When we set about devising our stock list we wanted to include some products which are better for you. The best products are made from the best ingredients and there is strong evidence to suggest that these have to be organic ingredients.
But why are they better?
Organic farming is different from the intensive industrial methods of most modern farms. It has wider concerns for the environment, animal welfare, quality of food produced and ultimately for the health of the consumer.
To quote the Soil Association guidelines, organic farming promotes:
- The production of high levels of nutritious food;
- The use of management practices which sustain soil health and fertility;
- High standards of animal welfare and contentment;
- The lowest practical levels of environmental pollution;
- Minimal dependence on non-renewable forms of energy and the burning of fossil fuels;
- Enhancement of the landscape, wild life and wild life habitat.
This means for example that the use of chemical sprays are all but eliminated; that artificial fertilisers are not used; that antibiotics are not routinely administered to farm animals; that animals are kept in more humane conditions, with more space and freedom; that animal feed is free of genetically modified ingredients, and much more.
The guiding principle is that organic agriculture should work in harmony with nature, and not against it.
These benefits for the environment are matched by benefits for you. You can be sure that by eating organic food, you are eating healthier food. No pesticides, no fungicides, no insecticides, no genetically modified organisms, no artificial preservatives, additives or flavourings.
For a product to be labelled organic, it has to be certified by an organisation such as The Soil Association. These certifying bodies enforce the strict organic production regulations on farmers, processors and retailers that they must adhere to in order to be called organic. These regulations are agreed on a Europe-wide basis, so you can be sure that any organic product sold within the EU meets those basic standards. In addition to this, The Soil Association applies it’s own standards, that further enhance the quality of organic production, making it a highly respected mark of organic integrity.
To learn more about Organic food and farming, try
this link to The Soil Association (external link).
Local organic supplier
Mark Holme runs Organic Fair (external link) from 43 St James Street, Off Black Diamond Street.
He does organic fruit and vegetable boxes and will do home delivery.