30 good reasons to believe that organic products offer a real solution for the future

1. Organic foods offer better nutritional qualities, and often taste better too, thanks to higher levels of nutrients, antioxidants, and essential fatty acids: organic production privileges fruit and vegetable dry matter content where nutrients and fiber are found. Organic produce contains no chemicals and can be eaten WITH the skin, which contains fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

2. Organic products privilege plant proteins and are less processed overall, with far fewer additives, leading to a reduced risk of food intolerances and allergies: ultra-processed foods have been identified as contributing to the increase in obesity, cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers.

3. Reduced risk of long-term and chronic illness : organic farmers are less exposed to toxic chemicals which are banned in organic agriculture. Fifty-seven natural substances are authorized in organic farming, to be used only as a last resort, as compared to 455 synthetic phytosanitary substances authorized in Europe for preventive and curative spraying (an apple tree undergoes an average of 35 synthetic phytosanitary treatments).

4. Better consumer health : organic food is less likely to contain pesticide residues > 86% of organic produce contains no pesticide residues. The French National Nutrition and Health Program now recommends consuming organic fruit and vegetables: studies show that the long-term benefits of increased fruit and vegetable consumption could be offset by the resulting exposure to pesticides! No antibiotics are used in organic livestock farming, which helps combat antibiotic resistance, a major public health issue.

5. Over 1 million Europeans are calling for a drastic reduction in the use of synthetic pesticides with the objective of eliminating them by 2035 to restore biodiversity and protect public health.

6. The organic industry is mainly made up of committed small and medium businesses (SMEs and ETIs), with above-average social and profit-sharing policies and a focus on developing fair trade.

7. Upstream, organic farming reduces dependence on fossil fuels by encouraging more sustainable agricultural methods. The “AB” (organic agriculture) label is the only quality label that is verified at least once a year. Downstream, organic farming promotes: the supply of bulk products, reduced packaging namely those made of fossil-based plastic, and over-packaging.

8. Organic products contribute to the emergence of environmental philanthropy : they account for more than half of 1% for the Planet donations in support of nature conservation nonprofits.

9. The Cour des Comptes (French Court of Auditors) encourages support of organic farming, pointing out its benefits for public health and the environment, and its positive impact on France’s food self-sufficiency.

10. Better animal welfare : organically farmed livestock benefits from more natural living conditions, access to the outdoors and a more controlled, GMO-free diet.

11. Organic farming produces more jobs per hectare because it is less industrialized and automated.

12. The organic economy mainly transforms agricultural products locally, leading to keeping jobs and related tax revenues in France.

13. Organic farming is a circular economy model that promotes local cooperation and employment.

14. Organic practices contribute to water conservation, thus preventing desertification : organically farmed land absorbs rainwater better and supplies groundwater that is free of pollutants from synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, thus reducing the impact on marine ecosystems.

15. Avoiding synthetic chemical pesticides helps preserve aquatic wildlife and the ecological balance of river water, therefore improving water quality and promoting wetland and meadow conservation.

16. Organic farming requires less water, not only because of soil management techniques and varieties grown, but also because the agronomic and economic rationale it is based on discourages intensified annual production, favoring longer crop rotation sequences instead.

17. Unlike conventional farming, organic farming does not require significant water treatment or depollution operations, nor does it lead to the condemnation of certain water catchment areas due to excessive pollution, nor does it generate additional expenses for local authorities and populations : water management authorities support organic farming since they allocate 80% of the 2.2-billion-euro budget to water quality and conservation.

18. Organic farming boosts natural compost and soil fertility thanks to composts and manures, which help keep the soil alive with active organic matter, thus protecting it from acidification.

19. Organic farming does not use synthetic chemical fertilizers, which are harmful to wildlife: insects, bees, ladybugs, earthworms, birds, and micro-organisms all contribute to maintaining living soils that facilitate cultivation.

20. Organic farmers promote crop rotation by growing legumes to regenerate the soil and limit erosion.

21. Organic practices promote soil conservation, thus preventing soil degradation.

22. Organic farming privileges biodiversity (+30%) thanks to varied crops, combined with the presence or maintenance of meadows, hedges, trees, and grassy areas (instead of destroying these to add arable land and seek higher short-term yield). This provides pollinators and other animals with shelter and a better mix of food sources, thus contributing to more balanced ecosystems.

23. Respect for the natural reproduction cycles of plant and animal species in a healthy environment  an organic field is 5 times richer in plant species and 20 times richer in pollinator species than a conventionally managed field.

24. Organic farming helps restore land and water ecosystems by avoiding the use of synthetic pesticides.

25. Organic crops improve air quality : they reduce air contamination by banning the use of synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers, which often contribute to pollution near homes and schools.

26. Organic food is produced without GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms), reducing the loss of biodiversity resulting from their use.

27. Organic farming helps combat global warming by limiting pollutant emissions and storing more CO2 in the soil.

28. Thanks to better maintained ecosystems, organic farming contributes to improved human resistance to the effects of climate change.

29. Greenhouse gas emissions are reduced because no synthetic chemical nitrogen fertilizers are used (which production generates a lot of greenhouse gases).

30. Carbon sequestration is facilitated by: long crop rotations and limited tilling; free-range livestock farming on permanent grasslands that fix carbon in the soil and offset methane emissions from the animals. Intensive livestock farming, a notorious source of greenhouse gases, is not practiced in organic farming. Organic farming encourages agroforestry approaches that store more carbon in trees and soils than intensive farming or deforestation.