Some groups claim there is risk from eating more conventionally grown fruits and vegetables in your daily diet. No! In fact the opposite is true.  Peer reviewed research found that if half of Americans increased their consumption of conventionally grown fruits and vegetables by a single serving, 20,000 cancer cases could be prevented each year.  Yes, you read that right.

The study specifically examined the risk/benefit of consuming a diet rich in conventionally grown produce and pesticide residue exposure.  According to the study: “The overwhelming difference between benefit and risk estimates provides confidence that consumers should not be concerned about cancer risks from consuming conventionally grown fruits and vegetables.”

The dramatic findings further discredit common messages promoted by groups in an effort to perpetuate inaccurate safety fears about the more affordable and accessible forms of produce.

The study results also support decades of nutritional research which prove that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables prevents diseases, like cancer and diabetes, promotes heart health, improves mental health as well as increases lifespan.  It should be noted that most nutritional research has been conducted using conventionally grown produce.

Another conclusion from the study was the need for educational materials and programs aimed at improving consumers’ understanding of risk/benefit concepts. This could provide important public health benefits by helping to overcome the misinformation about produce safety which has become prevalent.

In a recent consumer survey conducted by the Alliance for Food and Farming (AFF), pesticide residues remain the number one safety concern among consumers.  Since toxicology and nutrition studies and government sampling data overwhelmingly affirm the safety of all produce, the study authors’ conclusion about the need to provide consumers with science-based information underscores the importance of AFF’s ongoing outreach efforts to reassure them and support their shopping choices.

The Centers for Disease Control states that only one in 10 of all Americans eat enough fruits and vegetables each day.   By working together, we are supporting consumers and their decisions to purchase the produce they enjoy and is affordable and accessible to them.

Consider being a part of our outreach by joining the AFF today.  Together, we can continue to dispel misinformation, alleviate fear as another barrier to consumption and focus on other avenues to increase overall daily intake of fruits and vegetables.

Alliance contributors are limited to farmers of fruits and vegetables, companies that sell, market or ship fruits and vegetables or organizations that represent produce farmers.