environmentweb guide to organic
Organic products are becoming increasingly available, with most supermarkets now stocking a wide range of organic produce and even clothes shops are beginning to pick up on it offering organic cotton and hemp clothing. But what does organic really mean? Why is it preferable to buy organic products over the standard option (an important question given the often significant price difference of organic products)? And how do you know if what you're buying really is organic?
What does 'organic' mean?
In order to count as organic, food (or other produce such as cotton) have to be grown according to certain standards that don't allow the use of traditional pesticides, artificial fertilizers, human waste or sewage sludge and that they were processed without artificial additives or ionizing radiation. In the case of organic meat it must be reared without the routine use of antibiotics or growth hormones.
The exact standards will vary slightly depending upon the certifying body in individual countries. In the UK the main body responsible for organic certification is the soil association. The full list of requirements for organic certification is extensive, forming an 882 page document that covers everything from arable crops to livestock to fish and even beekeeping.
What are the benefits of organic food?
There are a range of benefits that may be gained from choosing organic products. First and foremost among these are the benefits to your health as a result of significantly lower levels of dangerous chemicals present in organic food compared to their non-organic equivalents.
150 of 350 commonly used pesticides have been demonstrated to be potentially carcinogenic (cancer-causing) and some have been linked to decreasing male fertility, foetal abnormalities and Parkinson's disease among others. Little is also known about the effect that these chemicals have when they mix together inside the body. Particularly worrying when you consider that we will have been exposed to many of these chemicals since before we were born!
As well as health benefits the reduction in the use of pesticides is beneficial to the environment, preventing these chemicals from entering the eco-system and having wide spread effects on plants and wildlife. Many of the chemicals are not easily broken down and traces have been found as far afield as the Arctic.
The Soil Association also encourages its members to adhere to a set of ethical guidelines in order to help ensure that when you choose organic products it's not just you that benefits but everyone involved in producing the products as well.
How do I know if products are organic?
In order for a product to qualify as organic it must be certified by an approved body, such as the Soil Association. There are currently 9 organisations in the UK which may certify organic food. Each of these organisations is given a code by DEFRA (the department for environment, food and rural affairs) such as UK5 for the Soil Association or UK2 for Organic Farmers & Growers Ltd. This code must be shown on a product to demonstrate that it is organically certified. This will usually also be accompanied by the logo of the certification body, although this isn't required. A full list of the approved UK certification bodies can be found here.
How can I found out more?
The following sites provide a range of useful information on organic products:
The soil association website
The DEFRA website organic farming section
Wikipedia article for organic food
