Going organic!

If you’re anything like me then you’ll probably walk straight past the organic section and think ‘it’s all the same anyway, I’ll just get the cheaper stuff’. But why do we have organic foods and what’s going organic really about?

Organic products and foods refer to the way in which agricultural products are grown and how they are processed. Organic foods are fully traceable so when you buy them you’ll know exactly what you’re eating, they also use natural fertilisers from plants, not only does this use less energy but it also shows more respect for the animals providing it. Non-organic food products, however, are filled with a range of different things such as manufactured and mined fertilisers and pesticides.

Organic foods can include:

• Fruit and vegetables
• Grains
• Legumes
• Dairy products and eggs
• Livestock Feed
• Meats and poultry

Here are five further benefits to going organic:

1) More nutrients

The British Journal of Nutrition found in a study in 2016 that organic meat and milk products have about 50% more omega-3 fatty acids compared to conventionally produced products. They also found that organic milk had less saturated fat than non-organic milk.

2) Avoids chemicals, hormones and drugs

Organic farmers cannot use any artificial chemical fertilisers on their crops, instead, they develop and use healthy and fertile soil by rotating crops and adding organic matter such as manure and compost. This means that you will avoid consuming any chemicals and also any antibiotic or drugs given to animals to avoid illness.

3) More flavour

Organically grown foods usually taste better mainly because they have had well balanced and nourished soil, which helps produce strong and healthy plants able to fight off any unwanted diseases and protect themselves.

4) Fewer pesticides

Pesticides can pollute our water, environment and our food chain, government testing even found pesticide residues in 47% of British food. Pesticides are used on British farms to kill unwanted weeds, insects and control crop diseases, however, they can also poison wildlife, contaminate water sources and affect ecosystems.

5) Better for animals

Organic farmers ensure that their animals are free-range and include the highest welfare standard of farmed animals. Organic farm animals must have access to pasture land, have plenty of space, be fed a natural diet, allowed to graze and forage naturally and must not routinely be given antibiotics.

How do you know you’re buying organic?

Switching to organic can make a real difference, even if it’s just a few items in your weekly shop.  A higher demand for organic food will increase the number of organic farms meaning more animals are raised with higher standards. Look for organic food labels in your supermarket or you can find a local independent farmers shop that provides organic products.