Food Sleuth: Time to Get Back to the (Organic) Garden
By Melinda Hemmelgarn
Columbia Daily Tribune
April 2, 2008
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Sir Albert Howard appreciated the virtues of soil.ThatÕs "soil," as in your basic garden-variety earth that many of ustreat like dirt. The British botanist believed that humus-rich soil, themiraculous medium from which our nourishment springs forth, pulsates with lifeand forms the basis of public health. In the 1940s, Howard said: "The realarsenal of democracy is a fertile soil, the fresh produce of which is thebirthright of nations."
Today, many scientists agree with HowardÕs groundbreakingidea that soil microorganisms are the unsung heroes of healthy environments.Earthworms, bugs and the millions of microbes in a single handful of soil breakdown organic matter, such as leaves, decaying plants and animal manure andrelease the nutrients plants need for optimum growth.
Native farmers in Barbados and India taught Howardabout the critical nature of soil and the interdependence of soil, plants,animals and humans. Think of it this way: We need healthy soil to producenourishing food, which protects the health of animals and people. Healthypeople create vibrant communities.
Howard realized decades ago that chemical fertilizersand synthetic herbicides and pesticides deplete the soil, which leads to publichealth problems, including disease and environmental destruction. Yet accordingto the National Pesticide Use Database, in 2002, more than 675 million poundsof pesticides were applied to crops in the United States alone.
Thankfully, the University of Kentucky Press hasrecently reprinted HowardÕs "The Soil and Health." Originallypublished in 1945, the book largely inspired our modern-day organic movement.
The time has come to re-think HowardÕs words,especially in light of recent research showing whatÕs in organically grown foodmight matter as much as the missing synthetic pesticide and herbicide residues.
For example, research at the University of Minnesotaand the University of California-Davis found that organic farming methods yieldproduce with higher levels of nutrients, especially over time, as soil has achance to accumulate organic matter. Researchers compared tomatoes harvestedover a 10-year period from two matched fields, one organic and the otherconventional, which included commercial fertilizers.
Over time, health–protecting antioxidants,called "flavonoids," increased significantly in the tomatoes grown inthe organic fields but not in the tomatoes grown conventionally. Theresearchers explained that higher quality soils cycle nutrients moreefficiently, making them more available to plants when they need them.
Other studies have found higher levels of vitamin C,iron and magnesium in organic crops, lower levels of potentially harmfulnitrates and better taste. In general, organic production methods can raisehealthful antioxidant levels in fresh produce by about 30 percent.
The benefits of soil-enhancing organic farmingmethods extend beyond nutritional composition. For example, at Iowa StateUniversity, horticulture and agronomy researcher Kathleen Delate discoveredhigher yields, increased profitability and steadily improved soil quality inorganic over conventional fields. Improved soil structure protects againsterosion and improves the soilÕs ability to hold onto water during a drought.The United NationÕs Food and Agriculture Organization recommends organicfarming to help fight hunger and tackle climate change.
Unfortunately, we tend to progress in a linearfashion, without reflecting on the wisdom published or spoken decades beforeus. Andrew Kimbrell, director of the Center for Food Safety and author of"Fatal Harvest: The Tragedy of Industrial Agriculture," suggests wequestion that approach. "When we speak of progress, we should askourselves: Progress towards what?"
TodayÕs conventional agri-business has replaced agriculture,leading us down a narrow and dangerous path toward shrinking biodiversity,weakened resilience and unhealthy soil and water. Luckily for us, the recentgroundswell of organic demand might save our soil and society.
Get the dirt on soil and health and learn more aboutthe benefits of organic agriculture:
● The Organic Center: www. organic-center.org.
● The Soil and Health Library:www.soilandhealth.org.
● Cultivating Common Ground: Linking Health andSustainable Agriculture: www.preventioninstitute.org/pdf/culcommongrdexecsum.pdf.
Melinda Hemmelgarn, M.S., R.D., is a clinical dietitian,advocate for sustainable food systems and 2004-2006 Food and Society PolicyFellow. She lives in Columbia.