Research Institute of Organic AgricultureForschungsinstitut für biologischen Landbau

Process and product related aspects of organic food quality - from biodiversity to human nutrition.

Urs Niggli

Institut de recherche de l’agriculture biologique

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Organic king-size-Burger Conventional apple No way!

Is organic food healthier?

Mac Cheese Organic apple Yes of course! Double Burger

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The concept of health is a comprehensive one – and consumers do understand it in a holistic way.

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Trade-offs between food production and other ecosystem services

Soil erosion

Food security

Water waste andpollution

Climate change

Losses of biodiversity

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Organic = Strentghening synergies between food production and other ecosystem services.

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High methane emission Low methane emission dairy system dairy system

Sustainablity never means focussing on one indicator

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2 Examples for the interaction between ecologically sustainable farming practices and superior food quality:

www.fibl.org FAOSTAT, 2011

Worldwide agricultural land use (in billion ha and percentage)

1

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Permanent grassland: Hotspots of habitat and species diversity

Forests Grassland Fields Human settlements

Alpine pasture

Mountains

Vascular plants

21 +/- 1 35 +/- 1 15 +/- 1 19 +/- 3 42 +/- 3 21 +/-

Mosses 15 +/- 1 6 +/- 1 1 +/- 0 5 +/- 1 19 +/- 2 13 +/- 1

Snails 9 +/- 1 6 +/- 0 3 +/- 1 6 +/- 1 3 +/- 1 3 +/- 1

Source: BDM Switzerland

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Low health status and longevity: Culling rates in comparison

Projected culling rates corresponding to the percentage of heifers in the herd per year

The Israeli herd book (2008)

Hare et al.(2006)

73 organic dairy farms of FiBL

Concentrates-Based diets

Roughage-based diets

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Production of grass-clover leys in arable rotations: source and driver for nitrogen, protein, soil fertility, water conservation

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Soil quality data from field experiments

Increased SOM or Corg-contents (Gerhardt, 1997; Clark et

al., 1998; Brown et al., 2000; Pulleman et al., 2003; Pimentel et al., 2005; Marriott & Wander, 2006)

Ranging from 10 to 60 %

Increased carbon stocks (+ 5 tons of carbon per hectare (average of 76 Studies, Gattinger et al., 2012 (submitted)).

Improved biological properties of soils (e.g. microbial biomass, microbial enzyme activities, abundance of earthworms and soil-dwelling insects): Gerhardt, 1997; Siegrist et al., 1998; Hansen et al., 2001; Mäder et al., 2002; Pulleman et al., 2003; Fließbach et al., 2007, Pfiffner, L. and Luka, H., 2002.

Ranging from 40 to 120 %.

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Increased aggregate stability (Gerhardt, 1997; Siegrist et al., 1998; Brown et al., 2000; Maeder et al., 2002; Pulleman et al., 2003; Williams & Petticrew, 2009).

Increased water holding capacity, higher water content in soil (Brown et al., 2000; Lotter et al., 2003; Pimentel et al., 2005)

Improved infiltration rate of water (Lotter et al., 2003; Pimentel et al., 2005; Zeiger & Fohrer, 2009).

Organic = good adaptation to climate change due to higher soil carbon levels

PGPR (Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria)

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Milk quality (EU project QLIF, 2005/2006)Effect of organic and conventional production systems

0

20

40

60

80

100

RRR-alphatocopherol

betacarotene

lutein zeaxanthine CLA omega-3

North East England Wales

% higherin organicmilk

______ _____________________ ______________ Vit E Vit A (carotenes) poly-unsaturated Fat-soluble Vitamins fatty acids

p<0.01

Butler et al., 2009. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture

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Davis University field trial: high levels of polyphenolic compounds (antioxydants)

Tomatoes:Quercetin + 79 %Kaempferol + 97 %

2

Positively correlated with duration and SOM rise.

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Improved productivityof land use for food.-> Food insecurity and obesity!

Productive

Unproductive

Conventional farmingOrganic farmingLow external input farming

Cereals for livestock

Energy crops

85 % losses

100 % losses

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ConclusionsMany organic practices have both environmental and health benefits:

E.g. forage-based dairy and meat production from ruminants (maintaining biodiversity of grassland and carbon stocks in soils and delivering high quality milk).

E.g. organic fertilization improving both soil carbon stock and the contents of antioxidants in food.

E.g. resilient crop systems increasing both biodiversity and the contents of antioxidants and the taste of foods.

Organic production means a change of nutritional patterns and food consumption towards more vegetable foods and less high fat and high protein ones.

Organic combined with changes in diets (and less food wastes) can nourish also a growing population.