Farming is as Productive as Conventional and that Weeds and Weather Matter The Wisconsin Integrated Cropping Systems Trials (WICST) have produced Organic corn and soybean yields were on average 90% of conventional yields, In years with wet weather in the spring, however, organic yields can It is worth noting that the approximate 10% lower corn and soybean yields Part of the increase in organic corn and soybean nutrient density is directly Source: J.L. Posner et al., ìOrganic and Conventional Production Systems Better Than Eating Worms? The third study by Alex (Chensheng) Lu and colleagues on the impact of We covered the results of this study in the February ìThe Scoop,î based on the In a news report on the study in the journal, EHP highlights the ì..conventionally produced foods were the primary source of OP pesticide The Center has highlighted the dramatic shift that has occurred This new report provides the first human biomonitoring data that Sources: ìBetter than Eating Worms? Childrenís Dietary Exposure C. Lu et al., ìDietary Intake and Its Contribution to Longitudinal Government Scientists Worried by Slippage in Food Safety Progress was made nationally between 1996 and 2004 in reducing A chilling article in the April 11, 2008, issue of the Centers The frequency of Cryptosporidium infections rose 44% from 1996-1998 to 2007. ìAdditional efforts are needed to control STEC [E. coli] O157 in cattle The incidence of Salmonella infections is a special cause for concern, since New ìState of Science Reviewsî Deepen the Science Supporting The Centerís two new SSRs are getting around. The pesticide SSR is entitled ìSimplifying the Pesticide Risk Equation: The Organic Optionî and was released March 10, 2008. Access the The Center has already distributed thousands of copies of ìOrganic Essentialsî the consumer-friendly pocket-guide brochure listing the conventional foods that pose the most significant pesticide risks. The brochure is currently being reprinted. The SSR ìNew Evidence Confirms the Nutritional Superiority of Proanthocyanidins Block the Formation of Advanced Glycation Endproducts
AGEs are rapidly emerging as a major public health concern because of their stability and toxicity. Some AGEs are ingested through the diet, while others are formed in the body. Substantial evidence suggests that modern food production, processing, and cooking methods have significantly increased AGE levels in food. We have covered in past issues of ìThe Scoopî recent research that shows This new study is the first to show that a common antioxidant in food We know that organic farming increases antioxidant levels by Source: X. Peng et al., ìCinnamon Bark Proanthocyanidins as What Beverages Deliver the Greatest Antioxidant Boost per Serving? Fruit juices, tea, and wine are among the most popular beverages The team of scientists from UCLA and Israel used four different measures of antioxidant activity, since different tests lead to somewhat different results across foods and antioxidant polyphenols. The findings are interesting ñ
The results of this study drive home the message that for people looking for simple ways to choose antioxidant-rich foods and beverages, deeper and darker colors are reliably correlated with high antioxidant levels. The ìAntioxidant Potency Composite Indexî is a useful methodological innovation that researchers or companies working on antioxidant levels might be able to take advantage of in sorting through the results from the several methods used to quantify antioxidant levels. Source: ìComparison of Antioxidant Potency of Commonly Consumed Polyphenol-Rich Beverages in the United States,î N.P. Seeram et al., Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, Vol. 56, pages 1415-1422 Copper Residues in Soils Not a Serious Problem in Australian Vineyards
It remains to be seen whether the USDAís National Organic Program will follow suit. Assuming the EU ends copper fungicide use in organic production, trade frictions with Europe could emerge over treatment of copper fungicides. This is why this new study will be of interest around the world. Scientists tested copper levels in vineyards throughout Australian and found levels 10-fold lower than in Europe. Levels present in Australian vineyards are too low to cause lethal effects, but do pose a risk of sublethal effects on some soil invertebrates (e.g., inhibit growth, impair reproduction). Source: A.M. Wightwick et al., ìCopper Fungicide Residues in Australian Vineyard Soils,î Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, Vol. 56, April 9, 2008, pages 2457-2464 Using Genetic Engineering to Accomplish What Nature Already Does Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) is an enzyme that plays a role in triggering a plantís defense mechanisms against sucking and chewing insects and plant diseases. It also controls the browning process in many fruits. Given the role of PPO in keeping plants healthy, scientists have for years looked for ways to increase the expression of PPO. Breeders have often selected for varieties with enhanced disease and insect resistance by monitoring PPO levels. In 2005 a team of Spanish scientists showed that organic grape production doubled the activity of PPO in grapes, linking the increase to the need for the organic vines to combat various bacterial and viral pathogens (Nunez-Delicado et al., 2005). In 2008 scientists have genetically engineered (GE) tomato plants to force them to over-express PPO by a factor of 1.5 to 7.3-fold, offering the promise of improved resistance to insects and pathogens (Mahanil et al., 2008). The differences in these two approaches to achieve the same goal are notable. The 2-X increase in PPO in organic grapes was achieved by creating a healthier, more balanced cropping environment, and letting plants rely on their own genetic potential in combating pests. Faced with the need to limit pest damage, the plants increased PPO levels on their own and at no added cost to the farmer. But with the GE-tomatoes, the 1.5-X to 7.3-X increase in PPO comes at a considerable cost to the integrity of the plantís genome, and is triggered whether the plant needs to defend itself or not. Plus, it is very unlikely farmers will be able to buy tomato seeds genetically engineered to over-produce PPO at the same cost of conventional seeds. One of the pillars of Integrated Pest Management is to save the big guns for when they are really needed. Engineering plants to continuously express an enzyme like PPO, regardless of need, makes as much sense as keeping oneís foot on the gas pedal when the need arises to apply the brake. Sources: E. Nunez-Delicado et al., ìEffect of Organic Farming Practices on the Level of Latent Polyphenol Oxidase in Grapes,î Journal of Food Science, Vol. 70, No. 1, 2005 S. Mahanil et al., ìOverexpression of tomato polyphenol oxidase increases resistance to common cutworm,î Plant Science, Vol. 174, No. 4, April 2008 Back to top By popular demand from the growing organic community in Spain and Latin America, we have translated the Executive Summary of the SSR ìNew Evidence Confirms the Nutritional Superiority of Organic Plant-based Foodsî into Spanish. Thanks to report co-author Jaime Yanez for the translation and encouragement to make this important set of findings accessible to our friends in the South.
Advisory Committee Calls for Organic Research ìRoadmapî In a report full of praise for organic food and farming, the ìNational Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics (NAREEE) Advisory Boardî has called upon the USDA to produce an organic research roadmap and to continue increasing support for organic farmers and researchers. Mark Lipson, Policy Program Director for the Organic Farming Research Foundation presented a statement before the NAREEE that included the justification for a substantial increase in USDA funding for organic farming and food research. Source: Letter dated March 5, 2008 to the USDA Secretary Edward Schafer, from the Chair, NAREEE. ìThe War on Bugsî Traces the Roots of Americaís Fixation on Pesticides
The book is published by Chelsea Green Publishing in White River Junction, Vermont. Six Artificial Food Colors Banned in the U.K. When it comes to source of color in food -
The Food Standards Agency in the United Kingdom has decided to ban six food colors to reduce the risk of mood swings and other neurological and behavioral problems in children following consumption of cakes, cookies, drinks and other brightly colored sweets. Remarkably, researchers projected that removal of these food colors from all food could prevent 30% of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) cases. Source: ìFood agency calls for ban on six artificial colours,î Independent.co.uk, April 11, 2008. Four OP Insecticides Targeted in Lawsuit A coalition of environmental and farmworker groups led by Earthjustice have filed a lawsuit against the EPA seeking cancellation of the high-risk organophosphate (OP) insecticides methidathion, oxdemeton-methyl, methamidophos, and ethroprop. These insecticides are used on a variety of fruits and vegetables, have been found in California schoolyards and homes, and Monterey Bay. Even very low exposures can trigger serious nervous system developmental abnormalities when pregnant women and infants are exposed at critical stages of development. Like other lawsuits targeting specific pesticides, this action will take years to progress through the courts and an enormous effort to bring to closure, unless all the registrants choose to settle. This rarely happens because there are always a few companies that decide to fight until the bitter end, or at least as long as there is still demand for their high-risk pesticide products. They have good reasons to do so -- federal law profoundly tilts the evidentiary playing field in favor of pesticide registrants in this kind of case, and the EPA has to argue the case that the products can be used safely. The manufacturers bear no burden in proving the safety of their products. GM-Crop Yields Continue to Lag The Soil Association has released a report showing that todayís genetically-modified plants do not produce higher yields, and in some cases actually depress yields. One of the primary sources of data supporting this conclusion in the Soil Association report is the U.S. Department of Agriculture. A Kansas study is cited that reports a 9% yield drag with Roundup Ready soybean varieties ñ about the same as the yield drag evident in multiple land grant university varietal trials carried out a decade ago. It is not surprising that the transformation of crops to make them herbicide tolerant, or produce Bt toxins in leaf tissues, reduces yield potential. Insertion of foreign DNA to alter key plant biosynthetic pathways is bound to have some unanticipated and sometimes negative consequences. Wal-Mart Decision to Sell rBGH-Free Milk Viewed as ìTipping Pointî According a news report, Thursday March 20, 2008, will be remembered as the ìtipping pointî in the 15-year struggle to free the American milk supply of Monsantoís genetically engineered cow hormone rBGH. That is the day Wal-Mart announced that its storebrand milk will come from dairies that can certify that cows were not treated with Posilac. While many people worry about Wal-Martís market power, impacts on small retailers, and exploitation of workers and resources in third world countries, the ability of this one company to change the rules is truly remarkable.
Back to top China produces almost twice the hogs as the U.S. and Europe combined. Source: Rod Smith, ìCEO: World has ëradically changedíî, Feedstuffs, March 15, 2008 The Brazilian company JBS S.A. will soon control 32% of the U.S. beef market, following closure of two acquisitions. JBS S.A. is by far the largest beef processor in the world. Source: Rod Smith, Feedstuffs, March 17, 2008 Across age groups, children under five have the highest rate of infections caused by Salmonella, Campylobacter, Shigella and E. coli O157 bacteria. Pet turtles and lizards, and touching the meat case in supermarkets are two primary sources of exposure to foodborne pathogens among children. Source: MMWR, Centers for Disease Control, April 11, 2008 By creating multiple cartoons for Standard Oil from 1928 to 1943 showing people spraying pesticides such as the bug-killer Flit, beloved Dr. Seuss helped popularize the use of pesticides in and around the home. One cartoon for Standard Oil shows a mom standing next to her son Willie, who is gargling. The mother says to the boyís father, who is clearly alarmed ñ Source: Will Allen, ìThe War on Bugs,î Chelsea Green Publishing, page 113
Doing the Wrong Thing Systematically By: Chuck Benbrook The Wild Farm Alliance has compiled a shocking series of photographs that capture the changes in land use unfolding in and around California's Salinas Valley in the name of food safety. These photos take no more than five minutes to look over. Warning -- these pictures will leave you outraged, and saddened. It is beyond tragic that food buyers, and the various inspectors and auditing companies working on their behalf, are purposefully mandating the erosion of diversity and vitality in such an important agricultural landscape, and are doing so without any evidence that the changes being forced upon farmers will do a bit of good. In fact, the changes will most likely erode food safety, rather than promote it. The Center's June 2007 report "Unfinished Business: Preventing E. coli O157 Outbreaks in Leafy Greens" traced the source of the September 2006 outbreak to bacteria-laden dust blown off a large cattle pasture just to the north (upwind) of the block of spinach that triggered the outbreak. Quietly since last summer the "dust hypothesis" has become accepted as the most plausible explanation of how the E. coli from the pasture got onto the spinach that caused the outbreak. The field observations and research of many scientists, conservationists, government agencies, and farmers have discounted to near-zero the possibility that feral pigs, birds, deer, or any other wild animals had anything to do with this outbreak, yet across the Salinas Valley, farmers are being told to get rid of any vegetation or habitat that might harbor life forms above bacteria. To keep their market, most farmers are complying. They are tearing out riparian areas, shrubs, trees and other bird and beneficial insect habitat, leaving just bare earth. As these newly cleared areas dry out this summer, dust will blow off of them right onto the production fields, in some cases carrying bacteria. The Western Growers Association, food companies, and farm leaders have pledged to base all leafy green "good agricultural practices" on sound science and contemporary research on the causes of E. coli outbreaks in leafy greens. By allowing a scorched-earth policy to be inflicted upon farmers, they have done just the opposite. It is time for the leaders in the leafy green industry and the retail sector to stop this monumental tragedy before any more harm is done.
The Organic Center Presents Research Findings to the American Dietetic Association and American Public Health Association in the Same Week Chuck Benbrook will present an overview of the nutritional benefits of organic food, and raise the question whether plants with a diabetes-like syndrome produce food that is more likely to lead to Type II diabetes in humans, at the annual meeting of the American Dietetic Association in Chicago on October 27th. A few days later he will be in San Diego, participating on a similar panel at the American Public Health Associationís annual meeting in San Diego. Back to top Core Truths includes fascinating research about why:
Order your copy now! Only $30 (plus $5 shipping and handling in US). Donate $100 Now! Receive Free Copy of Core Truths Choose Organic for Motherís Day and Benefit The Organic Center This Motherís Day and throughout the year give organic flowers. The Organic Center is pleased to announce a special fundraising initiative with Organic Bouquet. The Organic Center will receive 10% of the proceeds from purchases that follow this link www.organicbouquet.com/organiccenter . If you wish to take advantage of the special Motherís Day offer of a free vase click on the banner posted here. Give something beautiful that doubles your giving and send The Organic Center Bouquet or any of the bouquets on offer through our link! Remember, using these links will ensure The Organic Center receives 10% of the proceeds to support our ongoing research and education efforts on the organic benefit. Thank you for your support! The Organic Center's on-line fundraising program - Become a Friend of The Organic Center We can now accept secure on-line donations with both yearly and monthly giving options. We also have wonderful gifts to say thank you for your support ñ including a free one-year subscription to Organic Gardening magazine, organic t-shirt, organic tote bag, our book, Core Truths and Dr. Alan Greene's new book, Raising Baby Green. We have many ways to say thank you for supporting our work. The Organic Center's fundraising program featuring Jerry Garcia artwork A fundraising initiative to benefit the scientific research mission of The Organic Center features a series of prints from Jerry Garcia original artwork. The series, "In the Garden," is made possible through the generosity of filmmaker Deborah Koons Garcia. Five series of high-quality Giclee' prints featuring the artwork of Jerry Garcia will be offered for sale over the next three years through The Organic Center website, www.organic-center.org. Each series will include four to six prints made from original artwork created by Garcia, the late lead guitarist for the Grateful Dead. The first series of prints, "In the Garden," is still available and includes five prints, each priced at $250. The full series is offered at $1,000. The series includes such works as "Snail Garden," "Another Butterfly," "Beehive," "Banyan Tree II," and "Butterfly Study." Images of the prints can be viewed above with more information available on the Center's website. Our Research ñ
Companies, foundations, or individuals can support work by The Organic Center on a critical issue, or in a specific area through our donor directed research program. Contact Dr. Benbrook for details.
For companies, The Organic Center's Mission Organic Affinity Marketing Partnership Program provides resources and tools to help educate your customers about the personal benefits of organic food and farming. Become part of an effort to grow the U.S. market for organic from 3 percent to 10 percent by 2010.
"The Scoop," is an electronic newsletter published monthly by The Organic Center. For a free subscription, visit www.organic-center.org. © 2008, The Organic Center. All rights reserved. Permission for reproduction of these materials for educational purposes will be granted by contacting The Organic Center at info@organic-center.org. Editor: Chuck Benbrook, Ph.D., Chief Scientist, The Organic Center
TOC Board Chair: Alan Greene, co-founder DrGreene.com The Organic Center | ||||||
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
The Scoop
An important new study has shown for the first time that plant phytochemicals, such as the proanthocyanidins in cinnamon bark and several fruits and vegetables, can block the formation of Advanced Glycation Endproducts (AGEs) in the human bloodstream. 
Copper fungicides are one of the most widely used disease control technology on both organic and conventional farms. The heavy use of copper fungicides in grape production in Europe led to the buildup of copper levels in soils to as much as 1,280 milligram of copper per kilogram of soil. Copper fungicides are also heavily used by potato growers to combat blight disease. Some organic certification authorities in Europe have already phased out copper fungicides, others are planning to do so in the next few years. 
Long-time organic farmer and activist Will Allen has produced a fascinating, entertaining and eye-popping book on the marketing messages and images that opened the door to chemical pesticides. The cartoons are priceless (a classic example follows in the ìDo You Knowî section) and help explain why so many people have such a laissez-faire attitude toward pesticides.
Core Truths is a ground breaking compilation of the most current research on organic agriculture. This highly readable and graphically stunning 108-page coffee table book documents the verifiable health and environmental benefits of organic products 
Individuals can support the scientific work of The Organic Center by:
Backed by the world's leading scientists, physicians and scholars, The Organic Center is committed to two goals.
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