Conventional and Organic Farming — Does Organic Farming Benefit Plant Composition, Phenolic Diversity and Antioxidant Properties?

The growing demanding from consumers for healthier foods, produced using environmentally friendly farming practices has resulted in the rapid expansion of organic farming. There are numerous studies about the importance of organic farming but the majority of the results are sometimes contradictory, inconsistent and show no clear link between organic farming practices and enhancement of the nutritional quality of plant-derived foods. As such, ongoing research into the effects of organic farming and cultivation practices in comparison with intensive farming, is very important. The objective of this chapter is to discuss the most recent data and variation in the responses of plants to farming regimes in order to better understand the relationship between agricultural practices and high levels of valuable compounds (glucosinolates, phenolics, minerals, vitamins, antioxidants), as well as low levels of undesirable components such as nitrates, nitrites and microorganisms.