Why organics

Last update
29.03.06

Three Quick Reasons:
1. Tastes better.
2. Better for your body and family –

less pesticides, chemicals, hormones, antibiotics, health hazards, etc. and

actually MORE vitamins, minerals and health benefits!

3. Promotes farming practices that encourage ecological harmony and environmental responsibility.

Objectives

	To produce healthy, nutritious and quality food.
	To encourage and enhance biological cycles involving microorganisms, soil flora and fauna, plants and animals.
	To maintain and enhance long-term fertility of soils.
	To help in soil and water conservation.
	To maintain genetic diversity.
	To minimise all forms of pollution that may result from agricultural practices.
	To use on farm resources as far as possible.
	To preserve and enhance traditional and indigenous knowledge in farming, seeds and varieties.
	To consider social and ecological impact of farming system.

Why?

Excessive applications of pesticides and fertilisers have caused damage to the soil and environment besides affecting crop production. Use of pesticides in the world has registered ten fold increase from 1945 to 1975. About 5.2 million tonnes pesticides-were sold during 1995 and about two third was used in developed countries like USA and Europe. Similarly, fertiliser consumption has also been increased substantially. Pesticide residue is the second largest agent causing cancer, next to cigarettes. A recent study in US revealed that risk of cancer due to pesticide is 3 out of 1000 people. Besides, the pesticides and fertilisers persist in the soil are harmful to the beneficial soil micro-organism and earthworms and thereby resulting in degradation of soil fertility.

Reasons for go Organic

• Organic produce is not covered in a cocktail of poisonous chemicals. The average conventionally-grown apple has 20-30 artificial poisons on its skin, even after rinsing. Trust your instincts, and go organic!

• Fresh organic produce contains on average 50% more vitamins, minerals, enzymes and other micro-nutrients than intensively farmed produce. Science says that it's good for you.

• Going organic is the only practical way to avoid eating genetically modified (GM) food. And by buying organic food, you are registering your mistrust of GMO's and doing your bit to protest against them.

• If you eat dairy or meat products, going organic has never been more essential to safeguard you and your family's health. Intensively-reared dairy cows and farm animals are fed a dangerous cocktail of anti-biotics, hormones, anti-parasite drugs and many other medicines on a daily basis, whether they have an illness or not. These drugs are passed directly onto the consumers of their dairy produce or meat., which must be a contributing factor to meat-related diseases like coronaries and high blood pressure.

• About 99% of non-organic farm animals in the UK are now fed GM soya. And there has never been a reported case of BSE in organic cattle in the UK . Common sense says that organic is safe food.

• Organic produce simply tastes so much better. Fruit and vegetables full of juice and flavour, and so many different varieties to try! There are about 100 different kinds of organic potatoes in production in the UK , and that's just potatoes!

• Organic farms support and nurture our beautiful and diverse wildlife. Over the last thirty years, intensive farming in the UK has led to dramatic erosion of the soil, a fall of up to 70% of wild birds in some areas, the destruction of ancient hedgerows, and the near extinction of some of the most beautiful species of butterflies, frogs, grass-snakes and wild mammals.

• Organic food is not really more expensive than intensively farmed foods, as we pay for conventional foods through our taxes. We spend billion of pounds every year cleaning up the mess that agro-chemicals make to our natural water supply. And the BSE crisis cost us 4 billion pounds. Go organic for a genuine more cost-effective future.

• Intensive farming can seriously damage farm workers' health. There are much higher instances of cancer, respiratory problems and other major diseases in farm workers from non-organic farms. This is particularly true in developing countries, and for agrochemical farms growing cotton. So go organic if you care about other people.

• And if you simply like the idea of your children and grandchildren being able to visit the countryside and play in the forests and fields just like we did when we were young, go organic for the sake of all of our futures.