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I spoke with Dr. Charles Benbrook about his recent peer-reviewed study published In Agronomy entitled Organic Farming Lessens Reliance on Pesticides and Promotes Public Heath by Lowering Dietary Risks which provides comparisons of pesticide use of organic farms compared to nearby conventional farms growing the same crops and the risk stemming from pesticide use on food. Dr. Benbrook, Executive Director of the Heartland Health Research Alliance, was the lead scientist on the study along with research partners, Dr. Susan Kegley from the Pesticide Research Institute, and Dr. Brian Baker, Crop and Soil Science Department, Oregon State University.

The paper was published in the peer-reviewed journal Agronomy on June 22, 2021 and is an open-access, free to download paper. Dr. Benbrook explained how the study, which is a 36-page paper, was done and what the conclusions were based on in the study.

The key conclusion of the team’s analysis is that by converting 1.2% of US Cropland growing fruits and vegetables to organic production, the Nation’s farmers could dramatically reduce pesticide dietary exposure and risk by at least to 90%. We find this amazing!

In my conversation with Dr. Benbrook, he explained how the study was conducted and shared with us how the conclusions in the study were derived. He also spoke about pesticide exposure on some key fruits and vegetable and what families can do to reduce their exposure. He shared important information about the risks of exposure to glyphosate and other toxic chemicals that many are exposed to in heavy agriculture areas of the Midwest and other farming areas. He talked about the potential health ramifications to many who are be exposed to these pesticides, including farm workers and residents in those areas.

Dr. Benbrook shared about an ongoing study being conducted by the Heartland Health Research Alliance, called The Heartland Study, and why this work is crucial, due to a rapid increase in the use of several high-risk herbicides that began in 2016 across the US Midwest.  To learn more about Heartland Health Research Alliance, click here.

To listen to this important interview with Dr. Benbrook, click on the arrow below to find out more about the study and what this could mean for many as it relates to dietary health risks. We love a bit of good news!

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