Why Choose Organic

The challenges of producing healthier food, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and pollution, and protecting wildlife and animal welfare are becoming more acute by the year as a result of climate change and rising diet-related ill-health.

Many shoppers choose organic because it tastes good or because they want to avoid many of the chemicals found in non-organic food, but they don’t fully understand the differences between organic and conventionally produced food.

ORGANIC MEANS WORKING MORE WITH NATURE, NOT AGAINST IT!

Here are a few reasons why we love organic…

1.To know what’s in your food

Organic food is grown on organic farms that are managed in a modern, highly regulated manner. Organic food is made with natural fertilisers from plants, less energy, and more respect for the animals that provide it, as opposed to non-organic food, which uses many manufactured and mined fertilisers and pesticides.

Organic farming and food production is not easy and is time-consuming. It necessitates a high level of dedication and attention to detail and rigorous, independent inspection and certification.

Organic farms and food businesses are inspected at least once a year, and organic food standards are established under British and European law. (1)

Organic is naturally good – organic standards prohibit the use of genetically modified ingredients, hydrogenated fats, and controversial artificial food colours and preservatives. (2)

Only 36 of the 314 food additives approved for use throughout the EU and UK are allowed in organic food! (3, 4, 5)

2. To reduce your exposure to potentially harmful pesticides

Many people are unaware that non-organic farming can use over 320 pesticides on a regular basis, and pesticides are frequently found in non-organic food. Despite washing and cooking, some of them remain in the food we eat. Pesticides may be present in one out of every three non-organic foods, according to some studies. Pesticides, on the other hand, are rarely found in organic food. (7)

Eating organically grown food is the most effective way to reduce your exposure to harmful pesticides because the certification guarantees that food across the board will contain fewer pesticides than non-organic food. Organic food is sourced from trusted sources. Any food labelled as organic must adhere to a set of strict guidelines that define what farmers and food producers can and cannot do when producing organic food.

3. It’s Naturally different

Organic farming recognises the direct link between our health and the production of the food we eat. According to recent research, organic farming may result in higher levels of certain nutrients in food and lower levels of pesticides and chemical residues.

According to recent research, organic foods contain between 18 and 69 per cent more antioxidants than non-organic foods.

Similarly, studies on milk have revealed similar findings: no farming system produces milk with higher levels of omega 3 fatty acids.10

4. To help combat climate change

Organic farming is the best, most practical model for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture currently available. (10) This is due to its lower reliance on fossil-based fertilisers and pesticides, as well as the fact that it stores more carbon in the soil.

If organic farming were widely practiced in the UK, soil carbon sequestration alone could offset at least 23% of UK agriculture’s greenhouse gas emissions!

5. To help protect our wildlife

There is mounting evidence that certain harmful pesticides, particularly neonicotinoid insecticides, contribute to the global decline of honeybees and other pollinators.

In the United Kingdom alone, 75% of butterfly species have declined in the last ten years.

Nine and eight of our 25 species of bumblebee are endangered, with two already extinct! (8)

Organic farms are wildlife havens, providing homes for bees, birds, and butterflies due to the absence of herbicides and the strictly limited use of fungicides and insecticides.

Organic farmers manage wildlife habitats as an essential part of running a successful organic farm. Overall, plant, insect, and birdlife on organic farms are 50% more abundant, with 30% more species!

6. For higher standards of animal welfare

Animal welfare is central to the organic principles of the Soil Association, and no other farming system has higher animal welfare standards. Animals raised organically are truly free-range. This entails raising healthy, happy animals without the use of drugs, antibiotics, or wormers, which are commonly used in intensive livestock farming. (14)

7. To help save our Soils

The United Nations declared in 2015 the “International Year of Soils,” a campaign launched in response to alarming evidence that we may only have 60 years of topsoil left.

Soil is a non-renewable resource that must be preserved for food security and a long-term future.

Because soil stores three times as much carbon as the atmosphere and five times as much as forests, it’s critical to help mitigate global warming. (10)

Soil life, natural soil fertility, and water quality are all improved by organic farming. Organic farmers rely on healthy, fertile soil and a diverse crop mix to succeed. The use of natural nitrogen-fixing crops like red clover rather than synthetic fertilisers and composting promotes natural, long-term soil fertility. Crop rotation keeps crops healthy and eliminates the need for pesticides. (16, 17)

8. For a GM-free diet

Over a million tonnes of GM crops are imported each year to feed the majority of non-organic livestock. These then produce chicken, eggs, pork, bacon, milk, cheese and other dairy products. (18, 19)

Genetically modified crops, animal feed and ingredients are completely banned under European Union and international organic standards. (20)