Organic production is better for our rivers, seas, waterways and land.. therefore better for our overall health. Its not an argument but a fact of LIFE.

Still stunned by the blind critism of the research, when all people have skim read is a short piece on a website. Here is the link to the original paper (should have been made available via Stuff). It may be hard to read if you're not used to reading scientific articles, but it does confirm that the goal was to only look at the impact of nutrients and not the entire impact of Organic farming, and that actually one of the main findings was that most of the research trying to compare conventional and organic produce was poorly controlled and executed.

http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/rapidpdf/ajcn.2009.28041v1?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&author1=Dangour&andorexactfulltext=and&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&sortspec=relevance&resourcetype=HWCIT

Food can be "organic" but the soil not properly balanced so resulting in food which is not as nutritionalyy dense as it could be. This could explain the above results. To get the health benefits food must be organic and nutritionally dense - Kay Baxter from the Koanga Institute has done a really good booklet GROWING NUTRIENT DENSE FOODE that lists the 9 things you need to do to get the soil right. See www.koanga.org.nz or email info@koanga.org.nz

from comments listed here there seems to be confusion over "free - range" and organic, these are not the same things. Pesticide residual levels are negible at the point of consumption due to very very strict laws on maximum levels. Also when concerning animals consider to u take medicine when ur sick or get vaccinations....because organically farmed animals do not receive these!

The nutritional value of the vegetables can't exceed what it gets from the soil so this is a misleading study. The reason I buy organic food is so that I can have my food without a side of chemicals. This isn't always possible but when I have the choice I'll take it.

The actual study has been mis-reported by some stupid reporter. There are in fact, in the study, many nutritional benefits in organic food compared to non-organic. The number of "nutrients looked at is wuite small, and therefore is not a true reflection. Funny how the media can completely change the neaning of something based on the bias of the reporter. For those who know organic food is superior, I wouldn't waste any more time trying to convince those who don't know what they are taking about. They will usually be sicker, probably drink, smoke, and eat crap food, so their taste buds wouldn't know what real food tasted like anyway. And for the record, grown properly, organic food can have a much higher yeild that non-organic. I don't have a vested interest in the organic industry. I get a wage from the shop where I choose to work. I know from experience the actual benefits organic food provides. Supermarkets sell junk food with little or no nutritional value. That is very evident in the amount of disease around. Customers where I work, who choose organic food are so vibrant and hardly ever get sick. The people who just walk past the shop look unhealthy, sad, and unwell. I know what I would prefer...

Interesting study,why then do farmers have to add minerals to animal feeds to make up for whats lacking in their conventional farmed diets.After all its the same soils growing our veges,and we need the same sort of minerals to function properly.

@ian #60 Too easy....Eggs are organic if the food the chickens are feed is organic, the environment they live in is organic etc... i.e no sprays. Just like the fruit an organic tree producers is organic. and for your question #2 you should just read this article- "Why is organic food more expensive, and when will it change?" by Ysanne Spevack. My question to you is: Why does choosing organic food over regular food make you a nutter??

If people are silly enough to believe industry sponsored studies on organic vs non organic food thats their mistake. Food companies have a much bigger influence ,wallet and motive than FDAs to convince the peasants (and supermarkets) . In any case I'd prefer to eat food that has not been sprayed or enhanced,the way nature intended,period.

I agree! I choose organics both for environmental reasons and to avoid pesticide residues. However, organic eggs, for example, do taste soooo much better than standard battery eggs.

I certainly have a better sense of wellbeing when I eat organic. Perhaps this is due to not having to feel guilty about the way the product was produced, and knowing it was grown with care for the people that eat it and that the future generations that will inherit a cleaner, healthier environment (I hope).