The American Cancer Society (ACS) recently reported that cancer deaths in America have dropped by 27% over the last 25 years.  This is welcome and likely surprising news to some since the word “cancer” is continually used by activist groups in many fear-based campaigns, including those that unfairly disparage healthy and safe non-organic produce.  If you listen to those groups, you would think that cancer rates and trends were going in the opposite direction.

But, there is some negative news regarding diet that accompanies this positive trend. The ACS report states that they continue to see certain cancers increasing due to obesity.  This is yet another reason that access to affordable fruits and vegetables remains important along with health initiatives that promote increased produce consumption and improved eating habits.  This finding also indicates that knowingly and actively marketing misinformation about produce safety should be abandoned since  studies show this may discourage consumption of both organic and conventional produce.

Those interested in improving their health should know that there are decades of nutritional studies that show a diet rich in fruits and veggies has important cancer-fighting characteristics, in addition to preventing other health issues, like heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.  These studies were largely conducted using non-organic produce.   A couple examples:

• A University College of London study found that people who eat seven or more servings of fruits and veggies per day reduce their risk of premature death by 42%, their cancer risk by 25% and heart disease risk by 31%.
• A peer-reviewed study found that if half of all Americans increased their consumption of a fruit and veggie by a single serving, 20,000 cancer cases could be prevented annually.

The decades of nutritional studies confirming the positive impact of produce on health is why the Alliance for Food and Farming supports consumption of organic and conventionally grown produce –choose either but choose to eat more every day.  And, why we continue to share science-based information about the safety of all forms of produce, as well as aggressively counter and correct misinformation.  Our goal is for facts, not fears, to guide consumer choices and positively impact fruit and vegetable consumption.