet diversity, and yes, even 11% higher yields. Altogether, the study showed the highest positive returns on public investment from agroecological natural farming.
SPECIFIC HEALTH OUTCOMES:The research showed strong correlation between lower on-farm health risks and transitions to APCNF farming. For example, farmers on APCNF farms lost one-third fewer working days to illness, compared with farms using counterfactual farming methods. • The use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers correlated with higher incidence of short-term exposure and symptoms. This in turn correlated with higher health costs and productivity losses for farmers. Such health impacts are not accounted for in conventional market-based crop-pricing models. • The health-cost analysis, based on health expenses incurred and wages lost due to illness, showed that villages with chemically intensive farming had the highest health costs: 26% higher than those for APCNF farmers in this region. • Household Dietary Diversity was greater in APCNF households than in other conventional farming households, indicating access to a greater variety of crops.
DECLINE OF NUTRIENTS IN FOOD IN INDIA: Between 1939 and 2017, along with declining food-plate diversity, nutrient content has declined significantly in cereal, pulses, vegetables, and fruits. Chemical analysis conducted by NIN Hyderabad shows that protein levels in green gram and black lentil have reduced by 10 and 6.2%, respectively. Also, levels of thiamine, magnesium, and zinc in tomatoes, cabbage, and roots and tubers have declined by 41 to 67%, while fruit has lower levels of vitamin C, thiamine, and carotene, ranging from 6.4 to 22.7%. Also, carbohydrates in green leafy vegetables have significantly declined, by 12%. On a positive note, micronutrient levels have risen in foods like masoor and green leafy vegetables, and potato contains more iron than before (Shukla, 2016).
- Conventionally (chemical-intensive cultivation) grown foods are also less nutritious and have lessor number of protective antioxidants (Das, 2020). Various scientific studies and surveys conducted on fertilizer and pesticide residues during last 45 years indicate the presence of residues of fertilizers and pesticides such as nitrates, organochlorines, organophosphates, synthetic pyrethroids, and
  carbamates at higher levels than permissible limits in milk, dairy products, water, fodder, livestock feeds, and other food products

Amanda, Maria, Goulart T, Araújo M, Paula. Effects of glyphosate exposure on intestinal microbiota, metabolism and microstructure: a systematic review. Food & Function. Published online January 1, 2024.

Our findings revealed that glyphosate and its formulations are able to induce intestinal dysbiosis by altering bacterial metabolism, intestinal permeability, and mucus secretion, as well as causing damage to the microvilli and the intestinal lumen
Additionally, immunological, enzymatic and genetic changes were also observed in the animal models. At the metabolic level, damage was observed in lipid and energy metabolism, the circulatory system, cofactor and vitamin metabolism, and replication, repair, and translation processes.
studies revealed that these alterations, caused by glyphosate-based herbicides, can lead to intestinal and systemic diseases, such as Crohn’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease.

Andrieu, Nadine & Faure, Guy & Paracchini, Maria-Luisa & Geck, Matthias. (2024). What agroecology brings to food security and ecosystem services: a review of scientific evidence.

There is a strong theoretical basis and empirical evidence that food security outcomes(availability, access, utilization, stability) are as good or sometimes even better for agroecological systems than conventional alternatives.
Agroecology is a science,a set of practices and a social movement. It is defined by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations(FAO)as“an integrated approach that simultaneously applies ecological and social concepts and principles to the design and management of food and agricultural systems that “aims to optimize the interactions between plants, animals, humans and the environment while taking into account the social aspects that must be addressed for a sustainable and equitable food system”.

Averill C, Bhatnagar JM, Dietze MC, Pearse WD, Kivlin SN. Global imprint of mycorrhizal fungi on whole-plant nutrient economics.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 2019;116(46):23163-23168. doi:10.1073/pnas.1906655116

Most plants on Earth form a symbiosis with root-associated (i.e., mycorrhizal) fungi, trading plant photosynthate for fungal-acquired soil nutrients.
Mycorrhizal fungi are critical members of the plant microbiome, forming a symbiosis with the roots of most plants on Earth. Most plant species partner with either arbuscular or ectomycorrhizal fungi, and these symbioses are thought to represent plant adaptations to fast and slow soil nutrient cycling rates.
Different mycorrhizal associations are linked to differences in a suite of plant traits related to nutrient economic strategies
Mary’s Note: healthier soil has a richer mycorrhiza network which means that they are part of the plant’s defense system and therefore its health

Abbey L, Ofoe R, Gunupuru LR, Ijenyo M. Variation in frequency of CQA-tested municipal solid waste compost can alter metabolites in vegetables.Food Res Int. 2021;143:110225. doi:10.1016/j.foodres.2021.110225

Variations in frequency of MSW compost application altered metabolomics profiles of vegetables.
Metabolites composition varied with vegetable species as influenced by compost application frequency.
Annual compost application enhanced all the metabolites except glucose.
Food nutrients density and functional property were improve

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Increase the Yield and Nutritional Quality of Yellow and Purple Fleshed Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) – Rodale Institute. Rodale Institute. Published October 31, 2023.

Potatoes are the most highly consumed vegetable in the United States and are the primary source of antioxidants in the American diet. Therefore, technologies and growing methods that aim to enhance the nutritional quality of potatoes can have positive impacts on public health.
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) inoculant increased potato tuber yield by up to 23%, antioxidant activity by up to 120%, ergothioneine concentration by up to 9X, and soluble sugar concentration by up to 46%, and that the extent of these increases varied by mycorrhizal species.

Bach E, Ramirez K, Fraser T, and Wall D. Soil biodiversity integrates solutions for a sustainable future.Sustainability. 2020.

Organic and non-GMO ingredients support environmental and human health through soil biodiversity, as soil organisms, microscopic and macroscopic, support all ecosystems

Banerjee, S., van der Heijden, M.G.A. Soil microbiomes and one health. Nat Rev Microbiol (2022). ***

The concept of one health highlights that human health is not isolated but connected to the health of animals, plants and environments.
In this Review, we demonstrate that soils are a cornerstone of one health and serve as a source and reservoir of pathogens, beneficial microorganisms and the overall microbial diversity in a wide range of organisms and ecosystems.
Plants only produce small amounts of secondary metabolites, but beneficial microorganisms associated with them can enhance their production, including omega-3 (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids, lin-oleic acid, - carnitine, choline or sphingomyelin, which can subsequently benefit animal and human health.
Diets play a major role in shaping the gut microbiome composition of both humans and animals. Plant microbiota, including microorganisms originally derived from soil, can also make their way into human and animal gut microbiota

Barański M, Rempelos L, Iversen PO, Leifert C. Effects of organic food consumption on human health; the jury is still out! Food Nutr Res. 2017 Mar 6;61(1):1287333.

Specifically, these systematic reviews reported that:
- organic crops have higher antioxidant activity and between 18 and 69% higher concentrations of a range of individual antioxidants; increased intakes of polyphenolics and antioxidants has been linked to a reduced risk of certain chronic diseases such as cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases and certain cancers (discussed by Barański et al. [12]);
- conventional crops have higher levels of the toxic metal cadmium, and are four-times more likely to contain detectable pesticide residues; there are general recommendations to minimise the intake of pesticides and cadmium to avoid potential negative health impacts (discussed by Barański et al. [12]);
- conventional crops also have higher concentrations of protein, nitrogen, nitrate, nitrite, respectively; increased intakes of these compounds have been linked to both positive and negative health impacts (discussed by Barański et al. [12]);
- organic meat, milk, and dairy products have approximately higher concentrations of nutritionally-desirable omega-3 fatty acids; intakes of very long chain omega-3 fatty acids in Western diets and there are EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) recommendation to at least double their intake

Barański M, Średnicka-Tober D, Volakakis N, et al. Higher antioxidant and lower cadmium concentrations and lower incidence of pesticide residues in organically grown crops: A systematic literature review and meta-analyses. British Journal of Nutrition. 2014;112(5):794-811. ***

Found significantly higher levels of these phytochemicals in addition to vitamins C and E. In comparison, pesticide residues and toxic metal content was four times as high in conventional fruits.
Researcher state that shifting to organic farming can increase the phytochemical content in produce to the current equivalent of eating 2-4 portions of fruits and vegetables!
Concentrations of a range of antioxidants such as polyphenols have been found to be substantially higher in organic crops/organic crop-based foods which have not been sprayed with pesticides. Many of these compounds have been linked to a reduced risk of chronic diseases
CONSUMER FRIENDLY Article which highlights this study: Newcastle University. Organic vs Non-Organic Food. 2015
- Analyzing 343 studies into the compositional differences between organic and conventional crops, the team found that a switch to eating organic fruit, vegetable and cereals – and food made from them – would provide additional antioxidants equivalent to eating between 1-2 extra portions of fruit and vegetables a day.
- Concentrations of antioxidants such as polyphenolics were between 18-69% higher in organically-grown crops. Numerous studies have linked antioxidants to a reduced risk of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases and certain cancers.
- Substantially lower concentrations of a range of the toxic heavy metal cadmium were also detected in organic crops (on average 48% lower). The study also found that pesticide residues were four times more likely to be found in conventional crops than organic ones.

Baudry J, Assmann KE, Touvier M, et al. Association of Frequency of Organic Food Consumption With Cancer Risk: Findings From the NutriNet-Santé Prospective Cohort Study [published correction appears in JAMA Intern Med. 2018 Dec 1;178(12):1732]. JAMA Intern Med. 2018;178(12):1597-1606.

A higher frequency of organic food consumption was associated with a reduced risk of cancer. If these findings are confirmed, further research is necessary to determine the underlying factors involved in this association.

Bhardwaj et al. An alarming decline in the nutritional quality of foods: The biggest challenge for future generations’ health. Foods. 2024;13(6):877.

In the last sixty years, there has been an alarming decline in food quality and a decrease in a wide variety of nutritionally essential minerals and nutraceutical compounds in imperative fruits, vegetables, and food crops. The potential causes behind the decline in the nutritional quality of foods have been identified worldwide as chaotic mineral nutrient application, the preference for less nutritious cultivars/crops, the use of high-yielding varieties, and agronomic issues associated with a shift from natural farming to chemical farming.
This critical review emphasizes the importance of balance and adequate nutrition as well as the need to improve soil biodiversity and fertility: those are main causes behind the decline in nutritional density. There is also emphasis on a possible way out of alleviating the decline nutritional density of food crops for the health and well-being of future generations.

Bhardwaj RL, Vyas L, Verma MP, Meena SC, Chattopadhyay A, Meena NK, Jakhar DS, Kumawat SR. Increasing Productivity and Recovering Nutritional, Organoleptic, and Nutraceutical Qualities of Major Vegetable Crops for Better Dietetics. Foods. 2025; 14(2):254.

Global vegetable production mainly depends on the application of chemical fertilizers, which boost crop productivity. On the other hand, they adversely affect soil biodiversity, which is crucial for food security and sustainability
Important commercial high-yielding vegetables such as tomato, chili, potato, cucurbits, and okra have lost their original nutritional density by up to 25–50 percent or more, including the loss of sodium (52%), iron (50%), copper (49%), and magnesium (10%) in different fruits and vegetables [5]
The considerable nutrient depletion and diminished organoleptic quality of vegetables have been identified worldwide as disturbing the delicate balance of field soil, reducing soil life activities, altering physicochemical properties [7], and degrading soil quality and nutritional availability with excessive pesticide residual contamination [6] during the last eighty years (1940 to 2019) due to environmental, genetic, and field soil degradation.
The integration of different soil management approaches is an emerging need for nutrient-dense vegetable production and improved productivity. Different soil management approaches include well-adjusted fertilization and recovering soil biodiversity [9], microbial inoculation [10], increasing earthworm density [6], recycling field waste [6], and cohesive land management practices [11]. The return of well-decomposed, organic substances to the soil for precise soil reactions and the recycling of farm waste can lead to the regaining of soil microbial diversity and can support the fixation, solubilization, and supply of nutrients from the soil to plants, obtain better water-holding capacity, and have a significant impact on carbon sequestration, which could help mitigate the effects of nutrient dilution in different vegetable crops.
Fruits and vegetables harvested from naturally grown forests or uncultivated areas are more nutritious, with good organoleptic qualities due to the presence of additional quantities of many phytochemicals.
The total soluble sugars (24%) and vitamin C (57%) increased in tomatoes, when the crop was grown with a 25% reduced application of chemical fertilizer plus Trichoderma-enriched bio-organic fertilizer, while nitrate accumulation was reduced up to 62 percent

Blum WEH, Zechmeister-Boltenstern S, Keiblinger KM. Does Soil Contribute to the Human Gut Microbiome?. Microorganisms. 2019;7(9):287. Published 2019 Aug 23.

From early childhood, we are in contact with soil; we taste it, we inhale it, and we drink water which has passed through soil. Moreover, we ingest plants grown on soils together with soil microbiota.
The colonization of the human gut starts at birth, with the rapid expansion of microbial diversity, influenced by endogenous and exogenous factors [3], such as human genetic variation as well as diet, infections, xenobiotics, and exposure to environmental microbial agents including the large plant and soil microbiome
On top of little contact with soil and feces, hygienic measures, antibiotics and a low fiber diet of processed food have led to a loss of beneficial microbes. At the same time, loss of soil biodiversity is observed in many rural areas. The increasing use of agrochemicals, low plant biodiversity and rigorous soil management practices have a negative effect on the biodiversity of crop epiphytes and endophytes. These developments concur with an increase in lifestyle diseases related to the human intestinal microbiome.

Bohn et al Food Chemistry Compositional differences in soybeans on the market: Glyphosate accumulates in Roundup Ready GM soybeans Volume 153, 15 June 2014, Pages 207-215

Glyphosate tolerant GM soybeans contain high residues of glyphosate and AMPA.
Soybeans from different agricultural practices differ in nutritional quality. Organic soybeans showed a more healthy nutritional profile than other soybeans. Organic soy contained more sugars, protein and zinc, but less fibre and omega-6.
This study rejects that GM soy is “substantially equivalent” to non-GM soybeans.

Brevik EC, Slaughter L, Singh BR, et al. Soil and human health: Current status and future needs. Air, Soil and Water Research. 2020; ***

There has been research which support the link between contact with the “natural environment, including soils, and microbially driven immunoregulatory responses in humans that positively influence mental and physical wellbeing.
There are a number of positive ways that soils enhance human health, from food production and nutrient supply to the supply of medications and enhancement of the immune system. It is increasingly recognized that the soil is an ecosystem with a myriad of interconnected parts, each influencing the other, and when all necessary parts are present and functioning (ie, the soil is healthy), human health also benefits.

Brevik, E. C. & Burgess, L. C. (2014) The Influence of Soils on Human Health. Nature Education Knowledge 5(12):1

Approximately 78% of the average per capita calorie consumption worldwide comes from crops grown directly in soil, and another nearly 20% comes from terrestrial food sources that rely indirectly on soil
Soils are also a major source of nutrients, and they act as natural filters to remove contaminants from water. However, soils may contain heavy metals, chemicals, or pathogens that have the potential to negatively impact human health.
The ability to produce nutritious crops in sufficient amounts depends on soil properties and conditions. In particular, soils that have well-developed structure, sufficient organic matter, and other physical and chemical properties conducive to promoting crop growth lead to strong yields and are thus important for food security

Brevik, E. C. and Sauer, T. J.: The past, present, and future of soils and human health studies, SOIL, 1, 35–46, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-1-35-2015, 2015.

We recognize that soils influence (1) food availability and quality (food security), (2) human contact with various chemicals, and (3) human contact with various pathogens. Soils and human health studies include investigations into nutrient supply through the food chain and routes of exposure to chemicals and pathogens. However, making strong, scientific connections between soils and human health can be difficult. There are multiple variables to consider in the soil environment, meaning traditional scientific studies that seek to isolate and manipulate a single variable often do not provide meaningful data.

Brooke, L; Johnson, A. Grow Organic: The Climate, Health, and Economic Case for Expanding Organic Agriculture Natural Resources Defense Council published in partnership with the Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems at Arizona State University and Californians for Pesticide Reform. Website. Published October 27, 2022. Accessed January 2023. (You can download the report from the website)

Organic agriculture reduces the greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint of farming by eliminating most fossil fuel–based inputs, and it builds climate resilience by promoting healthy soils, diversifying food crops, and supporting threatened wildlife habitats and biodiversity.
Data show that organic farming emits less nitrous oxide by avoiding chemical fertilizers and pesticides commonly used in conventional agriculture, and organic livestock production leads to fewer methane emissions compared with conventional concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs).
Research demonstrates that organic agriculture benefits our health by dramatically reducing exposure to agricultural pollution in air, water, and food. Farmworkers and others working and living near conventional farms suffer serious acute and chronic health ailments associated with pesticide exposure, and studies indicate that pesticide residues in our food may be harmful to consumer health.

Çakmakçı S, Çakmakçı R. Quality and Nutritional Parameters of Food in Agri-Food Production Systems.Foods. 2023 Jan 11;12(2):351. doi: 10.3390/foods12020351. PMID: 36673443; PMCID: PMC9857782.

The present review summarises and evaluates research comparing the quality of traditionally, organically and conventionally produced foods. In some cases, although the results of the studies contradict each other, organically grown in vegetables, especially berries and fruits are slightly higher dry matter, minerals such as P, Ca, Mg, Fe and Zn, vitamin C, sugars, carotenoids, antioxidant activity, phenolic and flavonoid compounds. In addition, their sensory properties are more pleasant.
The yield in organic systems lower than conventional ones, but organic foods have significantly less or no synthetic pesticide residues. This is especially important in children nutrition [6]. In addition, it is a fact that there are differences in manufacturing, processing, preparation, packaging, preservation, and marketing methods that can affect the quality of organic and conventional foods.
Organic agriculture targets social, cultural, economic and ecological sustainability and better balances economic viability; moreover, it is more profitable and environmentally friendly Zhu et al. [7] determined that an organic production system could help reduce environmental impacts despite having lower productivity, while Clark [8] concluded that compared to conventional agriculture, organic farming is more effective at using non-renewable energy, and performs well in terms of energy efficiency.
The yield difference between organic and conventional agriculture may decrease over time, as organic agriculture will have a higher organic matter concentration, greater stability of soil properties, and improved soil structure with higher soil aggregation
Several studies reveal that some of the prominent motivating factors for buying organic food are health-promotion or nutrition, attractiveness, nutritional and biological value, domain-specific innovativeness, origin, regionalism, health benefits and awareness, product quality, health and environmental consciousness, social and self-identity, food safety, trust, freshness, credibility, emotions, perception, and sensory properties such as taste, appearance, odour, flavour, intensive aroma, mouth feel and texture
Soil nitrogen appears to affect nutritional quality, and organic crops generally have higher dry matter, sugar, ascorbic acid, flavonoids and phenolics, as well as lower yields and moisture, nitrate and protein content. The literature shows that organic grains, vegetables and fruits have higher or equal amounts of minerals, phytochemicals and vitamins C and E, while organic cereal has less protein, but an equal amount in vegetables and fruits

Carrara, J. E., Lehotay, S. J., Lightfield, A. R., Sun, D., Richie, J. P., Jr., Smith, A. H., & Heller, W. P. (2023). Linking soil health to human health: Arbuscular mycorrhizae play a key role in plant uptake of the antioxidant ergothioneine from soils. Plants, People, Planet, 5(3), 449–458.

The amino acid ergothioneine (ERGO) has recently gained attention as an antioxidantthat benefits human health. ERGO is produced by fungi and mycobacteria in soilsand is acquired only from diet.
Mycorrhizal inoculation enhanced ERGO content across all plants. There was apositive correlation between AMF colonization level and plant ERGO content.

Ceddia, M Graziano et al. Transforming food systems through agroecology: enhancing farmers’ autonomy for a safe and just transition The Lancet Planetary Health, Volume 8, Issue 11, e958 – e965 2024.

Food systems contribute to multiple crises while failing to deliver healthy, nutritious food for all. A substantial amount of research suggests that the root cause of this issue lies in the complete integration of food systems within global capitalism and the consequent subordination of fairness and sustainability to profit accumulation.
we illustrate how this subordination erodes the autonomy of food producers, with strong environmental and social consequences for consumers and society at large. Lastly, we discuss how agroecology could transform food systems and enhance producers’ autonomy, while mitigating environmental and social dysfunction.

Center for Biological Diversity. REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE POLICY. TakeExtinctionOffYourPlate.com. 2025.

Defining regenerative agricultural objectives and principles is essential for ensuring measurable conservation benefits. To be defined as “regenerative,” agricultural practices must prioritize native ecosystems and provide transparency and quantifiable long-term solutions to combat climate change. Agriculture policy that includes regenerative agriculture must clearly define the term to ensure accountability, measurability and effectiveness.
- 1) Produce foods through farming practices that reduce emissions and benefit environmental resources such as air, water, and land by minimizing pollution.
- 2) Promote native biodiversity of plants and animals and protect native ecosystems from agricultural impacts without contributing to the wildlife extinction crisis.
- 3) Support healthy, just, humane and sustainable farming that supports public health and environmental justice.
Truly regenerative practices should also ensure workers’ rights and environmental justice and prioritize plant-based and small-scale producers.
These agricultural practices and systems should never be considered regenerative: commercial biogas; carbon offsets and markets; chemical fertilizers; Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations; feedlot finishing; increased beef production or herd sizes; public lands grazing; lethal carnivore control; pesticides; prophylactic antibiotics or growth hormones; water and soil pollution; and deforestation.

Colino S, Foglia L. Fruits and vegetables are less nutritious than they used to be. National Geographic Magazine. December 27, 2024.

Mounting evidence shows that many of today’s whole foods aren’t as packed with vitamins and nutrients as they were 70 years ago, potentially putting people’s health at risk.
Micronutrients include vitamins (organic compounds made by organisms) and minerals (essential elements from soil), but unlike vitamins, minerals must be present in the soil for plants to contain them.
Farmers are paid based on yield, appearance, and flavor—not nutrient density, which consumers can’t easily judge—yet evidence shows a gradual decline in food’s nutritional quality over time.

Coller, E., Cestaro, A., Zanzotti, R. et al.Microbiome of vineyard soils is shaped by geography and management. Microbiome7, 140 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40168-019-0758-7

The biodiversity of soil microbial communities is increasingly recognized as a major factor for human health both directly, by limiting the spread of potential pathogens, and indirectly, by contributing to processes that provide clean air, water, and healthy food [3]. Soil serves as a primary reservoir for plant-colonizing bacteria [4], that play a major role in determining plant productivity [5] and preventing invasion by bacterial pathogens [6].

Colombi G, Martani E, Fornara D. Regenerative organic agriculture and soil ecosystem service delivery: A literature review.Ecosystem Services. 2025;73:101721.

Regenerative Organic Agriculture (ROAg) can have several beneficial effects on soil health and the delivery of important soil ecosystem services.
Our findings show that ROAg improved soil health and soil ability to deliver multiple ecosystem services. The vote-count including 45 observations from 24 selected studies, shows how ROAg had positive effects on soil ecosystem services in 64% of the total number of observations.
However, besides yield productivity, findings from the impact assessment show that ROAg had overall positive effects on fruit nutrient density (see Appendix C, Fig. C1). Indeed, ROAg exerts a slightly positive effect on 57 % of micronutrients and vitamins analysed, and a positive effect on Zn and NA (8 %). For the remaining 35 % of parameters, results of the impact score assessment remained uncertain.
Moreover, considering the increasing concerns regarding nutrient loss in our staple food and its implications for human health (Davis et al., 2004, Fan et al., 2008), it is important to evaluate not only the quantity of food produced but also its quality, expressed in terms of nutrient density. Soil depletion remains an important potential cause of loss of plant food nutrients (Lal, 2009), and our study provides evidence that supports this view.
when discussing the benefits of regenerative agriculture, it is essential to consider the nutritional quality of our food, which is becoming a key metric for assessing the environmental impact of our dietary choices

Communication to Bridge the Gap Between Food Production and Nutrition and Health: A Workshop. National Academy of Sciences Engineering Medicine. May 2024 ***.

The workshop featured presentations and discussions that exploring both traditional and non-traditional communications techniques and methodologies with regard to topics such as:
- Identifying ways to communicate to the public about the influence of agriculture supply chains, and agriculture and farming practices on nutrition and health, specifically:
  – Approaches to communications about emerging agricultural technologies and discoveries;
  – Translation of agricultural research into farming practices and strategies to enhance food quality;
- Communicating information about diet, nutrition, and health from researchers and consumers back to food producers.
- Exploring ways to connect agricultural and farming systems with nutrition and health systems, including identifying gaps between the nutrient composition of foods at the production level and diet quality of the foods being consumed.
- Agroecology can help reorient food systems away from profit accumulation and towards better meeting community needs, in line with the tenets of food sovereignty.
Changes in yield affect the nutrient density in the edible part of the plant
Health Beneficial phytochemicals often increase when plant stressors increase which may be mitigated by management practices
Video of the event here: https://www.nationalacademies.org/event/42591_05-2024_communication-to-bridge-the-gap-between-food-production-and-nutrition-and-health-a-workshop

Cusworth G and Garnett, T. (2023). What is regenerative agriculture? TABLE Explainer. TABLE, University of Oxford, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and Wageningen University and Research.

Cycoń, M.; Mrozik, A.; Piotrowska-Seget, Z. Antibiotics in the Soil Environment-Degradation and Their Impact on Microbial Activity and Diversity. Front. Microbiol. 2019, 10, 338

Antibiotics can linger in soil from less than a day to nearly 10 years, depending on drug type, soil makeup, and environmental conditions.
Even small amounts disrupt soil microbes, affecting nutrient cycles, enzyme activity, and microbial diversity.
Soils can become reservoirs of resistance, allowing antibiotic resistance genes to spread between bacteria—even at very low antibiotic levels.

Das S., Chatterjee A., Pal T.K. Organic Farming in India: A Vision towards a Healthy Nation. Food Qual. Saf. 2020;4:69–76. doi: 10.1093/fqsafe/fyaa018.

Conventionally grown foods have immense adverse health effects due to the presence of higher pesticide residue, more nitrate, heavy metals, hormones, antibiotic residue, and also genetically modified organisms. Moreover, conventionally grown foods are less nutritious and contain lesser amounts of protective antioxidants.
Although organic cereals and their products contain lesser protein than conventional cereals, they have higher quality proteins with better amino acid scores. Lysine content in organic wheat has been reported to be 25%–30% more than conventional wheat (Woëse et al., 1997; Brandt et al., 2000).
Organic farming also protects the environment and has a greater socio-economic impact on a nation. India is a country that is bestowed with indigenous skills and potentiality for growth in organic agriculture. Although India was far behind in the adoption of organic farming due to several reasons, presently it has achieved rapid growth in organic agriculture and now becomes one of the largest organic producers in the world. Therefore, organic farming has a great impact on the health of a nation like India by ensuring sustainable development.

Davis, D. R. (2009). Declining Fruit and Vegetable Nutrient Composition: What Is the Evidence?. HortScience horts, 44(1), 15-19.

Three kinds of evidence point toward declines of some nutrients in fruits and vegetables available in the United States and the United Kingdom: 1) early studies of fertilization found inverse relationships between crop yield and mineral concentrations—the widely cited “dilution effect”; 2) three recent studies of historical food composition data found apparent median declines of 5% to 40% or more in some minerals in groups of vegetables and perhaps fruits; one study also evaluated vitamins and protein with similar results; and 3) recent side-by-side plantings of low- and high-yield cultivars of broccoli and grains found consistently negative correlations between yield and concentrations of minerals and protein, a newly recognized genetic dilution effect.

De Corato U. Soil microbiota manipulation and its role in suppressing soil-borne plant pathogens in organic farming systems under the light of microbiome-assisted strategies. Chemical and Biological Technologies in Agriculture. 2020;7(1).

Soil microbiota in suppressing soil-borne pathogens was studied since 1970s. Researches showed that suppressive soils can control pathogens, thus stimulating further studies in search of different types of disease-suppressive soils.
Suppression is mainly driven by the soil microbial community and SOM, and also its capacity to improve plant nutrition and vigor.
The most important factors are represented by the increased microbial activity [155] and fungistasis [27], enhanced soil structure [32], release of mineral nutrients during SOM decomposition [18], activation of competition for space and nutrients [170], elicitation of microbiostasis and hyperparasitism [92], release of diffusible antibiotic-like compounds [224] and activation of systemic disease-resistance in the host plant
Certain soils can even stimulate plant growth and vigor and/or induce nutrient availability and uptake for promoting crop productivity by a varied microbiota of fluorescent pseudomonads which directly not only suppress pathogen in rhizosphere [29], but can also improve nutrient uptake [64] and produce plant growth-promoting substances [185].
Studies have demonstrated that compost addition not only provides important macro- and micronutrients in soil [68, 75, 81], but also increases soil organic carbon stock [89], improves soil structure [41] and water-holding capacity [38], enhances crop yield [237] and suppresses soil-borne pathogens

Do, W.L.; Bullard, K.M.; Stein, A.D.; Ali, M.K.; Narayan, K.M.V.; Siegel, K.R. Consumption of Foods Derived from Subsidized Crops Remains Associated with Cardiometabolic Risk: An Update on the Evidence Using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2009–2014. Nutrients 2020, 12, 3244. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12113244

Adults with the highest subsidy score had higher probabilities of obesity, abdominal adiposity, and dysglycemia compared to the lowest subsidy score
The proportion of calories derived from subsidized food commodities continues to be associated with adverse cardiometabolic risk factors
“Associations with obesity (p = 0.004) and abdominal adiposity (p = 0.002) significantly attenuated by more than half” since the 2002 Farm Bill

Dobrowolski, H., Szumigaj, B., Włodarek, D., Kazimierczak, R., Obidzińska, J., & Rembiałkowska, E. (2024). Dietary intake of polish organic and conventional fruit growers and their life partners–a pilot study.Frontiers in Public Health, 12, 1345402.

The aim of our study was to examine the diets of orchardists and their immediate life partners in terms of meeting energy requirements, nutrient intake and fulfillment of dietary recommendations in this group. Fifty-three participants (28 in the organic group and 25 in the conventional group)
In conclusion, the orchardists’ diets mostly provided adequate amounts of nutrients, with inadequate intakes of calcium, vitamin D, cholesterol, and fatty acids. The diets of organic fruit growers were significantly richer in selected nutrients.

Ebbott, D.; Papanagnou, D. What Regenerative Agriculture Can Teach Medi-Cal Students About Human Health. Int. J. Med. Educ. 2023, 14, 63–64 (Good for those it the Medical field)

Regenerative agriculture can directly support human health. By rebuilding soil biodiversity and enhancing nutrient cycles, regenerative practices produce more nutrient-dense food—helping reduce the risk of chronic diseases linked to poor diet and environmental degradation.
Most medical students aren’t taught this connection. Medical education often overlooks how food systems and soil health influence patient outcomes, leaving future doctors without key tools for disease prevention.
A systems-thinking approach is urgently needed. The authors advocate for integrating agriculture, nutrition, and environmental science into medical training—so future healthcare providers can better understand how planetary health and personal health are deeply intertwined.

Elliott D. 6 surprising ways soil and human health are linked. World Economic Forum. October 2, 2024.

Soil provides 95% of our food and helps balance the climate, and there are also many connections between soil health and human health.
But much of the planet’s soil is degraded or at risk of degradation.
Yet, from growing crops to rearing animals, soil is crucial to all agricultural activity. Helping farmers make the right decisions around soil health and providing them with the tools to make necessary changes will be key to delivering a real impact on soil health, the Forum report says.
This is vital to sustainable food systems that provide communities with sufficient and nutritious food, not least because healthy soils rich in organic matter and biodiversity yield crops richer in vitamins and minerals.

Fagan J, Bohlen L, Patton S, Klein K. Organic diet intervention significantly reduces urinary glyphosate levels in U.S. children and adults. Environ Res. 2020 Oct;189:109898. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.109898. Epub 2020 Aug 11. PMID: 32797996.

This study demonstrates that diet is a primary source of glyphosate exposure and that shifting to an organic diet is an effective way to reduce body burden of glyphosate and its main metabolite, AMPA. This research adds to a growing body of literature indicating that an organic diet may reduce exposure to a range of pesticides in children and adults.
Regen/organic have demonstrated lower levels of glyphosate in urine

FAO. 2022. Soils for nutrition: state of the art. Rome. ***.

This booklet aims to review the role of soil fertility in producing sufficient, safe, and more nourishing food for healthier plants, animals, and people. It also offers recommendations for solutions that can provide a more nutritious agrifood system for enhancing human health and well-being while protecting the environment. Soil fertility and nutrition involve processes at scales ranging from molecules to the entire planet.
Contemporary research has revealed that soils have an impact on human health through influencing food availability and quality (food security), as well as human exposure to numerous pollutants and pathogens (Brevik, 2013; Burras, Nyasimi and Butler, 2013).
Soils are the primary source of essential nutrients that nourish humans and other animals
The Soil-Nutrition Link: Soil fertility is critical for producing nutrient-dense food, with 15 of 18 essential plant nutrients supplied by soil. Degraded soils result in lower crop yields and reduced nutritional quality in vegetables, fruits, and cereals
Human micronutrient deficiency is defined as a lack of essential vitamins and minerals in the diet. Micronutrients enable the body to produce enzymes, hormones and other substances that are essential for proper growth and development (WHO, 2022). Micronutrient deficiency is a major threat to the health and development of the population particularly affecting children and pregnant women in low-income countries (WHO, 2022). Besides undernourishment, micronutrient deficiency also underlines other health issues including overweight, obesity, cardiovascular diseases, certain cancers and diabetes (WHO, 2022).
Improving soil health = a pathway to solving the nutrient imbalance prevailing in our current agrifood systems (while also protecting the environment)

FAO. 2023. Technical guidelines on soils for nutrition – Sustainable soil management for nutrition-sensitive agriculture. Rome.

These technical guidelines outline the role that soil health plays in the nutritional quality of food and provide soil management recommendations to increase the supply of micronutrients to the food chain.
This document is addressed to all actors involved in food security and production, from farmers to policymakers, to engage them in sustainable soil management for nutrition-sensitive agriculture. The technical guidelines on soils for nutrition are the result of a review of existing scientific references on the topic and from field trials and demonstration sites

Farm Like Our Health Depends On it. John Hopkins Center for a Livable Future. 2024.

Feliziani G, Bordoni L, Gabbianelli R. Regenerative Organic Agriculture and Human Health: The Interconnection Between Soil, Food Quality, and Nutrition. Antioxidants. 2025; 14(5):530 ***.

RA focuses on creating sustainable and resilient agricultural systems by maintaining continuous soil cover, minimizing soil disturbance, preserving living roots in the soil throughout the year, increasing species diversity, integrating livestock, and reducing or eliminating synthetic inputs like herbicides and fertilizers
RA focuses on restoring soil health, biodiversity, and ecosystem services, aiming to increase soil organic carbon levels and enhance water cycles, which can lead to improved soil health, increased resilience to climate change, cost savings, and sustainably produced food that meets consumer demand
Adequate soil management techniques, including the use of organic amendments and micronutrient fertilization, can contribute to increased polyphenol synthesis in plants [100]. Furthermore, the selection of plant varieties with high inherent polyphenol content and the optimization of growing conditions through proper irrigation and pest control strategies can further enhance polyphenol levels in agricultural produce [101,102]. By focusing on agricultural management strategies that prioritize polyphenol accumulation in plants, farmers can potentially improve the nutritional quality of their crops and meet consumer demand for healthier food options.
Comparative studies on conservation agriculture and organic farming indicate that these systems produce grains with higher protein content and better essential amino acid balance, as well as fruits and vegetables with greater dietary fiber and carbohydrate complexity [54,113]. These improvements are attributed to soil organic matter retention, microbial activity, and nutrient cycling efficiency, which collectively optimize macronutrient synthesis and storage in plant tissues.
The presence of beneficial soil microbiota stimulates the synthesis of bioactive polysaccharides, which strengthen plant defense mechanisms and improve crop quality by enhancing carbohydrate composition and fiber content. These compounds contribute to digestive health and metabolic balance in human diets
The presence of diverse microbial communities enhances nutrient availability and activates the plant metabolic pathways responsible for bioactive compound synthesis. The overall result is a higher concentration of these beneficial compounds, which contribute not only to plant adaptation and resistance but also to improved nutritional quality for consumers
Numerous studies have shown that higher levels of these compounds contribute to antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and cardioprotective effects, which are essential for the prevention of chronic diseases

Food and Agriculture Organization. Healthy Soils Are the Basis for Healthy Food Production. Published 2015. Accessed February 2, 2026 ***.

“Healthy soils are the foundation of the food system. Our soils are the basis for agriculture and the medium in which nearly all food-producing plants grow. Healthy soils produce healthy crops that in turn nourish people and animals. Indeed, soil quality is directly linked to food quality and quantity. “
In the past 50 years advances in agriculture technology has led to increased food production, but sometimes with negative impacts on soils and the environment
In many countries, intensive crop production has depleted the soil, jeopardizing our ability to maintain production in these areas in the future more food . Soil health and its fertility have a direct influence on the nutrient content of food crops
Sustainable soil management could produce up to 58% more food

Food and Agriculture Organization. Soil: The Foundation of Nutrition. Published 2015. Accessed March 2025 ***

Soil degradation leads to the loss of soil micro and macronutrients
Nutrient-poor soils are unable to produce healthy food with all the necessary nutrients for a healthy person

Food and Agriculture Organization Soil, an essential ingredient to healthy food and nutrition Published 2015. Accessed March 2, 2025 ***

“Our soils are by nature linked to the micronutrient content of our food production. The poster shows how to reverse the increasing trend of nutrient depleted soil by adopting sustainable soil management practices.”
GREAT VIDEO: 1124732

Food for Health: Considering the Nutrient Density of Food Crops | The Institute for Functional Medicine Website. Published August 2023. Accessed February 2025. (Excellent Layperson article)

While some studies suggest that the overall mineral and vitamin levels in plants may not be significantly impacted by the method of crop production,³² higher content levels of polyphenolic compounds in organic food crops have been found.³³ A 2014 systematic review and meta-analysis of 343 peer-reviewed publications found that concentrations of antioxidants such as polyphenols were much higher in organic crops and organic crop–based foods.³³
Consuming organically farmed foods over non-organic may help reduce exposures to environmental toxicants such as pesticides and may be associated with health benefits.^28-30
An important indicator of soil health is soil respiration, which is essentially a measure of carbon dioxide (CO₂) released from the soil due to the decomposition of organic matter by microbes within the soil.¹⁸ This measurement indicates the level of soil microbial activity, the nutrients available in the soil for uptake by crops, and the soil’s ability to sustain plant growth.¹⁸ Maintaining a diverse soil biota is essential for agricultural sustainability for both productive and nutrient-dense crop yields.¹⁹
A 2017 review found that elevated CO₂ concentrations potentially resulted in a 3-11% decrease in zinc and iron in cereal grains and legumes, specifically.²² In addition to minerals, elevated eCO₂potentially impacts the protein concentration of various grains, which may significantly affect countries that rely on grain crops as sources of dietary protein.

Garutti M, Nevola G, Mazzeo R, Cucciniello L, Totaro F, Bertuzzi CA, Caccialanza R, Pedrazzoli P, & Puglisi F. The impact of cereal grain composition on the health and disease outcomes. Frontiers in Nutrition. 2022;9: 888974.

Numerous studies have showed that organic cereals, relative to non-organic crops, contain higher levels of some vitamins (e.g., vitamin C) and minerals (e.g., iron, magnesium and phosphorus), and are also low in nitrates and pesticide residues”
Grains represent an important source of carbohydrates, proteins, fibers, minerals, vitamins, and phytochemicals and their regular consumption appears to be associated with many health benefits. Indeed, incidence and mortality of several chronic non-communicable conditions like cancers, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases have been shown to be reduced in people regularly eating whole grains.

Giovannetti M, Avio L, Barale R, et al. Nutraceutical value and safety of tomato fruits produced by mycorrhizal plants. British Journal of Nutrition. 2012;107(2):242-251. doi:10.1017/S000711451100290X

The nutraceutical value of tomatoes can be affected by the cultivation conditions, e.g. the phytochemical content of the fruits may increase with the establishment of beneficial mycorrhizal symbioses in the plants.
The present results showed that the symbiosis positively affected the growth and mineral nutrient content of tomato plants and enhanced the nutritional and nutraceutical value of tomato fruits through modifications of plant secondary metabolism, which led to increased levels of lycopene in fruits obtained from mycorrhizal plants, compared with controls.

Goldman et al. Food Systems and Planetary Health Nexus Elective: A Novel Approach to A Medical Education Imperative for the 21st Century

The incorporation of non-traditional topics that underscore the complex interplay among extractive agricultural practices, unhealthy food systems, and the misuse of antibiotics. These all contribute to the degradation of soil and microbiomes, subsequently diminishing food quality and exacerbating pathological conditions within the human microbiome
Soil health deterioration, intensified by unsustainable systems and the impacts of climate change, further diminishes the nutritional value of plants, ultimately resulting in reduced food quality. These interconnected environmental challenges collectively have a detrimental impact on the human microbiome, highlighting the intricate relationship between soil, the environment, and the human gut
This initiative recognizes that healthcare providers can influence positive changes in individual behaviors and advocate for broader societal actions to address the pressing issues of climate change and biodiversity loss.
“Recognizing food as medicine is gaining support across many settings. However, little is known about how medical schools engage in this holistic approach. Integrating food systems and the connections to soil and human health through microbiomes into medical education represents a transformative shift towards more holistic healthcare practices.”
A joint statement by over 200 health journals calls on the United Nations, political leaders, and health professionals to recognize that climate change and biodiversity loss are inseparable challenges [1,2]. They emphasize that addressing these issues together is critical for preserving human health and averting a catastrophic global health emergency. In considering the training of medical professionals, the Clinicians for Planetary Health initiative represents a global endeavor to mobilize health professionals, patients, and communities to address planetary health through lifestyle modifications and activism.

Glibowski P Rocz Panstw Zakl Hig.. Organic food and health. 2020;71(2):131-136. doi: 10.32394/rpzh.2020.0110 ***

Organic food contributes to better health through reduced pesticide exposure for all and increased nutritional quality.
Looking only at pesticide residues in food as a measure of pesticide exposure ignores the fact that many foods that do not end up with high pesticide residues nonetheless involve toxic chemicals in production that put workers’ health at risk. Pesticide use in production and farmworker exposure is a necessary consideration in looking at the whole pesticide problem.
A study published by The Organic Center reveals that organic food is higher in certain key areas such as total antioxidant capacity, total polyphenols, and two key flavonoids, quercetin and kaempferol, all of which are nutritionally significant
Risk for isolating antibiotic-resistant bacteria in organic products was lower than in nonorganic products [26].

Guthrie, J., Lin, B. & Smith, T. (2024, August 8). Food consumption and nutrient intake trends emerge over the last four decades. USDA Economic Research Service. Retrieved from https://www.ers.usda.gov/amber-waves/2024/august/food-consumption-and-nutrient-intake-trends-emerge-over-past-four-decades

Federal food consumption survey data spanning 1977–2018 show how diet quality has changed over time. Comparing food and nutrient trends by sources where food was acquired and by selected demographic characteristics offers insights into differences in U.S. dietary quality.
Between 1977 and 2018, food consumption shifted to more food obtained away from home at restaurants and fast-food places, where foods were of generally lower dietary quality than those from other sources.
School foods came closer to achieving Federal dietary recommendations than other food obtained away from home, especially after 2011–2012, when updated nutrition standards for USDA school meals were implemented.

Gundala RR & Singh A. (2021). What motivates consumers to buy organic foods? Results of an empirical study in the United States. PLoS One, 16(9).

There is often a cognitive dissonance and a gap between knowledge and action when it comes to purchasing organic products or supporting regenerative businesses. This phenomenon, known as the intention-behavior gap, occurs when consumers recognize the benefits or express interest in regenerative purchases but ultimately refrain due to challenges like limited accessibility or financial constraints.

Hadadi N, Berweiler V, Wang H, Trajkovski M. Intestinal microbiota as a route for micronutrient bioavailability. Curr Opin Endocr Metab Res. 2021 Sep 4;20:100285 (Mary Purdy NOTE: This article is about the impact that poor nutrient status can have on health – which can partially result from poor soil health and/and or reduced nutrient value in food because of industrial growing practices)

Vitamins and minerals, collectively termed micronutrients, are crucial for human health. These micronutrients are essential core regulators of fundamental biosynthetic cellular reactions such as immune, and energy functions [1], as well as growth, bone health, fluid balance, and other biological processes
Micronutrients also modulate the abundance and diversity of the gut microbiota resulting in beneficial or detrimental outcomes to the host

Glibowski P. Organic food and health. Rocz Panstw Zakl Hig. 2020;71(2):131-136. doi: 10.32394/rpzh.2020.0110. PMID: 32519524.

Regular and frequent consumption of organic products generally reduces the risk of overweight and obesity, both for women and men, as well as non-Hodgkin lymphoma in case of women. Besides those, consumption of organic fruits and vegetables, as well as dairy products significantly reduces the risk of pre-eclampsia in pregnancy and eczema in infants, respectively. Positive effect on selected health problems probably results from a reduced amount of pesticide residues and an increased secondary plant metabolites intake which characterize organic food.

Health Benefits of Organic Agriculture Beyond Pesticides Website https://www.beyondpesticides.org/programs/organic-agriculture/why-organic/health-benefits accessed June 2023

A study published by The Organic Center reveals that organic food is higher in certain key areas such as total antioxidant capacity, total polyphenols, and two key flavonoids, quercetin and kaempferol, all of which are nutritionally significant (read a summary in the Beyond Pesticides Daily News Blog). Another study published in the Journal of Agricultural Food Chemistry looked specifically at the total phenolic content of marionberries, strawberries, and corn, and found that organically grown products contained higher total phenolics. Phenolics are important for plant health (defense against insects and diseases), and human health for their “potent antioxidant activity and wide range of pharmacologic properties including anticancer, antioxidant, and platelet aggregation inhibition activity.”
Studies have also shown that dairy products from organically raised animals are healthier than conventionally produced dairy products. In one study, the content of the healthy Omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants were significantly higher in organically produced milk (see the Beyond Pesticides Daily News Blog story for summary and study citation). Animals raised organically are not given antibiotics and are required to be grazed on organically managed pastureland or fed organically grown feed.

Hills RD Jr, Pontefract BA, Mishcon HR, Black CA, Sutton SC, Theberge CR. Gut Microbiome: Profound Implications for Diet and Disease. Nutrients. 2019;11(7):1613. Published 2019 Jul 16.

Hirt H. Healthy soils for healthy plants for healthy humans: How beneficial microbes in the soil, food and gut are interconnected and how agriculture can contribute to human health. EMBO Rep. 2020 Aug 5;21(8):e51069. doi: 10.15252/embr.202051069. Epub 2020 Jul 31. PMID: 32734701; PMCID: PMC7403703. ***

Industrial agriculture requires increasing amounts of fertilizers and pesticides to maintain yield. This seems to be the result and/or the cause of a poor microbial diversity in the soil. Soil erosion and climate change also affect microbial biodiversity and contribute to the loss of large areas of arable land and their microbial populations
Moreover, plant and human microbiomes are linked to each other: since the gut and the soil microbiome share similar bacteria phyla and since microbes from fruits, salads and vegetables join the human gut microbiome, the plant microbiome can affect the gut microbiome and thereby human health
As much as antibiotics can severely change the human gut microbiome and its function, the use of herbicides, fungicides and pesticides in food production has drastic effects on the plant microbiomes in the soil and on the fruits and vegetables that we eat.
Since microbes from fruits, salads and vegetables join the human gut microbiome, the plant microbiome can affect the gut microbiome and thereby human health.
NOTE FROM MARY PURDY: Great graphics in this paper!

Hurtado-Barroso, S., Tresserra-Rimbau, A., Vallverdú-Queralt, A., & Lamuela- Raventós, R. M. (2019). Organic food and the impact on human health. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 59(4), 704–714.

Organic agriculture seems to contribute to maintaining an optimal health status and decreases the risk of developing chronic diseases. This may be due to the higher content of bioactive compounds and lower content of unhealthy substances such as cadmium and synthetic fertilizers and pesticides in organic foods of plant origin compared to conventional agricultural products.
Large long-term intervention studies are needed to determine whether an organic diet is healthier than a diet including conventionally grown food products.

Iowa State University. (2022). Research shows significant environmental benefits of local food production. College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Jacoby et al. The Role of Soil Microorganisms in Plant Mineral Nutrition—Current Knowledge and Future Directions. Front. Plant Sci., 18 September 2017.Sec. Plant Physiology. Volume 8

soil microbes metabolize recalcitrant forms of soil-borne nutrients to liberate these elements for plant nutrition. In natural ecosystems, most nutrients such as N, P, and S are bound in organic molecules and are therefore minimally bioavailable for plants. To access these nutrients, plants are dependent on the growth of soil microbes such as bacteria and fungi, which possess the metabolic machinery to depolymerize and mineralize organic forms of N, P, and S.
Microorganisms have a range of direct effects on plants through, e.g., manipulation of hormone signaling and protection against pathogens. Plants communicate with the microorganisms through metabolites exuded by the roots.

Jekums, A. (n.d.). Agroecology in Andhra Pradesh, India: Unveiling Hidden Costs and Benefits through True Cost Accounting. https://futureoffood.org/insights/agroecology-in-andhra-pradesh-india/.

Recently, the Global Alliance partnered with GIST Impact to use the TEEBAgriFood framework developed by the UN Environment Program – and apply True Cost Accounting (TCA) – to measure the impacts of the Andhra Pradesh Community-Managed Natural Farming project, which has transitioned over 630,000 farmers to agroecology.
The analysis demonstrated that the agroecological practices and principles of natural farming generated the most beneficial economic, environmental and social outcomes, resulting in 49% net increases in farmer incomes, increased diet diversity, and yes, even 11% higher yields.
Full Report here: NATURAL FARMING THROUGH A WIDE-ANGLE LENS ***
- SPECIFIC HEALTH OUTCOMES:The research showed strong correlation between lower on-farm health risks and transitions to APCNF farming. For example, farmers on APCNF farms lost one-third fewer working days to illness, compared with farms using counterfactual farming methods. • The use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers correlated with higher incidence of short-term exposure and symptoms. This in turn correlated with higher health costs and productivity losses for farmers. Such health impacts are not accounted for in conventional market-based crop-pricing models. • The health-cost analysis, based on health expenses incurred and wages lost due to illness, showed that villages with chemically intensive farming had the highest health costs: 26% higher than those for APCNF farmers in this region. • Household Dietary Diversity was greater in APCNF households than in other conventional farming households, indicating access to a greater variety of crops.

Johansson E, Hussain A, Kuktaite R, Andersson SC, Olsson ME. Contribution of organically grown crops to human health. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2014;11(4):3870-3893. Published 2014 Apr 8.

Kadam, J.H.; Kamble, B.M. Effect of Organic Manures on Growth, Yield and Quality of Turmeric (Curcuma longa L). J. Appl. Nat. Sci. 2020, 12, 91–97.

Recent agronomic research supports the claim that agricultural practices, particularly organic and regenerative methods, significantly influence curcumin content in Curcuma longa. Organic systems—leveraging compost, vermicompost, and biofertilizers—create favorable soil conditions that enhance secondary metabolite synthesis.
For example, found that vermicompost application, either alone or with phosphate-solubilizing bacteria and Azospirillum, significantly improved turmeric rhizome biomass and curcumin content.

Kavamura, V.N., Robinson, R.J., Hughes, D. et al.Wheat dwarfing influences selection of the rhizosphere microbiome. Sci Rep 10, 1452 (2020).

The development of dwarf wheat cultivars combined with high levels of agrochemical inputs during the green revolution resulted in high yielding cropping systems. However, changes in wheat cultivars were made without considering impacts on plant and soil microbe interactions.
Results suggest that the development of semi-dwarf plants might have affected the ability of plants to recruit and sustain a complex bacterial community network in the rhizosphere.

Kawano et al. Microbiota imbalance induced by dietary sugar disrupts immune-mediated protection from metabolic syndrome. Volume 185, Issue 19, 15 September 2022, Pages 3501-3519.e20

This paper highlight(s) an elaborate interaction between diet, microbiota, and intestinal immunity in regulation of metabolic disorders”.

Khangura et al. Regenerative Agriculture—A Literature Review on the Practices and Mechanisms Used to Improve Soil Health Sustainability 2023, 15(3), 2338; ***

Microorganisms account for 80–90% of total soil metabolism and therefore are essential in the biochemical transformation of organic matter and nutrient bioavailability [185]. In temperate grasslands, 1–5% of C and N in soil is stored in living microbial biomass, which is estimated to be 1–2 t ha⁻¹ [180,186]. Plant-associated microbiota are well known for their ability to mobilise nutrients that are not readily available to plants,
Agricultural intensification is one of the leading causes of soil biodiversity loss and reduced food-web complexity among the various human-induced changes [188,189,190]. Several soil microbiological parameters, such as microbial biomass carbon, extracellular enzymes, fungi-to-bacteria ratio (F:B), and basal respiration rate, have been proposed as potential indicators of soil quality
Microbial-mediated plant growth has been attributed to hormonal signalling in plants, outcompeting pathogenic strains and increasing the bioavailability of soil nutrients
Nutrient uptake by plant roots in nutrient-deficient soil is generally thought to be low

Khatri S, Dubey S, Shivay YS, Sharma S, Jelsbak L. Organic farming induces changes in bacterial community and disease suppressiveness against fungal phytopathogens. Applied Soil Ecology. 2023;181:104658. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2022.10465

The objective of the study was to understand the effect of farming practices on disease suppressive ability of the soil using a long-term (managed since 18 years) field experiment under organic and conventional farming management. Amplicon sequencing revealed higher abundance of several biocontrol genera in organic field compared to conventional field. The diversity indices for bacterial communities were significantly higher in soil from organic field. The diversity indices for bacterial communities were significantly higher in soil from organic field.
This study provides additional evidence that organic farming results in healthier soils, and can provide good, natural disease suppression in lieu of harsh fungicides often relied upon in conventional farming.
Layperson article on this: https://organic-center.org/research/organically-managed-land

Krusinski L. From practices to outcomes: a perspective on regenerative agriculture, nutrient density, and the need for results-based verification in U.S. food systems. Exploration of Foods and Foodomics. 2026

Mechanistic links between agricultural practices, soil health, and food composition are biologically plausible and supported by emerging evidence; however, substantial variability in nutrient composition across production systems, combined with methodological limitations in current research, has hindered consistent conclusions.
Nutrition-related claims, both explicit and implicit, are increasingly associated with these systems, while routine measurement of nutrient density remains absent. This perspective examines the intersection of regenerative agriculture, nutrient density, and certification systems, highlighting a structural gap between production practices, communicated claims, and measurable outcomes
Proposes a shift toward integrating obligations of results, including standardized nutrient profiling and improved data transparency, alongside existing practice-based standards.

Kucheruk, M., Midyk, S, Zasekin, D. & Kepple, O. (2019). Comparison of fatty acid content of organic and traditionally grown broiler chickens. Food Science and Technology. 13(4), 51-57. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15673/fst.v13i4.1570

In the meat of chickens grown using organic technology, the amount of saturated fatty acids increased significantly by 11.13%, there is a significant decrease in omega-6 fatty acids by 7.57% and an increase in the amount of omega-3 fatty acids by 0.8% compared to with chicken from the retail chain.

LaBrecque S. (2022, September 14). The farmers trying to restore life to America’s stressed soils as climate change bites.Sustainable Business. 2022.

Less than 2% of all farmland in the U.S. is regenerative
Regenerative agriculture deploys a systems-based approach to improve soil health, therefore improving both planetary health and human health. Multiple tactics can be utilized in conjunction to achieve this, such as increasing biodiversity, cover cropping, the elimination of synthetic inputs, and no/low tillage practices.

LaCanne CE, Lundgren JG. Regenerative agriculture: merging farming and natural resource conservation profitably. PeerJ. 2018 Feb 26;6:e4428. doi: 10.7717/peerj.4428. PMID: 29503771; PMCID: PMC5831153.

Regenerative farming systems provided greater ecosystem services and profitability for farmers than an input-intensive model of corn production. Pests were 10-fold more abundant in insecticide-treated corn fields than on insecticide-free regenerative farms
Regenerative fields had 29% lower grain production but 78% higher profits over traditional corn production systems. Profit was positively correlated with the particulate organic matter of the soil, not yield. These results provide the basis for dialogue on ecologically based farming systems that could be used to simultaneously produce food while conserving our natural resource base

LOEFFELHOLZ , T How Regenerative Farming Heals the Soil And makes healthier food than even organic farming. Yes Magazine. Published March, 2023. Accessed July 2023

This is a great layperson article

Le D, Gasparyan G, Martirosyan D. Soil Quality and the Nutritional Integrity of Crops: Impacts on Micronutrients, Bioactive Compounds, and Health-Promoting Foods. Agriculture and Food Bioactive Compounds 2026; 3(4): 65 – 86. DOI: https://doi.org/10.31989/afbc.v3i4.1982 https://www.ffhdj.com/index.php/AgricultureFBC/article/view/1982 ***

This review examines how the intersection of agricultural practices, such as tillage, synthetic fertilization, and land use, with environmental stressors (climate change and erosion) diminishes soil quality.
The deterioration of soil quality directly impacts the nutritional profile of crops, reducing levels of essential micronutrients and bioactive compounds. Analysis indicates that products grown using organic farming techniques contain higher levels of bioactive compounds (e.g., antioxidants), whereas conventionally grown products contain lower levels.
When the soil has all the necessary nutrients and its physical, chemical, and microbiological properties are not altered by aggressive agronomic practices, the soil can produce high-quality crops that include essential micronutrients but also bioactive compounds [10]. Bioactive compounds are produced via the phenylpropanoid pathway, which converts the amino acid phenylalanine into various bioactive compounds, including phenolic acids, phytochemicals, flavonoids, and others [11]
The phenylpropanoid pathway is activated when crops face stress (e.g., pests, increased UV light) and produces bioactive compounds, which are also known as secondary metabolites, to protect the crop [12]. Proper or improper soil management affects micronutrient concentrations and, in turn, bioactive compounds
Note:: Mary has a hard copy of this if you need I’m happy to send!

Lezaks, D; Ellerton, M. The Regenerative Agriculture and Human Health Nexus: Insights from Field to Body: Published 2021***

Recent analytical advances have shown that not all carrots, for example, are created nutritionally equal—that depending on how they’re grown (soil, management, genetics, climate, etc), a carrot can be more or less nutritious.8–12 Evidence shows that at worst, the nutritional quality of many foods grown conventionally have declined substantially over time, and at best there is a wide variability in bioactive compounds such as polyphenols.There are demonstrated nutritional differences between livestock products from pasture raised animals that have better nutrient density — better CLAs, omega 3:6, vitamin A and vitamin E levels.
Persistent use of junk food, repeated courses of antibiotics,41,76,77 low-fiber diets and exposure to pesticides can all act as perturbations to the gut microbiome. These minor perturbations can add up over time, reducing the resilience of the gut microbiome to the point where there is a functional change in the ecology of the gut microbiome (dysbiosis) resulting in an increased risk of disease.36,78–80 These same patterns occur within agricultural soil microbiomes, plants, insects, animals and each of their microbiomes as well. Both soil and human bodies—in fact all life—need biodiversity in order to be resilient.
Across both agriculture and diet, we understand that diversity is crucial to resilience. A diverse set of plants and animals increase the resilience of the landscape and a diverse diet improves the resilience of the body and its resident microbiota
Growing more nutritious food does influence human health. And\this nexus of regenerative agriculture and human health calls for an inclusive movement made up of a diverse group of organizations and leaders working in concert to improve the human condition.
If the connection between agriculture and human health is borne out, it could help engender massive transformations across food, agriculture, health and the broader environment.

Li et al.The productive performance of intercropping PNAS. Vol. 120 | No. 2 January 3, 2023

Intercropping, the planned combination of two or more crop species in one field, is a promising practice.
Based on a meta-analysis of 226 field experiments: Overall, although intercropping does not achieve transgressive overyielding on average, our results show that intercropping performs well in producing a diverse set of crop products and performs almost similar to the most productive component sole crop to produce raw products, while improving crop resilience, enhancing ecosystem services, and improving nutrient use efficiency. Our study, therefore, confirms the great interest of intercropping for the development of a more sustainable agricultural production, supporting diversified diets.

Lin, W. Et al. The Effects of Chemical and Organic Fertilizer Usage on Rhizosphere Soil in Tea Orchards. PLoS ONE 14; 2019

Key Findings:Organic Fertilizer Benefits:
- Improved Soil Properties:Organic fertilizers, particularly compost tea, can enhance soil structure, biological activity, and overall nutrient availability.
- Reduced Heavy Metals:Organic fertilizers can decrease the levels of heavy metals like copper, lead, and cadmium in both rhizosphere soil and tea leaves, according to the study.
- Increased Amino Acids:Organic fertilizer application significantly increases the amino acid content of tea, which is a key factor in tea quality.
- Beneficial Microbial Communities:Organic fertilizers can promote the growth of beneficial bacteria in the rhizosphere, such as Burkholderiales, Myxococcales, and Streptomycetales, according to the study.
- Alleviated Soil Acidification:Organic fertilizers can help mitigate soil acidification, a common issue in tea plantations, according to the study.

Lohar, R.R. Sustainable Agricultural Practices for Improving Growth, Yield and Quality of Turmeric (Curcumalonga L.). Ann. Plant Soil Res. 2021, 23, 48–53.

the literature clearly illustrates the connections between soil health, phytochemical composition, and specific antioxidant or anti-inflammatory pathways
Applying 50% recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF) plus 50% neem cake (NC) significantly improved turmeric yield, quality (curcumin, protein, fat, carbs), and soil fertility compared to control and other treatments.

Lori M., Symnaczik S., Mäder P., De Deyn G., Gattinger A. Organic farming enhances soil microbial abundance and activity—A meta-analysis and meta-regression. PLoS ONE. 2017;12:e0180442. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0180442.

Many studies show that regen ag or organic ag increases soil microbial abudnance and diversity
An active soil microbiota plays an important role for various soil based ecosystem services such as nutrient cycling,erosion control and pest and disease regulation
Furthermore, we show that differences in microbial size and activity between organic and conventional farming systems vary as a function of land use (arable, orchards, and grassland), plant life cycle (annual and perennial) and climatic zone.
Overall, we found that organic systems had 32% to 84% greater microbial biomass carbon, microbial biomass nitrogen, total phospholipid fatty-acids, and dehydrogenase, urease and protease activities than conventional systems. In summary, this study shows that overall organic farming enhances total microbial abundance and activity in agricultural soils on a global scale.

Lucia RM, Liao X, Huang WL, Forman D, Kim A, Ziogas A, Norden-Krichmar TM, Goodman D, Alvarez A, Masunaka I, Pathak KV, McGilvrey M, Hegde AM, Pirrotte P, Park HL. Urinary glyphosate and AMPA levels in a cross-sectional study of postmenopausal women: Associations with organic eating behavior and dietary intake. Int J Hyg Environ Health. 2023 Jun 29;252:114211. doi: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2023.114211. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37393842.

Animal and epidemiologic studies suggest that there may be adverse health effects from exposure to glyphosate, the most highly used pesticide in the world, and its metabolite aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA).
The vast majority of subjects sampled had detectable levels, and significant dietary sources in the American diet were identified.

Ludwig-Borycz E, Guyer HM, Aljahdali AA, Baylin A. Organic food consumption is associated with inflammatory biomarkers among older adults.Public Health Nutr. 2021;24(14):4603-4613.

In this cross-sectional analysis, consumption of organic food was inversely associated with CysC (“Cystatin C” see definition below+) and CRP. CRP and CysC remained inversely associated with consumption of organic food even after controlling for all potential confounders and vegetarian status. CRP also maintained statistical significance after controlling for the A-MedDiet and showed an inverse association.
A self-administered FFQ, based on Willett and colleagues Harvard FFQ(37), was mailed to a subset of the Health and Retirement Study participants as a part of the Health Care and Nutrition Study in 2013. In addition to the FFQ, participants were asked if they had eaten any organic foods in the past year (yes/no), if so what type: milk, eggs, meat, fruit (fresh or frozen), vegetables (fresh or frozen), bread or cereals, frozen prepared meals (e.g., Amy’s frozen entrees, Organic Bistro entrees) or other (specify)(38).
These findings support the hypothesis that organic food consumption is inversely associated with biomarkers of inflammation CRP and CysC, although residual confounding by healthy eating and socioeconomic status cannot be ruled out.
Important to note: People who ate organic foods had similar characteristics to those described previously in literature; they tended to be younger, White, more highly educated and more physically active(2). They also had overall better health indicators and were more likely to still be working. CRP and CysC range from 0·21 to 211·80 mg/l and 0·5
In a second study of Italian men, consumption of a Mediterranean organic diet showed the ability to lower the risk of CVD by reducing hyperphosphataemia, microalbuminuria, inflammation and adiposity in comparison with a Mediterranean conventional diet alone(19). Our findings may help to explain the biological mechanism behind those associations, through altered concentrations of inflammatory biomarkers.
+ cystatin C is a protein marker for kidney function and inflammation

Macías-Gallardo, F.; Quiñones-Muñoz, T.A.; Miranda-Avilés, R.; Ramírez-Santoyo, L.F.; Zanor, G.A.; Ozuna, C. Impact of Organic Agriculture on the Quality of Grapes (Syrah and Tempranillo) Harvested in Guanajuato, Mexico: Relationship Between Soil Elemental Profile and Grape Bioactive Properties. Agriculture 2025, 15, 169.

Organic vineyards had higher levels of soil nutrients and moisture, including organic matter, clay, phosphorus, and nitrogen, which were linked to greater concentrations of phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity in grape skins and seeds
Principal component analysis (PCA) showed strong positive correlations between soil properties (e.g., pH, moisture, oxides) and the biosynthesis of phenols like catechin, gallic acid, and rutin.
Organic vineyard conditions produced grapes with a better polyphenol profile, making them more optimal for winemaking compared to conventional vineyards.

Makombore L, Anderson CR. Agroecology and Public Development Banks: Transforming Development Finance for Equity and Resilience. Burlington, VT: UVM Institute for Agroecology; 2025.

Recent scholarship has charted out how agroecology provides pathways to achieve multiple Sustainable Development Goals (specifically SDG 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 10, 12, 13, 15) by addressing interconnected ecological, social, and economic challenges (Gupta, 2025; Gliessman, 2025; Sorenson et al., 2025; Si et al., 2023; Crippa et al.,2021; Madsen et al., 2025). For example, it contributes to SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) by promoting food security and sovereignty, and by supporting diverse, resilient farming systems 16 that enhance nutritional outcomes and strengthen farmer livelihoods. It advances SDG 13 (Climate Action) by fostering diversified agroecosystems that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase carbon sequestration, and support the adaptive capacity of farming systems (BeznerKerr et al., 2023).
Agroecological principles provide an evidence-based framework to advancing food system transformation, especially when connected to a rights-based approach. Climate and agriculture finance and development-bank lending should be “reoriented away from large-scale, capital-intensive projects and toward small-scale producers, cooperatives, and communities—the groups most affected by hunger and climate shocks, and the ones best positioned to build biodiverse and local and territorial food systems” (Chicoma & Reynolds, 2025, p. 54). This approach centers the role of small-scale producers and territorial food systems in meeting food needs and ensuring healthy diets for all.
The project recorded notable improvements in food sovereignty, dietary diversity, and income stability, driven by agroecological diversification and the expanded economic participation of women

Manzeke-Kangara M et al Do agronomic approaches aligned to regenerative agriculture improve the micronutrient concentrations of edible portions of crops? A scoping review of evidence . Front. Nutr., 12 July 2023 Sec. Nutrition and Sustainable Diets ***

Regenerative Agriculture (RA) is widely used to describe agronomic approaches based on the principles of improving soil health and sequestering carbon
- (1) minimize the external impacts of agriculture beyond the farm; (2) minimize energy and other inputs into the farm; (3) sequester carbon, improve nutrient cycling and wider ecosystem services, (4) increase biodiversity, and (5) promote social justice. Soil conservation is considered as the entry point for most agronomic approaches informed by RA, although universally accepted formal definitions and inclusion criteria for RA are lacking
This scoping review supports a potential role for RA approaches in increasing the concentrations of micronutrients in the edible portions of several crop types under specific practices, although this was context specific. For example, rice grown under increased organic inputs showed significant increases in grain zinc (Zn) concentration in 15 out of 16 studies. The vitamin C concentration of tomato fruit increased in ~50% of studies when plants were grown under increased organic inputs, and in 76% of studies when plants were grown under deficit irrigation. Overall, the magnitude and reproducibility of the effects of RA practices on most crop nutritional profiles were difficult to assess due to the diversity of RA approaches, geographical conditions, and the limited number of studies for most crops in each of these categories.
Papers included combinations of agronomic approaches that could be defined as Regenerative: “Organic Inputs” including composts and manures, cover crops, crop rotations, crop residues and biochars; “Reduced Tillage”, “Intercropping”, “Biostimulants” e.g. arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi; plant growth promoting bacteria, and “Irrigation”, typically deficit-irrigation and alternate wetting and drying.
Reductions in the intensive use of agrochemical inputs such as fertilizers and pesticides can also deliver potential health benefits on-farm during handling and application, and beyond the farm-gate. This can be directly, during processing and consumption; and through decreased potential for environmental pollution of landscapes (soil, water and atmosphere).

Merrigan, K et Al. GROW ORGANIC: THE CLIMATE, HEALTH, AND ECONOMIC CASE FOR EXPANDING ORGANIC AGRICULTURE Executive Summary *** Naturall Resources Defense Council Report. 2024.

Research demonstrates that organic agriculture benefits our health by dramatically reducing exposure to agricultural pollution in air, water, and food. Farmworkers and others working and living near conventional farms suffer serious acute and chronic health ailments associated with pesticide exposure, and studies indicate that pesticide residues in our food may be harmful to consumer health.
Organic agriculture produces healthier, more robust crops that have enhanced nutritional benefits.
We need to transform our agricultural policies to ensure that many more people can farm, ranch, and eat organically. In the next Farm Bill, Congress should significantly increase support for organic, to align public investments with the climate, health, and economic outcomes communities across the country need.
Organic agriculture reduces the greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint of farming by eliminating most fossil fuel–based inputs, and it builds climate resilience by promoting healthy soils, diversifying food crops, and supporting threatened wildlife habitats and biodiversity. Data show that organic farming emits less nitrous oxide by avoiding chemical fertilizers and pesticides commonly used in conventional agriculture, and organic livestock production leads to fewer methane emissions compared with conventional concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs).
And by building healthy soils that retain water and store carbon, organic agriculture builds resilience and stabilizes our food supply in the face of drought and other extreme weather conditions that will occur with increasing frequency in a changing climate.

Meryem El jaouhari, Damour G, Tixier P, Mathieu Coulis. Glyphosate reduces the biodiversity of soil macrofauna and benefits exotic over native species in a tropical agroecosystem. Basic and Applied Ecology. 2023;73:18-26.

A study conducted on banana plantations examined how herbicide usage shapes communities of ants, spiders, beetles, and millipedes in soil that contribute to nutrient cycling and pest control.
Found that local diversity consistently declined with herbicide use
The use of pesticides also resulted in changes in the types of organisms present
Overall highlights how herbicide free systems result in richer, more native-dominated soil communities and can ultimately support a more sustainable, biodiverse, and ecologically focused food system.

Great Layperson Article on this: Herbicide use drives declines in soil invertebrate diversity.The Organic Center. Organic-center.org. Published 2026. Accessed January 30, 2026.

Mie A, Andersen HR, Gunnarsson S, et al. Human health implications of organic food and organic agriculture: A comprehensive review. Environmental Health. 2017;16(1) ***

Diet choices and the associated food production methods also have important impacts on environmental sustainability
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.

Minasny B, Fiantis D, Hairiah K, & Van Noordwijk M. Applying volcanic ash to croplands – the untapped natural solution. Soil Security. 2021;3:100006.

Mishra, A.K.; Tiwari, A.; Maurya, P.K.; Sharma, S. Enhancing Ecosystem Dynamics: Organic and Regenerative Practices in Rice–Wheat Systems and Their Impact on Soil Arthropod Biodiversity. Front. Environ. Sci. 2024, 12, 1407954.

Crops from organically managed and regenerative systems consistently show higher levels of antioxidants such as vitamin C, tocopherols, and glutathione
These outcomes are linked to enhanced soil microbiota activity and increased availability of nutrients like selenium, a key component of glutathione peroxidase (GPx), an enzyme that protects cells from oxidative damage

Mondal DD, Chakraborty U, Bera M, Ghosh S, Kar D. An overview of nutritional profiling in foods: Bioanalytical techniques and useful protocols. Frontier Nutrition. 2023 Mar 21;10:1124409.

This is about nutrient density testing of food
Nutritional profiling (NP) models are developed to evaluate the nutritional value, calorie content, and the amount of micronutrients and macronutrients contained in a given food accompanied by additional details on the nutritional anomaly provided by published standard nutrients and nutritional databases.
In this review, we are focusing on the different bioanalytical techniques and the various protocols of NP and their application and refinement of the models. We have evaluated various NP techniques currently used in the food industry for the detection of different components present in food items.

Montgomery d et al, Soil Health and Nutrient Density: Beyond Organic vs. Conventional Farming: Front. Sustain. Food Syst., 04 November 2021 ***

More recent studies have shown how reliance on tillage and synthetic nitrogen fertilizers influence soil life, and thereby soil health, in ways that can reduce mineral micronutrient uptake by and phytochemical production in crops. While organic farming tends to enhance soil health and conventional practices degrade it, relying on tillage for weed control on both organic and conventional farms degrades soil organic matter and can disrupt soil life in ways that reduce crop mineral uptake and phytochemical production.
More consistent differences between organic and conventional crops include that conventional crops contain greater pesticide levels, whereas organically grown crops contain higher levels of phytochemicals shown to exhibit health-protective antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Montgomery DR, Biklé A, Archuleta R, Brown P, Jordan J. 2022. Soil health and nutrient density: preliminary comparison of regenerative and conventional farming. PeerJ 10:e12848 ***

10 Farms with no-till, cover crops, and diverse rotations produced crops with higher “soil organic matter” levels, soil health scores, and levels of certain vitamins, minerals, (Cu, Ca, Zn)
Higher levels of phytochemicals (including phytosterols) with regenerative farming than conventional (promote immune health)
Regenerative grazing practices produced meat with a better fatty acid profile & ratio

Montgomery, D and Bikle, A. What Your Food Ate: How to Heal Our Land and Reclaim Our Health. Publisher: WW Norton & Co 2022

Morgan et al. Agricultural and environmental drivers of variation in the composition of food crops: A scoping review Plants, People, Planet 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.70197***

The biomolecular composition of our food, a critical determinant of human health and nutrition, is shaped by complex interactions between plants, agricultural management, and the environment. Understanding the drivers of variation in food composition is essential for addressing major global challenges including malnutrition, food safety, and sustainability.
Agricultural systems (e.g., nutrient management and amendments), environmental variability (e.g., atmospheric changes and soil contamination), and human health outcomes (e.g., nutritional dilution and heavy metal exposure) are inextricably linked. Factors such as crop genetics, soil, water, air quality, and agricultural management practices have well-documented impacts on food crop yields; however, the variable effect of these factors on food quality is less understood.
Overall, the literature reflected 154 unique food crops, with vegetable and cereal crops the most represented, and underutilized crops the least represented. The literature further focused on food components with significant public health implications, including heavy metals (259 studies), micronutrient minerals (188),
. This focus on soil-related themes—including ecological conditions, nutrient management, and heavy metal remediation—highlights soil as a critical nexus where environmental pressures and agricultural practices converge to affect crop quality. The frequent pairing of contamination remediation with ecological conditions (71 studies) suggests a strong emphasis on food quality and safety.
Our review found that there is an emerging interest in sustainable, agroecological agriculture management practices, and their subsequent effects on food biochemical composition, although research in this area is still nascent. Despite growing evidence that regenerative and agroecological practices can enhance food nutrient density (Manzeke-Kangara et al., 2023; McGuigan et al., 2025; Montgomery & Biklé, 2021), “agroecology” was among the least represented agricultural subthemes in this review (Figure 3e). The results reveal that there is no effective mapping of how sustainable agriculture practices influence the full biochemical composition of food. Although environmental sustainability benefits from diversified cropping systems through improved soil health, reduced pest and disease pressures, and enhanced biodiversity on farms (Rasmussen et al., 2024), a limited number of studies examined multi-crop systems Data (S1).

Moyer J, Stoll S, Schaeffer Z, et al. THE POWER of the PLATE: The Case for Regenerative Organic Agriculture in Improving Human Health. Rodale Institute. 2020 ***.

•In addition to lacking nutrition, industrial farming directly and indirectly affects human health via exposure to potentially toxic chemicals and environmental pollutants.
Regenerative organic agriculture grows food without synthetic chemicals or salt-based fertilizers while improving soil health, which can increase the nutrient density of food and help combat environmental issues like climate change.

Muller A, Schader C, El-Hage Scialabba N, et al.Strategies for feeding the world more sustainably with organic agriculture. Nature Communications. 2017;8:1290.

Here we show that a 100% conversion to organic agriculture needs more land than conventional agriculture but reduces N-surplus and pesticide use. However, in combination with reductions of food wastage and food-competing feed from arable land, with correspondingly reduced production and consumption of animal products, land use under organic agriculture remains below the reference scenario. Other indicators such as greenhouse gas emissions also improve

National Academy of Sciences Report 2024 Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Exploring Linkages Between Soil Health and Human Health. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. (SUMMARY) ***

Agricultural management practices that modify mineral or water availability can affect crop nutritional quality. Some studies have also demonstrated that enhanced soil organic carbon and microbial biomass are associated with increased levels of phytochemicals commonly associated with reduced risk of chronic diseases in humans.
Common agricultural management practices have increased crop yield and food security,but this productivity has often come at the expense of soil health, with detrimental effects on the environment and human health. For example, synthetic fertilizer use has greatly increased crop production but has also caused excess nutrients to leach from agricultural fields, sometimes resulting in contaminated groundwater, algal blooms, and the production of potent GHGs that contribute to climate change.

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Communication to Bridge the Gap Between Food Production and Nutrition and Health: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Newton, P., Civita, N., Frankel-Goldwater, L., Bartel, K., & Johns, C. What is regenerative agriculture? A review of scholar and practitioner definitions based on processes and outcomes. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems. 2020;4.

Regeneratively raised meat has the potential to actually benefit the surrounding ecosystem by restoring and improving soil health, sequestering carbon, and enhancing the quality of water, vegetation, and land-productivity

Omondi, E. C., Wagner, M., Mukherjee, A., & Nichols, K. (2021). Long-term organic and conventional farming effects on nutrient density of oats. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems. 2021:1–15.

Studies show that organic practices, when compared to conventional farming, generate oat harvests with increased mineral content and amino acids, due to differences in long-term soil management and healthier root ecosystems.

Ong TW, Roman-Alcalá A, Jiménez-Soto E, Jackson E, Perfecto I, & Duff H. Momentum for agroecology in the USA. Nature Food. 2024;5:539–541.

Layperson article about this: Agroecology: A paradigm shift in the US food system – University of Michigan 2024

Agroecology is gaining momentum as a way to improve healthy food access and affordability, according to a University of Michigan researcher. Grounded in the principles of sustainability, resilience and fairness, agroecology represents a shift toward a more integrated and ecological approach to agriculture.
“This highly industrialized agriculture is characterized by monocultures, reduced genetic diversity, growing dependence on chemical and pharmaceutical technologies, and the consolidation of farms,” she said. “In the U.S., as in the rest of the world, this system has high externalized costs to the environment and human health. “The hidden costs of a global food system that relies on industrial agriculture is estimated to be $12.7 trillion, with the vast majority driven by public health crises due to unhealthy foods that disproportionately burden the lowest-income people.”

Optimizing Health and Nutrition. Soil to Society. Accessed March 20, 2024. https://www.soiltosociety.org/.

The SAS Soil to Society project involves over 20 researchers from Washington State University and Johns Hopkins University, and evaluators from Kansas State University to improve the soil quality where these crops are grown, develop more nutritional varieties and products that can be brought to market, and evaluate the impact of these foods on human health. By bringing together soil scientists, plant breeders, food scientists, and health researchers, the Soil to Society grant will cross disciplines to develop holistic agricultural management strategies and healthy, affordable food products to meet the needs of diverse individuals and communities.

Organic Agriculture and policy. Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems. April 29, 2025.

Organic agriculture supports economic and community resilience: It creates new market opportunities for farmers and strengthens the connection between consumers and food producers, helping to revitalize rural economies.
It promotes environmental sustainability: Organic farming enhances soil health, reduces the need for synthetic chemicals, and supports biodiversity—making it an effective strategy for both climate change mitigation and adaptation.
Animal welfare and ecosystem health are prioritized: Organic systems emphasize humane livestock practices and minimize environmental pollution by avoiding toxic inputs.

Pang Z, Chen J, Wang T, Gao C, Li Z, Guo L, Xu J, Cheng Y. Linking plant secondary metabolites and plant microbiomes: A review. Plant Pathogen Interaction. 2021;12 ***.

In plants, the secondary metabolic pathways produce a diversity of compounds called plant secondary metabolites (PSMs). PSMs contain a large group of structurally diverse compounds originated from either primary metabolites or intermediates in the biosynthetic pathways of these primary metabolites
NOTE FROM MARY: There is evidence that agricultural practices and agrochemicals can have an impact on the microbial communities of the soil which can mean an impact on the plant microbiome as well. While more research is always needed, it makes sense that if the plant microbiome is less abundant and diverse, this can have an impact on the secondary plant metabolites, which may in turn influence the well-being of those who consume them.

Parizad S, Bera S. The effect of organic farming on water reusability, sustainable ecosystem, and food toxicity [published online ahead of print, 2021 Jul 7]. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2021;10.1007/s11356-021-15258-7. doi:10.1007/s11356-021-15258-7

Organic farming is one of the best ways that does not only reduce the deterioration of water quality but also decrease food toxicity.
Fields that are organically managed continuously for years have fewer pest populations and were attributed to increased biodiversity and abundance of multi-trophic interactions as well as to changes in plant metabolites.

Pérez-Álvarez, E.P.; Martínez-Vidaurre, J.M.; Garde-Cerdán, T. Anthocyanin Composition of Grapes from Three Different Soil Types in Cv. Tempranillo A.O.C. Rioja Vineyards. J. Sci. Food Agric. 2019, 99, 4833–4841.

Soil type and seasonal conditions significantly influenced anthocyanin composition in Tempranillo grapes, with higher anthocyanin levels observed in soils with lower nitrogen availability during the wetter 2016 season.
Non-acylated anthocyanins and malvidin- and peonidin-derived anthocyanins were the most abundant across all soils and years.
Soil characteristics like water-holding capacity and nitrogen availability, alongside seasonal climate, were key factors driving grape anthocyanin content—even under similar vineyard management and plant material.

Popa et al. Organic foods contribution to nutritional quality and value. Trends in Food Science & Technology Volume 84, February 2019, Pages 15-18 ***

Due to the fact that synthetic fertilizers offer more bioavailable sources of nitrogen, plant development is accelerated, and all plant resources go to growth purposes and not to the production of secondary metabolites (e.g. polyphenols).
The second hypothesis is related to the plant exposure to stressful situations resulted from the absence of pesticides (such as attacks from various insects, weeds and plant pathogens) leading to an increase of natural defence substances, such as phenolic compounds
There are several reasons favoring organic food consumption, such as less exposure to antibiotic resistant bacteria; natural pesticides defense system activation
Organically produced foods contain higher amounts of secondary metabolites..
A significant imbalance continues to exist between the current supply of organic produce and the growing demand for organic food

Puigbo et al. Does Glyphosate Affect the Human Microbiota? Life 2022, 12(5), 707;

Our results demonstrate that more than one-half of human microbiome are intrinsically sensitive to glyphosate.

Rahman A, Baharlouei P, Koh EHY, Pirvu DG, Rehmani R, Arcos M, Puri S. A Comprehensive Analysis of Organic Food: Evaluating Nutritional Value and Impact on Human Health. Foods. 2024; 13(2):208. ***

This review identified some of these health benefits, including a reduction in obesity and body mass index (BMI), improvements in blood nutrient composition as well as reductions in maternal obesity and pregnancy-associated preeclampsia risks. Furthermore, organic food consumption can reduce the development of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and colorectal cancers.
It was found that organic food contained higher levels of iron, magnesium and vitamin C. However, the evidence available to draw definitive causations remains limited due to study biases, short study durations and confounding variables.

Rahman M et al. .Integrating food is medicine and regenerative agriculture for planetary health .Front. Nutr., 11 December 2024. Sec. Nutrition and Sustainable Diets.Volume 11 – 2024

This paper highlights key opportunities, recent policy developments, and evidence gaps, calling for concerted efforts to clearly define RA practices and foster collaboration between community, healthcare, agriculture, and policy stakeholders. Strengthening these interconnections could lead to more resilient food systems and improved health outcomes at both individual and population levels.
The extensive impact of food systems on planetary health highlights the urgent need to transform how food is produced, distributed, and consumed. Achieving sustainable food systems will require multisectoral collaboration across food supply chains.
RA focuses on building and improving soil health, utilizing grazing livestock, eliminating synthetic inputs, and enhancing biodiversity, all with goals of creating economically and biologically stable agricultural systems
While recognizing adherence to these practices can be important, ensuring that standardized regenerative certification is accessible, particularly for marginalized, diversified, and/or limited-resource producers, is also critical.
Food procurement within FIM programs represents an opportunity to advance planetary health by sourcing whole foods (produce prescriptions and medically tailored groceries) or ingredients (MTM) produced using sustainable agricultural practices, such as those used in certified organic or regenerative systems.

Ramkumar, D., Marty, A., Ramkumar, J., Rosencranz, H., Duvvuri, R., Goldman, M., … & Rosier, C. (2024). Food for thought: Making the case for food produced via regenerative agriculture in the battle against non-communicable chronic diseases (NCDs). One Health, 100734. ***

Investigating agricultural practices, we identify parallels between soil/plant and human microbiome studies, suggesting a crucial link between soil health, plant- and animal-derived food quality, and human well-being.
Conventional/Industrial agriculture (IA) practices, characterized in part by use of chemical inputs, have adverse effects on soil microbiome diversity, food quality, and ecosystems.
Emerging evidence suggests that food from RA systems surpasses IA-produced food in quality and nutritional value. Recognizing the interconnection between human, plant, and soil microbiomes, promoting RA-produced foods emerges as a strategy to improve human health and environmental sustainability.

Reganold JP, Andrews PK, Reeve JR, et al. Fruit and soil quality of organic and conventional strawberry agroecosystems. PLoS One. 2010;5(9):e12346. Published 2010 Sep 1. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0012346

Reganold JP, Wachter JM. Organic Agriculture in the twenty-first century. Nature Plants. 2016;2(2).

Regenerate Soil, Regenerate Health: Author/Soil Scientist Anne Biklé in Conversation With Zach Bush, MD (VIDEO)

There are never-ending connections between us and nature. This conversation between leaders in the field sheds more light on the link between the health of the soil, soil microbiome, nutrient density of food and the impact this all has on human health & the human gut microbiome.

Reid, T. E., Kavamura, V. N., Abadie, M., Torres-Ballesteros, A., Pawlett, M., Clark, I. M., … & Mauchline, T. H. (2021). Inorganic chemical fertilizer application to wheat reduces the abundance of putative plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria. Frontiers in Microbiology, 12, 642587.

The profound negative effect of inorganic chemical fertilizer application on rhizobacterial diversity has been well documented using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and predictive metagenomics.
fertilizer addition decreased the proportion of nutrient-solubilizing bacteria (nitrate, phosphate, potassium, iron, and zinc) isolated from rhizocompartments in wheat
our study suggests that rhizobacteria that potentially benefit plants by mobilizing insoluble nutrients in soil are reduced by chemical fertilizer addition

Rempelos, L and others, Diet and food type affect urinary pesticide residue excretion profiles in healthy individuals: results of a randomized controlled dietary intervention trial,The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Volume 115, Issue 2, February 2022, Pages 364–377

Organic farming standards prohibit the use of most pesticides, and organic food consumption may therefore reduce pesticide exposure. This may explain the positive health outcomes linked to organic food consumption in observational studies.
Organic food consumption reduced exposure to all groups of synthetic chemical pesticide

Ren F, Reilly K, Kerry JP, Gaffney M, Hossain M, Rai DK. Higher antioxidant activity, total flavonols, and specific quercetin glucosides in two different onion (allium cepa L.) varieties grown under organic production: Results from a 6-year field study.Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 2017;65(25):5122-5132. doi:10.1021/acs.jafc.7b01352

Total flavonoids were higher in ‘Red Baron’ and when onions were grown under organic soil treatment. Differences were primarily due to different soil management practices used in organic agriculture rather than pesticide/ herbicide application.

Ricciardi, V., Mehrabi, Z., Wittman, H., James, D., Ramankutty, N. (2021). Higher yields and more biodiversity on smaller farms. Nature Sustainability. 4. 1-7.10.1038/s41893-021-00699-2.

Smaller farms, on average, have higher yields and harbour greater crop and non-crop biodiversity than do larger farms
We find little conclusive evidence for differences in resource-use efficiency, greenhouse gas emission intensity and profits
Our findings highlight the importance of farm size in mediating some environmental and social outcomes relevant to sustainable development.

Roberto Rodríguez Madrera, Ana Campa Negrillo, José J. Modulation of the nutritional and functional values of common bean by farming system: organic vs. conventional. Frontiers in sustainable food systems. 2024;7.

Bean seeds are interesting due to their nutritional composition, characterized by a high content of protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and the presence of functional compounds such as dietary fiber and phenolic compounds, which exert protective effects against various diseases
legumes have the unique capacity to fix nitrogen in the soil and hence improve soil fertility, while at the same time reducing the need to use conventional inorganic fertilizers and the crop has a small water footprint. For these reasons, legumes have an important role to play in the transition toward more sustainable farming systems that provide economic, environmental, and social benefits.
the accumulation of phenolic compounds in organic crop was 26.6% higher than conventional one. A higher content of polyphenols was reported in black varieties grown in organic farming system (Celmeli et al., 2018). The formation of polyphenols is associated with response to stress and numerous causes have been suggested such as the water level and the temperature

Röös E, Mayer A, Muller A, Kalt G, Ferguson S, Erb KH, Hart R, Matej S, Kaufmann L, Pfeifer C, Frehner A, Smith P, Schwarz G. Agroecological practices in combination with healthy diets can help meet EU food system policy targets. Sci Total Environ. 2022 Nov 15;847:157612. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157612. Epub 2022 Jul 25. PMID: 35901890.

Large-scale implementation of agroecological practices without concurrent changes on the demand side could aggravate existing environmental pressures.
These results confirm the importance of dietary change for food system climate change mitigation. Economic modelling showed a need for drastic changes in consumer preferences towards more plant-based, agroecological and local foods, and for improvements in technology

Rosier CL, Knecht A, Steinmetz JS, Weckle A, Bloedorn K, Meyer E. From soil to health: advancing regenerative agriculture for improved food quality and nutrition security. Front Nutr. 2025;12:1638507.

Observed decadal declines in diet quality driven by industrial farming practices have led to a global health epidemic marked by increased micronutrient deficiency and malnutrition
Current research offers promising results regarding regenerative agriculture’s potential to enhance ecosystem services by increasing soil carbon storage, enhancing biodiversity, and improving crop nutrient quality, benefits that also support human health. In contrast, industrialized agriculture prioritizes monoculture production, contributing to the global proliferation of ultra-processed foods (UPFs), the concomitant rise in obesity and NCDs, including diabetes and cardiovascular disease, coinciding with the drastic acceleration of ecosystem decline
healthcare represents an underutilized avenue for advancing regenerative food systems. Integrating regenerative agriculture principles into medical education and public health strategies can enhance healthcare professionals’ understanding of the link between food quality and chronic disease prevention, shifting healthcare models away from prescription-based solutions.

Roslund et al. Biodiversity intervention enhances immune regulation (2020)

Rouphael, Y et al.Phenolic composition, antioxidant activity and mineral profile in two seed-propagated artichoke cultivars as affected by microbial inoculants and planting time. Food Chemistry Volume 234, 1 November 2017, Pages 10-19

Another key preharvest factor able to enhance plant growth and quality would be through inoculation with beneficial microorganisms such as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and Trichoderma
Experimental studies showed that AMF can enhance the accumulation of secondary metabolites (phenolics and carotenoids), vitamins (ascorbate and tocopherols), sugars as well as anthocyanins in several vegetables Such physiological changes during mutualistic association may be ascribed to a transient activation of plant defense reactions in colonized roots leading to the accumulation of secondary metabolites In a previous paper, Ceccarelli et al. (2010) reported a higher phenolic content and antioxidant activity in artichoke flower heads as affected by mycorrhizal symbiosis.

Ruuskanen et al. Ecosystem consequences of herbicides: the role of microbiome Trends in Ecology & Evolution. Published: October 13, 2022

The changes in soil microbiome are likely to influence key nutrient cycling and plant–soil processes. Herbicide-altered microbiome affects plant and animal performance and can influence trophic interactions such as herbivory and pollination.

Santhiravel, S Et al. The Impact of Plant Phytochemicals on the Gut Microbiota of Humans for a Balanced Life. Int. J. Mol. Sci.2022, 23(15), 8124; ***

The habitual consumption of specific dietary components can impact beyond their nutritional benefits, altering gut microbiota diversity and function and could manipulate health.
These compounds have low bioavailability and long time-retention in the intestine due to their poor absorption, resulting in beneficial impacts on gut microbiota population. Feeding diets containing phytochemicals to humans and animals may offer a path to improve the gut microbiome resulting in improved performance and/or health and wellbeing.
Phytochemicals benefit the human and animal body by altering the intestinal microflora by selectively inducing the growth of some bacterial populations in the gut, referred to as “probiotics”
NOTE FROM MARY PURDY: I add this here to emphasize that phytochemicals tend to be higher in foods grown with less synthetic fertilizer and agrochemicals.

Schreefel L, Schulte RP, De Boer IJM, Schrijver AP, & Van Zanten HHE. Regenerative agriculture–the soil is the base. Global Food Security. 2020;26: 100404.

We propose a provisional definition of RA as an approach to farming that uses soil conservation as the entry point to regenerate and contribute to multiple ecosystem services.

Schultheis A. Optimizing Human Health and Nutrition: From Soil to Society . Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources. Published May 16, 2023. https://csanr.wsu.edu/optimizing-human-health-and-nutrition-from-soil-to-society/.

The understanding of agriculture’s role in societal health include a historical separation of the involved scientific disciplines, and an economic incentive to focus on crop yield rather than nutrition.
The SAS Soil to Society project involves over 20 researchers from Washington State University and Johns Hopkins University, and evaluators from Kansas State University to improve the soil quality where these crops are grown, develop more nutritional varieties and products that can be brought to market, and evaluate the impact of these foods on human health
By bringing together soil scientists, plant breeders, food scientists, and health researchers, the Soil to Society grant will cross disciplines to develop holistic agricultural management strategies and healthy, affordable food products to meet the needs of diverse individuals and communities.

Sciligo, A et al. Local diversification enhances pollinator visitation to strawberry and may improve pollination and marketability Front. Sustain. Food Syst., 22 August 2022 Sec. Agroecology and Ecosystem Services

“These results suggest that both polyculture and semi-natural habitat cover support more abundant and diverse pollinator communities, and that ambient levels of pollinator visitation to strawberry provide an important crop pollination service by improving berry marketability”

Sharpe RM, Gustafson L, Hewitt S, Kilian B, Crabb J, Hendrickson C, Jiwan D, Andrews P, Dhingra A. Concomitant phytonutrient and transcriptome analysis of mature fruit and leaf tissues of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L. cv. Oregon Spring) grown using organic and conventional fertilizer. PLoS One. 2020 Jan 13;15(1):e0227429.

Enhanced levels of antioxidants, phenolic compounds, carotenoids and vitamin C have been reported for several crops grown under organic fertilizer, albeit with yield penalties.
Organic soil fertilizer management results in greater allocation of photosynthetically derived resources to the synthesis of secondary metabolites than to plant growth, and 2. Genes involved in changes in the accumulation of phytonutrients under organic fertilizer regime will exhibit differential expression,
Organic fertilizer treatment showed an activation of photoinhibitory processes through differential activation of nitrogen transport and assimilation genes resulting in higher accumulation of phytonutrients. medicine

Seufert, V., & Ramankutty, N. (2017). Many shades of gray-The context-dependent performance of organic agriculture. Science advances, 3(3), e1602638. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.160263

Lower yields can range depending on the situation and they say it’s possible to see a lower yield that’s only 5-9% less than the traditional counterpart. This same study also found that it can be a larger amount of 30-40% less of what the organic crops are producing. It’s fascinating that there can be such a wide range of yields with organic depending on the conditions

Shukla, A.; Behera, S.K.; Pakhre, A.; Chaudhary, S. Micronutrients in Soils, Plants, Animals and Humans. Indian J. Fertil. 2018, 14, 30–54.

Since plants obtain micronutrients primarily from the soil, agricultural practices that enhance soil health play a crucial role in determining the nutrient density of crops

Souto, A.L.; Sylvestre, M.; Tölke, E.D.; Tavares, J.F.; Barbosa-Filho, J.M.; Cebrián-Torrejón, G. Plant-Derived Pesticides as an Alternative to Pest Management and Sustainable Agricultural Production: Prospects, Applications and Challenges. Molecules 2021, 26, 4835.

Avoiding synthetic pesticides and fertilizers minimizes chemical stress on plants and humans, prompting them to enhance natural defense mechanisms
This shift leads to greater investment in antioxidant biosynthesis, particularly in secondary metabolites such as flavonoids and phenolic compounds

Średnicka-Tober D, Barański M, Seal C. Composition differences between organic and conventional meat: a systematic literature review and meta-analysis. Br J Nutr. 2016;115(06):994–1011. + Średnicka-Tober D, Barański M, Seal CJ. Higher PUFA and n-3 PUFA, conjugated linoleic acid, α-tocopherol and iron, but lower iodine and selenium concentrations in organic milk: a systematic literature review and meta- and redundancy analyses.Br J Nutr. 2016;115(06):1043–1060.

Organic meat, milk, and dairy products have approximately higher concentrations of nutritionally-desirable omega-3 fatty acids; intakes of very long chain omega-3 fatty acids in Western diets
Organic milk was reported to contain higher levels of total conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), higher iron and α-tocopherol concentrations, which are all considered to be nutritionally desirable, although the evidence for health benefits of CLA is mainly from in vitro and animal studies
Conventional meat has slightly, but significantly higher concentrations of the saturated fatty acids myristic- and palmitic acid, which were linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease

Stacey NT. Food we consume is becoming less nutritious: And it’s set to get worse. Daily Maverick. April 23, 2023.

An aggregate of analyses of the nutritional content of UK and US fruit and vegetable crops between 1950 and 1999 revealed a consistent modest decline in micronutrient content of vegetables, along with a decline in both macronutrient and micronutrient quality in grains over an 80-year period. There are multiple causes behind this. The first is the ‘dilution’ effect, where increasing yields from chemical fertiliser result in a reduction of other nutrients.
Elevated atmospheric CO2 may also make a modest contribution; it has been shown that higher levels of carbon dioxide result in faster growth and higher yield but a decrease in micronutrient density. Tilling practices, particularly ploughing, have also been shown to disrupt the soil microbiomes that enable mineral uptake in crops, resulting in lower nutrient density.
There have already been some observable health effects of mineral depletion among the better-known minerals. Magnesium deficiency arising partly from declining levels in crops has been described as a public health crisis demanding urgent attention. Magnesium, fortunately, can be easily taken in supplements. But under-studied minerals, like the ones mentioned above, can’t be, because of the uncertainties surrounding their biological role and optimal dosage. From a public health standpoint, then, it is important to explore ways to bring biosphere mineral content back into equilibrium and arrest the decline.
If you cannot access this article, you can access this one which references the above article: https://regenz.co.za/blog/uncovering-the-alarming-trend-of-decreasing-nutrient-levels-in-our-food/

Steffan JJ, Brevik EC, Burgess LC, Cerdà A. The effect of soil on human health: an overview. Eur J Soil Sci. 2018 Jan;69(1):159-171. doi: 10.1111/ejss.12451. Epub 2017 Jul 17. PMID: 29430209; PMCID: PMC5800787.

Soil has a considerable effect on human health, whether those effects are positive or negative, direct or indirect.
Many anthropogenic factors such as the use of organic fertilizers on crops, antibiotic use in humans and livestock and antibiotic use on crops (typically through the application of manures or waste water that contain antibiotics to crops (Palacios et al., 2017; Prigitano et al., 2017)) increase the incidence and persistence of antibiotic resistance genes and antibiotic resistant species in the soil

Suárez-Torres J, Suárez-López JR, López-Paredes D, Morocho H, Cachiguango-Cachiguango LE, Dellai W. Agroecology and Health: Lessons from Indigenous Populations. Curr Environ Health Rep. 2017;4(2):244-251. doi:10.1007/s40572-017-0146-z. ***

Agroecology and ancestral knowledge are being adopted by a growing number of organizations, indigenous peoples, and social groups in various parts of the world, as development alternatives that respond to local needs and worldviews.
Pesticides have generated important agricultural benefits. Unfortunately, they have shown to be toxic to different species and have generated public health problems, mainly in developing countries.
Adverse effects of pesticides on human health include damages to the nervous system (e.g., Parkinson’s disease), as well as pulmonary, reproductive, endocrine, and immune system damage. Chronic toxicity results from the cumulative effects associated with the development of chronic diseases such as: leukemia, lymphomas, sarcomas, other cancers, diabetes, neurodegenerative disorders, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, congenital malformations, renal disease, and autoimmune diseases such as lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Swanson EO, Carlson J, Perkus LA, et al. Nutrient and Nitrate Composition of Greenhouse-Grown Leafy Greens: A Trial Comparison Between Conventional and Organic Fertility Treatments. Frontiers in sustainable food systems. 2022;6.

Although the positive aspects of consumption of fruits and vegetables are promoted, vegetables especially leafy green vegetables are concentrated in nitrates that have been linked to adverse health effects especially in children
Yet in most cases, organic vegetables were numerically lower in nitrate content than their conventional counterparts in their analysis
Nitrate content also differs in plant species and varieties with generally leafy greens being concentrated in nitrates as they are good nitrate accumulators due to their rapid growth and that nitrates tend to accumulate in leaves and the leaves are what is consumed by consumers.
Organic vs. conventional growing practices in greenhouse grown leafy greens impacted amounts of Vitamin C and potassium levels in analyzed plant tissue. No consistent differences were found for fiber, calcium, iron and sodium concentrations in the tissue analyzed. Nitrate levels were generally higher in conventionally grown greens, although other factors including growing season were found to influence nitrate levels.
High nitrogen fertilizers have also been associated with decreased vitamin C concentrations in many fruits and vegetables

Tasnim N, Abulizi N, Pither J, Hart MM, Gibson DL. Linking the Gut Microbial Ecosystem with the Environment: Does Gut Health Depend on Where We Live?. Front Microbiol. 2017;8:1935. Published 2017 Oct 6. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2017.01935

Early-life exposure to microbe-rich environments may be beneficial for human health by increasing the gut bacterial species pool.
While gut microbial diversity is decreasing, the prevalence of chronic inflammatory diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes, obesity, allergies and asthma is on the rise in Westernized societies. Since the immune system development is influenced by microbial components, early microbial colonization may be a key factor in determining disease susceptibility patterns later in life.
if early-life exposure to environmental microbes increases gut microbiota diversity by influencing patterns of gut microbial assembly, then soil biodiversity loss due to land-use changes such as urbanization could be a public health threat.
There is some indirect evidence that soil biodiversity and human microbiota are interrelated (Hanski et al., 2012), to provide “natural immunity” (von Hertzen et al., 2011). Further, exposure to soil microbes has been experimentally shown to increase gut microbiota diversity (Zhou et al., 2015). There is also some evidence to suggest that exposure to possible soil pathogens could contribute to immune tolerance
To link gut microbiota to environmental microbial diversity, it will be important for future studies to develop standardized methods that reliably reflect microbial biodiversity in the environment. In addition to microbial diversity of the direct environment (home, air, soil, water, etc.), biodiversity of the surrounding environment should be estimated by recording information about the landscape, including land use type and predominant vegetation structure, abiotic factors such as climatic factors and information about the biodiversity of resident communities.
The utility of the NIH Human Microbiome Project (http://www.hmpdacc.org/) could be enhanced by including protocols and repositories for environmental biodiversity (microbial and otherwise).
The study of environmental influences on gut microbiota structure and function is especially pertinent because the human living environment is becoming rapidly urbanized. Such drastic changes to the human environment may interrupt the healthy development of the microbiota and increase risk of inflammatory diseases. Moving forward, we must incorporate gut microbiota surveys into a broader framework of environmental exposure, for a thorough understanding of how ecosystem processes contribute to gut microbiota development, and affect the quality of human health.

Torrissen M, Gisslevik E, Gundersen TE, Bolstad T, Eide O, Rizzo AM, Clayton P, Robertson C. Lipids in Health and Disease. 2025.

This looked at how the nutritional composition of animal products might translate into measurable changes in human health. In one intervention trial, participants whose typical dietary omega-6-to-omega-3 ratio was approximately 6 saw that ratio decrease to approximately 2 after switching to meat from pasture-raised animals.
Blood omega-3 levels also increased, which is associated in population-based studies with both improved heart and brain health

Ter Haar SF, Van Bodegom PM, Scherer L. CO 2 Rise Directly Impairs Crop Nutritional Quality. Global Change Biology. 2025;31(11).

Climate change affects food security through a multitude of indirect effects by either reducing access (e.g., climate change–induced conflicts, price volatility) or by affecting production through climate shifts (e.g., extreme weather events, temperature increases) and/or biological consequences (e.g., pollinator declines, greater post-harvest losses) (Myers et al. 2017). Less discussed is the direct effect of CO2 rise on malnutrition by changing nutrient availability through altering the plant’s elemental nutrient composition.
Nutrient security is under threat even if food security remains adequate; food will become more caloric and less nutritious.

Umar AW, Naeem M, Hussain H, Ahmad N, Xu M. Starvation from within: How heavy metals compete with essential nutrients, disrupt metabolism, and impair plant growth. Plant Science. 2025

Heavy metal uptake disrupts nutrient balance in plants by interfering with how essential nutrients are absorbed, transported, and used. Metals like cadmium, lead, mercury, and arsenic compete with or block key nutrients such as iron, zinc, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus, leading to deficiencies. These disruptions impair critical plant functions, from growth and cell signaling to energy transfer and chlorophyll production, triggering widespread physiological dysfunction.

Vigar V, Myers S, Oliver C, Arellano J, Robinson S, Leifert C. A systematic review of organic versus conventional food consumption: Is there a measurable benefit on human health? Nutrients. 2019;12(1):7. doi:10.3390/nu12010007. ***

“Significant positive outcomes were seen in longitudinal studies where increased organic intake was associated with reduced incidence of infertility, birth defects, allergic sensitisation, otitis media, pre-eclampsia, metabolic syndrome, high BMI, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.”
“However, a growing number of important findings are being reported from observational research linking demonstrable health benefits with organic food consumption.”

Wang SY, Chen CT, Sciarappa W, Wang CY, Camp MJ. Fruit quality, antioxidant capacity, and flavonoid content of organically and conventionally grown blueberries. J Agric Food Chem. 2008;56(14):5788-5794

Results from this study in New Jersey, USA showed that blueberry fruit grown from organic culture yielded significantly higher sugars (fructose and glucose), malic acid, total phenolics, total anthocyanins, and antioxidant activity (ORAC) than fruit from the conventional culture. In organically cultured fruit, the average values for the ORAC, total anthocyanins, and total phenolic content were 46.14 micromol of Trolox (TE)/g of fresh weight (fwt), 131.2 mg/100 g of fwt, and 319.3 mg/100 g of fwt, respectively. In conventionally cultured fruit, the average values for the ORAC, total anthocyanin, and total phenol content were 30.8 micromol of TE/g of fwt, 82.4 mg/100 g of fwt, and 190.3 mg/100 g of fwt, respectively.
The organic culture also produced fruit with higher contents of myricetin 3-arabinoside, quercetin 3-glucoside, delphinidin 3-galactoside, delphinidin 3-glucoside, delphinidin 3-arabinoside, petunidin 3-galactoside, petunidin 3-glucoside, and malvidin 3-arabinoside than conventional culture. There was a significant correlation between the ORAC values and total phenolics and total anthocyanins.

Wang X, Chi Y, Song S. Important soil microbiota’s effects on plants and soils: a comprehensive 30-year systematic literature review. Front Microbiol. 2024 Mar 25;15:1347745. **

The most prevalent microbial population in soil, soil bacteria, have a major influence on plant health, soil texture, the nutrient cycle, and biodiversity.
Soil bacteria aid in the cycling of nutrients, such as potassium, phosphorus, and nitrogen
Beneficial bacteria can form symbiotic relationships with plants, providing nutrients to promote their growth and development. For example, Rhizobium forms symbioses with legume plants, while phosphorus-solubilizing microorganisms form symbioses with plant roots. They change nitrogen and phosphorus that plants can’t directly absorb into forms that plants can use for growth through nitrogen fixation
Soil bacteria can also suppress pathogens and reduce the occurrence of plant diseases.
Microorganisms can be used to purify soil contaminated with heavy metals and organic compounds through their processes of dissolution and degradation, which improves soil quality and promotes ecosystem functionality to restore damaged ecosystems and a clean soil environment. For instance, functional bacterial strains can remediate contaminated soil.
Some soil fungi can control diseases by producing antibiotics or metabolites harmful to plant pathogens. For example, the Trichoderma genus releases volatile organic compounds that activate the plant’s defense mechanism against powdery mildew

Wang G, Ren Y, Bai X, Su Y, Han J. Contributions of Beneficial Microorganisms in Soil Remediation and Quality Improvement of Medicinal Plants. Plants (Basel). 2022 Nov 23;11(23):3200

Medicinal plants (MPs) are important resources widely used in the treatment and prevention of diseases and have attracted much attention owing to their significant antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and other activities. However, soil degradation, caused by continuous cropping, excessive chemical fertilizers and pesticide residues and heavy metal contamination, seriously restricts their growth and quality
The introduction of beneficial microbes promotes the adaptability of MPs to adversity stress by enhancing soil fertility, inhibiting pathogens and inducing systemic resistance. On the other hand, it can improve the medicinal quality by removing soil pollutants, reducing the absorption and accumulation of harmful substances and regulating the synthesis of secondary metabolites.
More research is needed to investigate the effects of the microbiome on the growth and quality of different medicinal species. Therefore, the present review summarizes the main soil issues in medicinal plant cultivation, the functions of microbes in soil remediation and plant growth promotion and the potential mechanism to further guide the use of microbial resources to promote the ecological cultivation and sustainable development of MPs.

Wassermann, B. et al. An Apple a Day: Which Bacteria Do We Eat With Organic and Conventional Apples? Front. Microbiol., 24 July 2019

CONCLUSION: Organic and conventional apples are occupied by a similar quantity of microbiota; consuming the whole apple includes an approximate uptake of 100 million bacterial gene copy numbers. However, freshly harvested, organically managed apples harbor a significantly more diverse, more even and distinct microbiota, compared to conventional ones; Moreover, organic apples conceivably feature favorable health effects for the consumer, the host plant and the environment in contrast to conventional apples, which were found to harbor potential food-borne pathogens

Wittwer, R. A., Bender, S. F., Hartman, K., Hydbom, S., Lima, R. A. A., Loaiza, V., Nemecek, T., Oehl, F., Olsson, P. A., Petchey, O., Prechsl, U. E., Schlaeppi, K., Scholten, T., Seitz, S., Six, J., & van der Heijden, M. G. A. (2021). Organic and conservation agriculture promote ecosystem multifunctionality. Science advances, 7(34), eabg6995.

Yang R, Sun Z, Gong Y, Zhou P, Zhang X, Wang J, Dong Q, Gao F. The impact of nutrient deficiency on the structure of soil microbial communities within a double-cropping system. Front Plant Sci. 2025 Jan 29;16:1487687.

Nutrient management strategies affect above-ground crop growth in addition to the amount, variety, presence, and activity of important underground soil microbes
The prolonged use of compound fertilizers causes nutrient depletion in the soil, minimizing its ability to support proper crop growth and nutrient-rich crops

Yilmaz H, Yilmaz A. Hidden Hunger in the Age of Abundance: The Nutritional Pitfalls of Modern Staple Crops. Food Sci Nutr. 2025 Jan 2;13(2):e4610.

Hidden hunger, characterized by micronutrient deficiencies despite adequate caloric intake, affects over 2 billion people globally, primarily due to deficits in iron, vitamin A, and iodine. This phenomenon underscores a critical paradox in global food security: the Green Revolution, which significantly increased crop production through high‐yielding varieties (HYVs) of staple crops, has simultaneously contributed to widespread nutritional deficiencies.
Additionally, the shift towards dietary monoculture has reduced agricultural biodiversity and increased the prevalence of diet‐related non‐communicable diseases.

Yuping Liu, Rui Liu, Yue Deng, Meiling Zheng, Simin Yu, Yufan Nie, Jia-Qi Li, Canping Pan, Zhiqiang Zhou, Jinling Diao. Insights into the Mechanism of Flavor Loss in Strawberries Induced by Two Fungicides Integrating Transcriptome and Metabolome Analysis. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2023; DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.2c08157

A team has found that two common strawberry fungicides can impact cellular mechanisms, creating berries with subdued flavor and sweetness, as well as a lower nutritional value.
But because fungicides are designed to disrupt the cellular processes of detrimental fungi, they could accidentally interfere with these processes in crops, inhibiting production of these important flavor and nutritional compounds.
The levels of soluble sugars and nutrients, such as sucrose and vitamin C, were reduced.
Sugars were converted into acids, further reducing sweetness.
The amount of volatile compounds changed, subduing the berry’s taste and aroma.
Layperson article here: American Chemical Society. Common fungicides may reduce strawberry flavor, study suggests. ScienceDaily. Published February 27, 2023

Zhang, J.N.; Cook, J.; Nearing, J.T.; Zhang, J.Z.; Raudonis, R.; Glick, B.R.; Langille, M.G.I.; Cheng, Z. Harnessing the plant microbiome to promote the growth of agricultural crops. Microbiol. Res. 2021, 245, 12669

Evidence is emerging in support of the theory that food produced by RA (plant or animal/animal products used for food) is of better quality than foods produced by IA [15,16,17]. Examples included increased levels of certain vitamins, minerals, micronutrients, antioxidants, and lower levels of pesticide residue. Some of these benefits may be mediated through the effect of RA on the soil/plant microbiome

Zhang et al. Exposure to glyphosate-based herbicides and risk for non-Hodgkin lymphoma: A meta-analysis and supporting evidence. Mutation Research/Reviews in Mutation Research Volume 781, July–September 2019, Pages 186-206

Our current meta-analysis of human epidemiological studies suggests a compelling link between exposures to GBHs and increased risk for NHL.

LAYPERSON ARTICLES ON THE REGEN- NUTRIENT DENSITY CONNECTION

Chico State Website: Could Regenerative Agriculture Increase the Nutritional Quality of Our Food? ***

Significant evidence shows that the higher yields we are achieving in our fields can be correlated with reductions in nutrient density in the plants. And numerous studies point to the idea that decline in soil quality due to certain agricultural practices might be to blame. Certainly, growing more plants per acre takes more nutrients out of the soil if those nutrients are not replaced.
In biologically healthy conditions 85 to 90 percent of plant nutrient acquisition is mediated by microbes, and she believes that if today’s crops are less nutrient-dense, practices that harm or kill the soil biology are to blame. Crops grown in healthy, biologically active soils do not have lower nutrient levels.
NOTE FROM MARY: Chico State is also doing this study: Impact of No-Till Farming Practices on Nutrient Density, Weed Suppression and Cost
- The study has four objectives:
  1. To determine the impact of no-till soil management on soil quality by testing for soil organic carbon, soil organic matter, aggregate stability, total carbon, total nitrogen, and vegetable crop yield.
  2. To determine the difference in effectiveness of using in-situ mulch versus straw mulch for weed suppression in a no-till system.
  3. To correlate soil health parameters such as soil organic carbon to nutrient density values (vitamins, minerals, antioxidants) in vegetables grown in a no-till vs conventional-till organic system.
  4. To measure and compare the economic return in no-till vs conventional-till organic vegetable production.

Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems. Organic agriculture and policy. Arizona State University.
- Organic agriculture is a powerful driver of economic growth, creating the conditions for economic resurgence in struggling rural areas and offering new market opportunities for farmers.
- Demand for organic food continues to rise, and as consumers are seeking more direct relationships to their food and the people who produce it, organic is fostering those connections in ways that nourish communities both economically and socially.

SOME STUDIES DISPUTING THE BENEFITS OF REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE

Ranganathan, J., Waite, R., Searchinger, T., and Zionts, J. (2020). Regenerative Agriculture: Good for Soil Health, but Limited Potential to Mitigate Climate Change. Available online at: https://www.wri.org/blog/2020/05/regenerative-agriculture-climate-change (accessed October 7, 2020).