Organic farming
A production method governed by a European regulation that excludes synthetic pesticides and fertilisers as well as GMOs, without guaranteeing nutritional superiority.
Organic farming is a production method defined by a European regulation, not simply a sales pitch. It excludes synthetic pesticides and fertilisers and GMOs, and strictly regulates the permitted inputs, animal welfare and the use of antibiotics in livestock farming.
Checks are carried out by independent, approved certification bodies, with annual audits. This is what sets the French AB label and the EU organic logo (the “Eurofeuille”) apart from loose claims such as “natural” or “sustainably grown”, which commit no one to anything.
Organic food is not more nutritious, and that is not its purpose. The available syntheses show small and inconsistent differences in vitamin and mineral content. The documented differences mainly concern pesticide residues, which are markedly rarer, and slightly more favourable fatty acid profiles in animal products from pasture-based farms.
Two limits should be stated clearly. Organic says nothing about the nutritional quality of the finished product: an organic biscuit is still a sugary, fatty product, and can be ultra-processed. And “organic” does not mean “local”: an organic product flown in may have a bigger footprint than a conventional seasonal equivalent produced nearby.