The pros and cons of organic farming

People use organic or green products for two main reasons: 

1. To for health benefits.
2. For environmental sustainability reasons.

Human health implications:

The results are not conclusive  that organic products contribute to improved health outcomes as outlined by the following two recent studies (2009) that produced differing conclusions. 

1. In 2009, a 18 million ? project (QLIF) of a 5-year integrated study funded by the European commission with regard to organic products and their potential implication on human health concluded the following results: ¹
   • The organic crop and livestock have higher levels of nutritionally desirable compounds (e.g., vitamins/antioxidants and poly-unsaturated fatty acids such as omega-3 and CLA) and lower levels of undesirable compounds (such as heavy metals, mycotoxins, pesticide residues and glyco-alkaloids). 
   • However, ‘further and more detailed studies are required to provide proof for positive health impacts of organic diets on human and animal health’.
2. The UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) conducted a system review of 50 year’s worth of research evidences concluded: “there is no good evidence that consumption of organic food offers greater nutritional values, more consumer safety or any distinguishable difference in taste.” “Consumers may choose to buy organic fruit, vegetables and meat because they believe them to be more nutritious than other food. However, the balance of current scientific evidence does not support this view.” ²

The potential environment implications:

Again there is no universally agreed conclusion on this question : 

1. The concern here is to avoid potential harm from synthetic pesticides to the environment; sustaining diverse ecosystems; using less energy per unit of yield and producing less waste. 
2. The counter arguments are: organic farming generally results in less yield per unit, more land is therefore needed to feed the world’s population which causes more rainforest being cleared and ecosystem destroyed . {reference}

Cost of organic products:

Organic products typically cost 10% to 40% more than conventional products.

1.”Quality Low Input Food Project” (APA). http://ec.europa.eu/research/research-for-europe/agriculture-quality-low-input-food_en.html. Retrieved 2009-11-23.

2.Sophie Goodchild (2009-07-). “Organic food ‘no healthier’ blow”. London Evening Standard. http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23725592-details/article.do. Retrieved 2009-07-29.