In 2012, the was a study out of Stanford University comparing the nutritional differences between organic and non-organic produce.

This is how the study was summed up by the mass media in their 20-second reports (paraphrasing):

“There is no difference between organic and non-organic produce in their nutritional value.” done.

I can tell you, the average person listening to this as they are driving down the road  will understand this to mean ” There is no use buying organic produce.” This will lead to the simple conclusion, “So whatever money I am saving now by not buying organic produce is justified.”

The average person will not deconstruct and analyze the words they hear on news reports.

Well…  This one reason why we have a screaming epidemic of health problems related to poor nutrition in this country.

I heard this report and immediately thought to myself, “Anyone with a bit of knowledge about agriculture will know that the nutritional value of a plant comes mostly from the soil. Plants don’t generate their own minerals, those things come from the soil. So it is a natural conclusion, without spending  tens of thousands of dollars on a study, that the soil is what determines, in large part, the nutritional value of a piece of finished produce.

The biggest reason why people should be seeking organic produce is the reduced or elimination of toxic chemicals from pesticides  and genetically modified seed used to grow inorganic produce. But, oh, they forgot to mention this and, in my humble and cynical estimation, this clever little misdirection was probably the purpose of the study.

FYI, your body needs about 90 defined vitamins and minerals (not to mention “phytonutrients,” a complex array of trace chemicals that are essential for good health) for produce to contain those in their intended quantities, careful soil preparation and preservation is required. You can produce what looks like a fine piece of fruit or veggie with the basic NPK (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium) fertilizer, BUT if that is all a farmer is using to save money, you ain’t getting what your body needs.

The general rule is, if you are looking for organic produce and you want the best nutritional value, quality will depend on the source. But start doing a little more research into the various producers of organic products and you will discover which farmers and companies raising and marketing organic produce who take better care in how they manage their fields and soils.

Hoo-yah!