Co-Benefits of Large-Scale Organic Farming on Human Health (BLOOM)

Co-Benefits of Large-Scale Organic farming On huMan health (BLOOM) is a community-based, cluster-randomised controlled evaluation of the Andhra Pradesh Community-Managed Natural Farming (APCNF) implemented by Rythu Sadhikara Samstha (RySS).

The project is funded by the UK Research and Innovation, Medical Research Council, and led by the Centre for Health Analytics Research and Trends (CHART), Trivedi School of Biosciences, Ashoka University, in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh.

Initially, the study (Phase I) was approved for a period of three years, i.e., 2022-2024. However, upon successful completion of BLOOM Phase-I, the study has received an additional three-year funding (Phase-II), i.e., from 2025 to 2027.

Overview

Across both phases, the study aims to determine if there are nutritional and health co-benefits of a community-based agroecology programme. The study is being implemented in two districts of Andhra Pradesh, Kurnool and Visakhapatnam, among farming households.

The primary outcomes are (1) pesticide exposure, (2) dietary diversity, (3) household income, and (3) crop yield.

In addition, a range of secondary outcomes, including adult glycemia, kidney function, adult self-reported symptoms (musculoskeletal pain, headache, respiratory symptoms, dermatological symptoms, and depression), and, in children, growth and cognitive development, are studied.

The Intervention:

The APCNF intervention is a state-wide agroecological programme implemented by RySS, a not-for-profit organisation established by the Government of India. The program supports farmers in transitioning from chemical-based agriculture to natural farming by promoting crop diversity, year-round green cover, minimal soil disturbance, locally prepared biological inputs, livestock integration, and natural pest management, while avoiding synthetic fertilisers and pesticides.

The APCNF has won the 2026 Food Planet Prize, the world’s largest environmental award for changing global food systems.

Pesticide Pilot Study:

As a precursor to the larger study, a pilot study was conducted to assess pesticide exposure among households practising natural farming compared with those practising conventional farming. Urine samples were collected from adult men, women, and young children to assess biomarkers of pesticide exposure.

The findings indicate that participants from natural farming households had lower levels of pesticide exposure. It was observed that two of the three pesticide biomarkers assessed were lower compared with participants from conventional farming households, suggesting lower pesticide exposure among those practising natural farming. Monocrotophos, a highly hazardous pesticide, was reported to be the most commonly used among conventional farming households.

To learn more about the pilot study and its findings, please watch the video.

[Video]

Heat Pilot Study:

One of the critical findings from the study indicated that BLOOM farmers experience higher levels of depression in comparison to the national average. Taking forward these insights, a unique pilot study titled “Heat Pilot” is being implemented among a subsample of the BLOOM study population to assess personal heat exposure among farmers across an agricultural cycle. As part of this pilot, participating farmers are provided with two wearable monitoring devices—a Garmin watch and a Tinytag data logger, which they wear for 24 hours once a month throughout the agricultural cycle.

The Garmin watch captures information on physical activity and other physiological parameters, while the Tinytag logger measures environmental temperature and relative humidity. Together, these devices provide insights into farmers’ activity patterns and the environmental conditions to which they are exposed, leading to the development of an individualised exposure index.

Dr. Poornima Prabhakaran (Indian Principal Investigator), Director, Centre for Health Analytics Research and Trends, Trivedi School of Biosciences, Ashoka University and Dr. Lindsay Jaacks (Foreign Principal Investigator), UKRI Future Leaders Fellow, University of Edinburgh are leading the BLOOM study.

To know more about the study, you can visit the BLOOM study web page on the University of Edinburgh website: https://edin.ac/bloom