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Organic Resources

CCOF has compiled the following resources for your information and reference. If you don't see what you need, check out our Organic Links page.

Help us maintain these resources by joining CCOF!

The following links provide an introduction to the principles of organic agriculture.

"Nothing But The Facts" Organic Statistics

Karen Klonsky of UC Davis, Cathy Greene of the USDA, and Brian McElroy of Driscoll Strawberry Associates and the IFOAM Standards Committee presented "Nothing But the Facts" at the 2007 Ecological Farming Association Conference. CCOF Executive Director Peggy Miars moderated the session. The speakers have graciously allowed CCOF to post their presentations here:

California's Organic Agriculture: Size and Growth

Organic Agriculture in the U.S.: Adoption, Growth, and Economic Characteristics

Global Statistics of the Organic Market

Find-a-Farmers Market
Several organizations maintain searchable listings of farmers markets. The California Federation of Certified Farmers Markets provides locations, times, contact information and maps for all certified farmers markets in the state. Local Harvest and the Agricultural Marketing Service of USDA provide listings of farmers markets across the country. Our Organic Directory can provide a list of all CCOF certified producers who sell at farmers markets.

Peer-Reviewed References
The following references are listed for your convenience. Most of the articles remain under copyright of the publishing journal. Copies of articles may be obtained by contacting each publication directly using the links provided.

Pesticides:
Baker BP, Benbrook CM, Groth E 3rd, Lutz Benbrook K. Pesticide residues in conventional, integrated pest management (IPM)-grown and organic foods: insights from three US data sets. Food Addit Contam. 2002 May;19(5):427-46.

Available from MetaPress. This study utilized data collected by Consumers Union. Further information on this topic may also be found at the Consumers Union Food Quality Protection Act site.

Benbrook CM. Organochlorine residues pose surprisingly high dietary risks. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2002 Nov;56(11):822-3. Available from Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

Curl C, Fenske RA, Elgethun K. Organophosphorous pesticide exposure of urban and suburban preschool children with organic and conventional diets. Env Health Perspect. 2003 March;111(3):377-382. Available from Environmental Health Perspectives.

Gonzalez M, Miglioranza KS, Aizpun de Moreno JE, Moreno VJ. Occurrence and distribution of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) crops from organic production. J Agric Food Chem. 2003 Feb 26;51(5):1353-9. Suggestive evidence that proliferating use of pesticides affects all crops, even those grown organically. Available from ACS Publications.

Thompson B, Coronado GD, Grossman JE, Puschel K, Solomon CC, Islas I, Curl CL, Shirai JH, Kissel JC, Fenske RA. Pesticide take-home pathway among children of agricultural workers: study design, methods, and baseline findings. J Occup Environ Med. 2003 Jan;45(1):42-53. A preliminary assessment of the likely exposure pathways to pesticides for children of agricultural workers. This article can be located on the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine website using the "quick search" function.

Health:
Bourn D, Prescott J. A comparison of the nutritional value, sensory qualities, and food safety of organically and conventionally produced foods. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2002 Jan;42(1):1-34. Available from CRC Press.

Carbonaro M, Mattera M, Nicoli S, Bergamo P, Cappelloni M. Modulation of antioxidant compounds in organic vs conventional fruit (peach, Prunus persica L., and pear, Pyrus communis L.). J Agric Food Chem. 2002 Sep 11;50(19):5458-62. Available from ACS Publications.

Asami DK, Hong YJ, Barrett DM, and Mitchell AE. Comparison of the Total Phenolic and Ascorbic Acid Content of Freeze-Dried and Air-Dried Marionberry, Strawberry, and Corn Grown Using Conventional, Organic, and Sustainable Agricultural Practices. J. Agric. Food Chem., 51 (5), 1237 -1241, 2003. Available from ACS Publications.

Magnusson MK, Arvola A, Hursti UK, Aberg L, Sjoden PO. Choice of organic foods is related to perceived consequences for human health and to environmentally friendly behaviour. Appetite. 2003 Feb;40(2):109-17 Survey of Swedish households regarding organic purchasing habits and interests. Suggests that health is a primary concern, even over environmental issues. Available from Elsevier Science Direct.

McMahon MA, Wilson IG. The occurrence of enteric pathogens and Aeromonas species in organic vegetables. Int J Food Microbiol. 2001 Oct 22;70(1-2):155-62. Available from Elsevier Science Direct.

Pimentel D, Morse J. Malnutrition, disease, and the developing world. Science. 2003 Apr 11;300(5617):251. Available from Science Magazine.

Podwall D, Dresner HS, Lipetz J, Steinberg JJ. Variation in the deoxynucleotide composition between organic and nonorganic strawberries. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 1999 Nov;44(3):259-70. Available from Elsevier Science Direct.

Williams CM. Nutritional quality of organic food: shades of grey or shades of green? Proc Nutr Soc. 2002 Feb;61(1):19-24. Clear discussion of the available research comparing organic and non-organic foods and the barriers to continued research. Available from Ingenta Select.

Worthington V. Nutritional quality of organic versus conventional fruits, vegetables, and grains. J Altern Complement Med. 2001 Apr;7(2):161-73. Available from Ingenta Select.

Worthington V. Analyzing data to compare nutrients in conventional versus organic crops. J Altern Complement Med. 2002 Oct;8(5):529-32. Available from Ingenta Select.

Environment:
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Links to extensive agriculture and farming news and research publications. Other materials available elsewhere on the site. Available from Environmental Health Perspectives.

Mader P, Fliessbach A, Dubois D, Gunst L, Fried P, Niggli U. Soil fertility and biodiversity in organic farming. Science. 2002 May 31;296(5573):1694-7. Provides a clear discussion of the issues related to yields and environmental quality comparing organic and non-organic farming systems. Available from Science Magazine.

Further Reading
Economic Research Service, USDA. Harmony between agriculture and the environment: current issues in U.S. organic agriculture. Overview article on current status of organic agriculture. Available from ERS.

Economic Research Service, USDA. Agricultural Resources and Environmental Indicators. ERS 2003. This report examines the complex connections among farming practices, conservation, and the environment. Available from the ERS.

IFOAM. The Relationship Between Nature Conservation, Biodiversity and Organic Agriculture. 1999. Available from the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements.

The Soil Association. The Biodiversity Benefits of Organic Farming. May 2000. Available from The Soil Association.

Morkeberg A, Porter JR. Organic movement reveals a shift in the social position of science. Nature 2001; 412:677. Letter reviewing the effect of studying a whole-system agricultural approach using reductionist science. Available from Nature.

World Health Organization Technical Report #916 - Diet, Nutrition and the Prevention of Chronic Diseases. Report of a Joint WHO/FAO Expert Consultation. Geneva, WHO 2000. Available from the World Health Organization.

World Health Organization - Nutrition for Health and Development, A global agenda for combating malnutrition. WHO 2000. Available from the World Health Organization.