Consumer Perspectives & Human Health

What have scientists determined in their research about the quality, nutritional characteristics, and production practices used in organic agriculture? Below are summaries of peer-reviewed studies by international scientists and researchers regarding consumer perspectives and human health as they relate to organic agriculture. Each link provides a summary of the study's background, methodology, findings and conclusions, and lists the full reference for further reading.

As knowledge about the impacts of organic agriculture increase, it motivates consumers’ choices about the type of food they want to eat. Studies in this list consider consumer demand (for nutritious, flavorful, and healthy food) and the impact of food production choices on health (from bioaccumulated nutrients or toxins).

For ease of navigation, the links on this page can be sorted by food group below.

Some of the studies on this page have ties to Animal Health and Environmental Impacts.

  • Animal Health issues include ethical, nutritional and environmental considerations of meat, poultry and dairy production.
  • Environmental Impacts studies consider food production inputs and outputs, which are influenced by choices including crop rotations, type and frequency of fertilizer use, housing standards, and pest, microbe and disease control applications.

Although these categories are not sublisted here, they may be found through the sidebar menu. Note that livestock feed varies among countries, and comparisons of organic and conventional systems in other countries may produce different results in the United States.

Note: Descriptions about the scientific findings and conclusions are those of the original author, and not this project. Typographic errors may be attributed to the original sources. Please contact this website to report broken or outdated source links.