Is Organic Produce Healthier Than Conventional Produce?

Grocery shopping can sometimes feel like more of a conundrum than an errand. What version of your staples should you buy? Are the organic raspberries worth the splurge? Should organic apples really be twice the price of their conventional counterparts? And what does conventional mean anyway? 

When choosing what to fill your shopping cart with and how to allocate your grocery budget, it’s important to know what’s worth the extra few bucks, and where you can save, especially when you’re trying to shop for the healthiest products possible. If you’re looking to spend less per nutrient, read on.

What Is Conventional Produce?

Conventional produce describes any commercially available produce (at a supermarket or farmer’s market), that has been grown with methods that are dubbed “conventional”, or that is, common practice in contemporary farming. Conventional produce can be grown with synthetic pesticides, fertilizers, genetically modified organism (GMO) practices, and more. Some conventional produce may also be labeled pesticide-free or non-GMO, but that does not make it organic. 

In simple terms, any produce that does not earn an organic label is considered conventional. 

What Is Organic Produce?

Organic produce is a specific category of produce with a set of restrictions on how the fruits, vegetables, legumes, and grains are grown. 

“Organic produce is grown with farming techniques that do not include the use of GMOs, synthetic pesticides and/or chemical fertilizers,” says Darcie Pervier, MSPT, owner of Newburyport Wellness. “It is important to remember that greenhouse-grown does not mean organic.”

The USDA has strict guidelines that produce must adhere to in order to earn an organic label. Many small farms choose to use organic farming methods, which is better for the environment, but do not apply for organic certification, as the process is tedious and can be expensive. 

Is Organic Produce Healthier?

While marketing may indicate that organic produce is healthier, that may not always be the case. 

“There is ongoing debate as to whether or not organic produce is healthier, and it is important to clarify how we are defining healthier,” says Pervier. “We can define healthier as having more macro and micronutrients, or as having fewer heavy metals or synthetic chemical residue on them.”

A 2024 study that was essentially a systematic review comparing organic and conventional foods looked at the nutrients to determine if organically grown produce is, in fact, healthier. Researchers found that 75 percent of organic fruits and 73 percent of organic vegetables contained more micronutrients than their conventionally grown counterparts. More specifically, the study found that fruit and vegetables grown organically had higher levels of vitamin C, magnesium, and potassium, while conventional produce had significantly higher manganese content. Still, the micronutrient differences aren’t vast.

Findings are also unclear on how much chemical residue or heavy metals are found on produce. “Many studies do not look at this because it is assumed that organic produce will have less residue by the nature of being organic,” Pervier explains. 

Organic produce is easier on farm systems, waterways, and the environment, but when it comes to actual nutritional content of each item, the difference is ultimately nominal.  

So should organic produce be prioritized over conventional produce for health benefits? Is splurging for organic items worth it? Not necessarily.

“I tell my clients to do what they can,” Pervier says. “Not everyone can afford to buy only organic foods and I don’t want people to avoid fruits and veggies if they cannot afford to buy organic. As with all produce, cleaning and proper handling is important.”