Garlic and Glyphosate

It’s not just in flavor that garlic packs a punch, but in nutritional benefits. The sulfuric compounds that give it a pungent scent also support cardiovascular health, brain health, immune function, and much more.^{1 2} While garlic itself offers many wonderful benefits, if it’s not organic it can come with a risk of glyphosate exposure. People often assume that vegetables that grow underground are protected from the risk of pesticide residues. Unfortunately, this is not true, and garlic is a good example of why. Non-organic garlic is often treated with glyphosate, a systemic herbicide that is taken up into the flesh of the garlic and therefore cannot be peeled away or washed off.³ Glyphosate’s health risks have been researched extensively. We know it’s carcinogenic, and can cause endocrine disruption, neurological effects, and organ damage—not to mention all the harm it causes in wider ecosystems around places it is applied.^{4 5 6} Glyphosate exposure is just one (very good) reason to always choose organic garlic.

Keep the Gamma Rays Away

If glyphosate and other pesticides weren’t reason enough to choose organic, conventional garlic is also commonly irradiated. Garlic is prone to continue growing post-harvest (you know those little green shoots that sometimes pop up?) and irradiation is how conventional producers stop this process. Irradiation is strictly prohibited in organics because it alters the natural state of the food by damaging its DNA beyond repair.^{7 8} Irradiation also reduces nutritional content and can affect the taste and texture of garlic.^{9 10} To help keep garlic from sprouting the organic way at home, store it in a porous container or paper bag in a cool dark place instead of the fridge.

From the Ground Up

Growing garlic organically isn’t just about keeping the bad stuff, like glyphosate, out—though that is essential—but also about what goes into it. Organic pest management strategies actually help build healthy soil. Cover cropping for example, involves planting things like clovers, mustard, and other ground cover plants between rows of the main harvest crop. These cover crops draw nutrients like nitrogen from deep within the soil for other plants to benefit from, and attract pollinators and other beneficial insects that help keep pests at bay. When it comes to garlic, an experiment by the Rodale Institute found that brassicas like mustard, daikon, and radish are effective deterrents for allium leaf miners, a common pest in garlic farming. ¹¹ Nutrient-dense foods start with nutrient-rich soil. Whether in a pasta sauce, a salad dressing, or roasted and spread over crusty bread, organic garlic is the best choice for protecting the earth, and you!

Try Our Garlic Butter Recipe

Garlic butter elevates anything it touches! Try it on steamed or roasted veggies; fish, chicken, or steak; and, of course, bread! It’s a snap to make and can easily be doubled or personalized by swapping the parsley for other finely chopped herbs, such as basil, rosemary, or thyme.

GET THE RECIPE

References

1. Higdon, J. (2005). Garlic. Linus Pauling Institute. https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/food-beverages/garlic#toc-summary
2. Garlic. Natural grocers. (2018, May 23). https://www.naturalgrocers.com/article/garlic
3. Agriculture: Onion and garlic pest management guide. (n.d.). University of California IPM. https://ipm.ucanr.edu/agriculture/onion-and-garlic/herbicide-treatment-…
4. Sapbamrer, R., Hongsibsong, S., Sittitoon, N., & Amput, P. (2019). DNA damage and adverse neurological outcomes among garlic farmers exposed to organophosphate pesticides. Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology, 72, 103241. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.etap.2019.103241
5. Singh, S., Kumar, V., Gill, J. P. K., Datta, S., Singh, S., Dhaka, V., Kapoor, D., Wani, A. B., Dhanjal, D. S., Kumar, M., Harikumar, S. L., & Singh, J. (2020). Herbicide glyphosate: toxicity and microbial degradation. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(20), 7519. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17207519
6. Perry, M. (2025, June 20). International study reveals glyphosate weed killers cause multiple types of cancer. College of Public Health. https://publichealth.gmu.edu/news/2025-06/international-study-reveals-g…
7. Irradiation in organic production. (n.d.). Organic Materials Review Institute. https://www.omri.org/omri-articles/irradiation-organic-production
8. Groth, I. & The Organic Center. (2007). Food irradiation for fresh produce. In The Organic Center Critical Issue Report Page [Report]. https://organic-center.org/reportfiles/IrradiationReport.pdf
9. Lambie, S. (n.d.). Food irradiation? Know your garlic! The Edible Garden Project. https://ediblegardenproject.com/food-irradiation-know-your-garlic/
10. Jenkins, P., Worth, M., Center for Food Safety, & Food and Water Watch. (2006). Food irradiation: a gross failure. https://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Food-Irrad…
11. Zinati, G., Reddivari, L., & Lang, J. (2020, December 11). Organic Management Practices for Allium leafminer (ALM) pest. Rodale Institute. https://rodaleinstitute.org/science/articles/organic-management-allium-…