Going Organic?

Hi folks,

A quick note to clear up any mist regarding organic produce & to aid your shopping choices:

Organic crops

What is organic food? Before looking in to it, like me you might have thought that this was food grown without the use of man made chemicals – Nope! For crops to be classed as organic they are allowed to be grown with some pesticides & fertilizers but these are strictly monitored by DEFRA & FSA. However, farming techniques such as crop rotation & good environmental management are employed on organic farms to give a better quality crop.

Livestock:

We’ve all seen the awful TV documentaries of intensive chicken farming & I think it’s safe to say we all know this is not a great example. DEFRA & FSA check that organic livestock is kept in ethical conditions to ensure it has a good quality of life. It is fed on quality ‘real’ food & kept within specific breeding programs to ensure the least chance of pests or disease.

For a food to be labelled organic, it must contain at least 95% organic produce. Tests have shown that organic food can have significantly higher nutrient value & a preferred taste to the same amount of non- organic food. However due to the extra management effort described above, it also carries a higher price tag. I know that we would all eat organic if money was no object, but thinking realistically what choices will you make on your next shopping trip? (Do we spend our £10 on a larger amount of lower quality food, or a smaller amount of higher quality food?)

*I’ve just uploaded a video of my Workforce Release sessions at HETA to my You Tube channel! Click here to take a look then subscribe to be notified when the next clip goes up.

Thanks

James