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Using Sustainable Agriculture to Improve Human Nutrition and Health  

Cullum, Christine-Mc (Center for Health Promotion and Prevention Research, University of Texas Health Science Center)
Publication Information
Journal of Community Nutrition / v.6, no.1, 2004 , pp. 18-25 More about this Journal
Abstract
The purpose of this article is twofold: 1) to provide nutrition professionals with the history of how the concept of sustainable diets was introduced to the nutrition profession and 2) to describe how different sustainable agricultural practices offer potential for improving human nutrition and health. The idea of connecting sustainable agriculture With the promotion of human nutrition and health is not new. It is a concept that was introduced to the nutrition profession more than 20 years ago. To foster healthful, sustainable diets, consumers need to choose more whole foods. From the standpoint of nutrition and health, whole foods are naturally higher in fiber and lower in fat, sodium, sugar and additives compared to highly processed foods. From the standpoint of agricultural sustainability, whole foods bypass the high-energy costs of food processing and transportation. Organic farming systems offer potential benefits to human health through reducing farmers' exposure to pesticides and by increasing the total phenolic content in selected food crops. Participation in farmers' market nutrition programs and gardening has been associated with increased fruit and vegetable intake. Gardening may also be a way to increase access to fresh produce in low-income populations that do not have access to nutritious food outlets and to increase physical activity. Further research is needed to assess the human nutrition and health benefits of other types of sustainable agriculture strategies and to investigate the links among different agricultural practices with nutrient and total phenolic content in a wider variety of important food crops.
Keywords
sustainable agriculture; human nutrition; human health;
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