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Organic and Conventionally Grown Food

When making the personal decision about whether to buy organic or conventional foods, people may consider the differences in cost, pesticide residue, nutrition and/or environmental impacts.

• Cost: Organic foods typically cost more than conventional foods. In part, the higher price is related to natural fertilizer and labor-intense pest control tactics. Regulations limit the number of pesticide products available to organic producers.
• Pesticide Residue: Research has demonstrated that organic fruits and vegetables have smaller amounts of pesticide residue than produce that was grown conventionally. However, pesticide residue can be reduced by routine food handling practices such as washing, peeling and cooking.
• Nutrition: Some research has found higher levels of phenolic compounds and certain vitamins in organic produce. Other research has found no significant difference in the nutritional quality of organic and conventionally grown foods.

Additional Resources

• Consumer and Labeling FAQ - Oregon Tilth
• Organic Regulations - US Department of Agriculture (USDA)
• Organic Labeling - US Department of Agriculture (USDA)
• National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances - US Department of Agriculture (USDA)
• Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA) of 1990 - US Department of Ag (USDA)
• National Organic Program - US Department of Agriculture (USDA)
• The Certification Process - Oregon Tilth
• OMRI Certified Product List - Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI)
• Labeling Packaged Products under the National Organic Standards - US Department of Ag (USDA)
• Organic Certification - US Department of Agriculture (USDA)
• Labeling of Pesticide Products under the National Organic Program - Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• Organic Production Surveys - US Department of Ag (USDA), National Agricultural Statistics Service
• eOrganic - eXtension Resource Area for Organic Agriculture - eOrganic

If you have questions about this, or any pesticide-related topic, please call NPIC at 800-858-7378 (8:00am - 12:00pm PST), or email us at npic@ace.orst.edu.