Organic Month
- ciaralitchfield
- Sep 16, 2014
- 3 min read
What is ‘Organic’?
Organic – ‘Non-essential pesticides are fertilizers were not used in harvesting processes’
The term Organic can be applied to foods, farming methods and animals. It’s linked with 4 main principles which are: Health, Ecology, Fairness and Care. These principles extend to all areas of the food chain from start to finish. More and more people are buying from the Organic market; the biggest fans are the Germans who can spend up £5800 billion a year on organic produce!
What does it cost?
Most of us will associate the term Organic with foods that we can purchase in super stores or markets, especially fruit and veg. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition states that Organic foods contain ‘no superior nutrition or calorie deficit’ hinting that the whole market is a con.
I conducted a comparative shop of organic animal produce vs non at Sainsbury’s.
1 Organic chicken breast (1kg) + Organic Beef steak (1kg) + 6 Medium organic eggs = £43
Vs
1 Standard chicken breast (1kg) + Standard Beef steak (1kg) + 6 Medium Standard eggs = £21.93
By opting out of organic you would therefore save £21.07, nearly half!
In terms of organic meat after reading the comparison of standards I feel that ethically the swap would be worth it, so how about fruit and veg?
In another comparative swap at Sainsbury’s I found that a standard shop of 8 popular items (Carrots 750g, Apples 5, Tomatoes 225g, Lettuce 1, Bananas 5, Lemons 4, Peppers 3 and Onions 750g) switching to organic would cost you £4.70 more. Which I guess adds up!
The Ethics
Organic farmed animals will receive the highest possible welfare standards ensuring they have the most comfortable lives possible. They are provided with free space, optimum living conditions and high quality natural foods which many consider preferable to other less ethical methods. From the consumers point of view the meat these animals produce should be better for us as the use of antibiotics and hormones is strictly prohibited. This means the meat we receive has not been modified for growth and is completely safe for human consumption.
You wouldn’t think that these ethical principles would apply to fruit and veg production, however, the absence of pesticides has a huge effect of the environment. Switching to Organic farming methods results in 30% more homes for wildlife than standard methods. The amount of harmful pesticides used in the growth of plants is 4 times lower in Organic farming encouraging a diverse ecosystem and giving rise to increasing numbers of wildlife and insects.
Is it worth it?
Once the ethics are removed is the extra money worth it nutritionally?
A 2014 study by Lairon and Huber, publishes in ‘Organic Farming, Prototype for Sustainable Agricultures’ found that the science to prove any real health benefits associated with Organic food was limited. The only real benefits were that Organic plants tended to have more Magnesium and antioxidants while organic animal produce contained more omega 3 than non organic alternatives. They did however state that the use of Organic methods within agriculture proves that we can safely produce high quality food without the use of pesticides so the adoption of these principle by all systems wouldn’t hurt.
Biaranski conducted a Meta-analysis of 343 studies on organic produce for the British Journal or Nutrition the same year. This analysis showed that while vitamin and mineral content didn’t seem to differ between organic and non, a few vital benefits were found. Organic foods contained more antioxidants than non: Phenolics 19%, Flavanones 69%, Flavones 26% and Flavonols 50%. These compounds possess qualities that help to protect our cells. They can prevent oxidative damage by free radicals from toxins both natural and environmental. They not only help to protect cells but reduce inflammation once a cell has become damaged.
Naturally, organic foods are lower in compounds found in pesticides such as Nitrogen. Some research suggests that such compounds may be responsible for certain Cancers, respiratory and heart conditions.
Summary
Overall I feel the idea of Organic food is spot on. We should take responsibilty in knowing where and how our food is made, especially with animal produce. Nutritionally the benefits are inconclusive but many of us would be willing to pay more just for peace of mind.
