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Why Choose Organic?

(r) Why Choose Organic?

One of the huge advantages of organic foods is that they haven’t been doused in pesticides. Organic farms ban artificial pesticides. In the UK alone, 31,000 tonnes of pesticides are blasted on to farmland
s every year, and 25% of food carries residues of these chemicals, created to kill pests and weeds. Non-organic fruit and veg is covered in the stuff and it won’t all wash off. Pesticide residues turn up, not just on fruit and vegetables, but in bread, baby food and other products. Governments claim that there’s no risk to health from these pesticide traces, but wouldn’t you rather feed yourself and your kids on food that’s pesticide free? Governments are also lobbied by the large farmers and growers as well as supermarkets and the large food producers and they are not going to come out and say that non-organic produce is bad for your health and they may (as is the norm today) even have some junk scientists on board to make you believe that it is safe.

What’s in your Food?

Do you really know what goes into your food?

Take an onion for instance; your normal non-organic variety has 28 different pesticide and insecticide sprays, including benomyl and captan which are banned in three countries. Non organic onions are also full of extremely hazardous organophosphates, how’s that for a for a nice toxic cocktail of chemicals disguised as an onion, all in the name of producing the most onions at the cheapest prices. Who would want to eat that? Why is this information hidden away? why is there not advertisements telling us about the dangers inherent in the simple onion. Why are these foods not labelled like all other produce in the supermarket? The answer to this is that mass production and mass profits will always take precedence over your health and also the fact that if these chemical sprays were listed it would scare people away from what is perceived as normal food. The good news is that there is now in supermarkets a very real demand for higher quality food and there are lots of organic choices available. Again as always it’s your choice that equals your health.

In the rush to produce more and more crops to satisfy growing demands producers have had to resort to using a lethal cocktail of pesticides to control disease and insect attack. Good news for their bank balances perhaps but not good news for your health; this is why you need to be informed of the advantages of organic food and the inherent dangers that exist in non-organic food.

Did you know that if you consumed an average apple you would be eating over 30 pesticides, even after you have washed it? The quality of food has definitely gone down compared to the way it was back in the 50s and 60s. Before the advent of the large supermarket, people and small groceries sourced their produce from local farmers and it’s a true fact that our parents where brought up almost exclusively on organic food! It’s no wonder all sorts of cancers and modern diseases are now on the increase. Pesticides in food have been linked to many diseases including: cancer, obesity, Alzheimer’s and some birth defects. If the body becomes too acidic and overloaded with toxins then it can no longer fight disease. Eating organic food will make your body more resistant to disease as it will have higher levels of the essential nutrients it needs to fight off infection.

What you should know

Here is good information about what’s in some of the most common foods that we mistakenly take for granted to be healthy.

Lettuce: non organic lettuces are typically sprayed up to 11 times with pesticides.

Meat: organic animals are usually a little older and more tasty and have a better life plus better living conditions. Non organic meat contains high levels of antibiotics and the animals graze on chemical laden fields. Sheep are given organophosphates. Beef and pork may contain lindane and dieldrin residues

Fish: traces of pesticides are found in most species due to water contamination. Farmed salmon and trout may be fed artificial colourings and antibiotics or fungicides. Buy wild or from the sea because believe it or not organic salmon is farmed.

Potatoes: ah! This one will surprise most of us, is our common supermarket non organic potato healthy? Read on

Up to 38 chemicals may be used on non-organic potatoes, can you believe 38! Why so many? They include one’s found on the World Health Organisation’s list of hazardous chemicals.

How can we help to change this situation? Well we can start by sourcing organic produce whenever out shopping, organic food is now less expensive than it used to be because more and more farmers are changing to organic growing and this brings the price down. The more we support the growth of organic food the cheaper it will become and eventually the nasty chemical growers will wither up and go away, they will only stick around if we keep supporting them.

In Inishowen and Derry North West Organic ( delivers organic produce right to your doorstep and you can order online, they are a great source and service to the community. It’s all out there you just have to source it.