We often hear that organic, and especially certified organic food is healthier for children, but what are the actual benefits? Overall, the growing, sourcing and handling practices that are used in producing organic fruit, vegetables, dairy and meats are aimed at providing products that are cleaner and closer to the way they were grown before mass (conventional) farming became routine.

Organic farming practices involve multiple steps in the whole system, from cultivation to harvesting, with the end result being a crop that is cleaner and nutritionally closer to how it may be in a natural environment. We may think of natural environments as those before the industrial revolution, when there was less mass production of crops and virtually no pollution.

There is a long-held belief that farming practices don’t make a real difference to food quality. But this belief is being questioned. Supporters of organic foods suggest that although it produces a lower yield, it has better nutritional quality and is cleaner, because of the strict standards of food authorities that prevent the use of synthetic chemicals, such as pesticides and fertilizers, and promote sustainable farming practices.