Photo credit: Henrique Felix

A recent review published in Sustainable Earth concludes that organic food simultaneously improves public and environmental health by drawing attention to the importance of a more plant-based, unrefined, and chemical-free diet. The authors found that people who tend to eat certified organic food also tend to eat foods that are considered healthier for the body and the environment. Conventional diets are generally characterized by more meat, refined sugars, fats and oils, and ultra-processed fast foods--all of which have been connected to human health issues and production practices that require more energy, contribute to global warming, and expose people and the environment to synthetic chemical inputs. The authors stressed that organic diets are essential for reducing exposure to pesticides. Recent diet trends that include aspects such as planetary health will contribute to global human health by incorporating organic food production as its basis.