Presentation by Niggli Urs, PhD, Director Research Institute for Organic Agriculture, at the 2012 Agriculture and Rural Development Day (ARDD) in Rio de Janiero, Learning Event No. 8, Session 4: Process and product related aspects of organic food quality - from biodiversity to human nutrition.

1. Research Institute of Organic Agriculture
Forschungsinstitut für biologischen Landbau
Institut de recherche de l’agriculture biologique
Process and product related aspects of
organic food quality - from biodiversity to
human nutrition.
Urs Niggli

2. Is organic food healthier?
Organic king-size-Burger Conventional apple No way!
Mac Cheese Organic apple Yes of course!
Double Burger
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3. The concept of health is a comprehensive
one – and consumers do understand it in a
holistic way.
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4. Trade-offs between food production and other
ecosystem services
Soil erosion Climate change Water waste and
pollution
Losses of biodiversity
Food security
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5. Organic = Strentghening synergies between food
production and other ecosystem services.
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6. Sustainablity never means focussing on one
indicator
High methane emission Low methane emission
dairy system dairy system
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7. 2 Examples for the interaction between
ecologically sustainable farming practices
and superior food quality:
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8. 1
Worldwide agricultural land use
(in billion ha and percentage)
www.fibl.org FAOSTAT, 2011

9. Permanent grassland: Hotspots of habitat and
species diversity
Forests Grassland Fields Human Alpine Mountains
settlements pasture
Vascular 21 +/- 1 35 +/- 1 15 +/- 1 19 +/- 3 42 +/- 3 21 +/-
plants
Mosses 15 +/- 1 6 +/- 1 1 +/- 0 5 +/- 1 19 +/- 2 13 +/- 1
Snails 9 +/- 1 6 +/- 0 3 +/- 1 6 +/- 1 3 +/- 1 3 +/- 1
Source: BDM Switzerland
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10. Low health status and longevity: Culling rates
in comparison
Projected culling rates corresponding to the percentage of heifers in the herd per year
Concentrates-
Based diets
Roughage-based diets
The Israeli herd book Hare et al.
(2008) (2006)
www.fibl.org 73 organic dairy farms of FiBL

11. Production of grass-clover leys in arable
rotations: source and driver for nitrogen,
protein, soil fertility, water conservation
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12. Soil quality data from field experiments
Increased SOM or Corg-contents (Gerhardt, 1997; Clark et
al., 1998; Brown et al., 2000; Pulleman et al., 2003; Pimentel et al., 2005;
Marriott & Wander, 2006)
Ranging from 10 to 60 %
Increased carbon stocks (+ 5 tons of carbon per
hectare (average of 76 Studies, Gattinger et al., 2012 (submitted)).
Improved biological properties of soils (e.g.
microbial biomass, microbial enzyme activities,
abundance of earthworms and soil-dwelling insects):
Gerhardt, 1997; Siegrist et al., 1998; Hansen et al., 2001; Mäder et al.,
2002; Pulleman et al., 2003; Fließbach et al., 2007, Pfiffner, L. and Luka, H.,
2002.
Ranging from 40 to 120 %.
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13. Organic = good adaptation to climate change
due to higher soil carbon levels
Increased aggregate stability (Gerhardt, 1997; Siegrist et al.,
1998; Brown et al., 2000; Maeder et al., 2002; Pulleman et al., 2003;
Williams & Petticrew, 2009).
Increased water holding capacity, higher water
content in soil (Brown et al., 2000; Lotter et al., 2003; Pimentel et
al., 2005)
PGPR (Plant growth-
Improved infiltration promoting rhizobacteria)
rate of water
(Lotter et al., 2003;
Pimentel et al., 2005;
Zeiger & Fohrer, 2009).
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14. Milk quality (EU project QLIF, 2005/2006)
Effect of organic and conventional production systems
100 North East England Wales
% higher
80
in organic p<0.01
milk
60
40
20
0 RRR-alpha beta lutein zeaxanthine CLA omega-3
tocopherol carotene
______ _____________________ ______________
Vit E Vit A (carotenes) poly-unsaturated
Fat-soluble Vitamins fatty acids
www.fibl.org Butler et al., 2009. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture

15. Davis University field trial: high levels of 2
polyphenolic compounds (antioxydants)
Tomatoes:
Quercetin + 79 %
Kaempferol + 97 %
Positively
correlated
with duration
and SOM rise.
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16. Improved productivity
of land use for food.
-> Food insecurity and
obesity!
Productive Conventional farming
Organic farming
Low external input farming
Cereals for livestock 85 % losses
Unproductive Energy crops 100 % losses
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17. Conclusions
Many organic practices have both environmental and
health benefits:
E.g. forage-based dairy and meat production from ruminants
(maintaining biodiversity of grassland and carbon stocks in
soils and delivering high quality milk).
E.g. organic fertilization improving both soil carbon stock and
the contents of antioxidants in food.
E.g. resilient crop systems increasing both biodiversity and the
contents of antioxidants and the taste of foods.
Organic production means a change of nutritional
patterns and food consumption towards more
vegetable foods and less high fat and high protein
ones.
Organic combined with changes in diets (and less
food wastes) can nourish also a growing population.
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