Organic Land Management Improves Soil Stewardship and Human Nutrition.

This presentation will provide US and worldwide research perspectives on the benefits of organic land management that improves soil stewardship that then enhances plant nutrition, which improves the quality of the nutrition consumed.

Using leguminous crop rotation, organic land management can fix sufficient nitrogen to virtually replace synthetic fertilizers.   Adoption of organic production practices can over time increase crop yields 150%, improve ascorbic acid and beneficial phenolics content, and result in longer shelf life.  Organic soils excel in carbon sequestration, nitrogen, microbial biomass, enzyme activities, and micronutrient assimilation.

Improved soil stewardship though (1) mitigation of closed nutrient cycles and (2) resilient/productive adaption strategies will optimize organically-managed soils, improve their natural ability to synthesize plant nutrients, and provide drought resistance, through greater water-holding capacity and better root colonization of mycorrhizal fungi.

Organic farming enhances biological diversity at every level of the food chain from bacteria to mammals, while providing habitat and food sources for the life-enhancing and essential pollinators.

Enhanced plant nutrient uptake has been found with (1) blueberries having significantly higher antioxidant levels, while being sweeter; (2) the antioxidant defense system of pears and peaches being altered to higher tocopherol levels; and (3) fifteen wines studied showed significantly higher antioxidant levels, the highest level of total healthy polyphenols, yet concurrently evidencing a 300% lower mycotoxin contamination.

Improved nutritional quality of organically-produced foods (1) revealed that organic strawberries had significantly higher antioxidant activity, longer shelf life, and more dry matter content; and (2) provided comparative evidence that organic foods contained a 25% higher concentration of eleven nutrients.

In summary, the benefits of managing the land organically and thereby improving soil stewardship, is that in turn it improves the potential for nutritionally-enhancing human food.