5 Reasons to Choose Organic
Only 36 of the 314 food additives approved for use across the EU are permitted in organic food. Amongst the additives banned by the Soil Association are hydrogenated fat, aspartame (artificial sweetener) and monosodium glutamate, food for thought!
Five reasons to choose organic
Organic is good for you and your planet, is kind to animals and wildlife and allows us make a big difference - simply through the way we shop. With all these benefits, it's easy to see why organic delivers such good value for money.
1. Better for your planet
Over 20% of the UK's greenhouse gas emissions come from food and farming today. Nitrogen fertiliser manufacturing is the worst offender. To produce just one tonne takes one tonne of oil, seven tonnes of greenhouse gasses and one hundred tonnes of water. Organic farmers work with nature to feed the soil and control pests. By choosing organic, local and seasonal - we can significantly reduce our carbon footprint.
2. Great for You
No food has higher amounts of beneficial minerals, essential amino acids and vitamins than organic food. Organic food avoids pesticides and all controversial additives including aspartame, tartrazine, MSG and hydrogenated fats. Organic food contains higher levels of vitamin C and minerals like calcium, magnesium and iron as well as cancer-fighting antioxidants and Omega 3. Organic milk for example, is on average 68% higher in Omega 3 essential fatty acids.
A study by the French food safety authority found that organic plant products contain more anti-oxidants such as phenols and salicylic acid, known to protect against cancer and heart disease. It also found that organic animal products contain more polyunsaturated fatty acids, which also help to protect against heart disease.
3. Kind to animals
Animal welfare is at the heart of organic systems. Soil Association standards for meat and animal products rigorously protect all aspects of animal wellbeing - from rearing, feeding and shelter, to transportation and slaughter. Organic animals are free to pursue natural behaviour because they have plenty of outside space to thrive and grow, and are not routinely drugged with antibiotics. Organic standards prohibit cruelty and guarantee truly free-range lives for farm animals.
Yes, that's right. Many shoppers don't realise that organic products are also free range. Eggs and meat with the Soil Association symbol have been reared to the highest level of free-range standards. Birds are looked after in smaller flocks, spend more of their lives roaming outside on fresh grass and have more space in their houses.
4. Encourages wildlife
The UK Government's own advisors found that plant, insect and bird life is up to 50% greater on organic farms. Organic farming relies on wildlife to help control natural pests, so wide field edges are left uncultivated for bugs, birds and bees to flourish. They are also not sprayed away by the fertilisers, chemicals and pesticides routinely used on non-organic farms.
5. GM free
Genetically modified (GM) crops and ingredients are banned under organic standards. Shoppers wanting to avoid GM products may be surprised to know that over a million tonnes of GM crops are imported each year to feed non-organic livestock, which in turn supply our supermarkets with pork, bacon, milk, cheese and other dairy products.
Get involved locally
There are lots of things that you can do as an individual or as part of a community, to help to reduce part of the environmental impact of your food and to support your local food economy. Shopping at farmers' markets, joining a community supported agriculture scheme or local group can all contribute to championing local food culture. Read more here....