1 May 2002

Green Agriculture Spokesperson Ian Ewen-Street today said people were choosing to eat organic food in increasing numbers because it was free of pesticide residues and other agri-chemicals.

"The latest review of existing research into the nutritional benefits of organics misses the point entirely - organic food is safer and better for you because it is completely natural. It is not boosted with artificial fertilisers or sprayed with toxic pesticides," he said.

"There are so many studies that have been done into the nutritional benefit of organics and, as this review of these studies concluded, most of them have not been conclusive and are poorly designed."

The review author Diane Bourn noted that: 'It's possible that the non-use of pesticides in organic food production may lead to higher levels of compounds that help to naturally protect plants against pests and diseases. Some of these may help protect against illnesses like heart disease and cancer. This is an area where much more research needs to be carried out.'

"This is the key finding of this review - not enough decent work has been done," said Mr Ewen-Street.

Mr Ewen-Street said people would continue to pay more to buy organic food while conventional foods were sprayed with poisons and produced in non-sustainable fashions.

"Organic farming is about caring for our environment as opposed to some conventional farming practices which take the environment for granted and degrade the soils.

"Organic food is obviously safer than chemically treated foods and organic production is much better for the environment. That is the bottom line."

Ends

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Gordon Campbell: On Failures Of Care For Those With Mental Disabilities

Hard to imagine a more disturbing insight into the treatment of the vulnerable than the Health Ministry report on Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau. The Ministry has found that the country’s only kaupapa Maori intellectual disability residential care provider has been “seriously dysfunctional.”

The ministry says the business has failed to recruit and retain quality staff – and says the kaimahi (caregivers) that have been employed are seriously unsuitable for the job, lacking basic knowledge. But Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau doesn’t get all the blame. The report says there’s a significant gap under disability laws to ensure there’s oversight by qualified clinical professionals. More>>