Next week (15-21 September) is National Organic Week, when we remember why growing, buying, eating, and living with fewer chemicals is good for us and the planet.
Just a decade ago, the idea of growing or eating organic food was something many thought was for the hippies of the ‘60s. Now we see organic products on shelves in supermarkets, pharmacies and hardware stores, community gardens espouse it, and Gardening Australia is all over it.
If you’re not entirely convinced, however, here are some reasons why your household might appreciate going organic now:
1 - Know what’s in your food
Organic food is food you can trust. It does not contain Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), manufactured chemicals, hormones or additives. All organic farms and food companies are independently inspected at least once a year and must comply with relevant organic standards.
2 - Reduce exposure to potentially harmful chemicals
More than 7,200 registered biocide products, such as pesticides, are used in Australian agriculture and these are often present in non-organic food. Organic food is grown without the use of chemical herbicides, fungicides, insecticides or synthetic fertilisers. Eating an organic diet for just two weeks has been proven to rid the body of nearly all pesticides!
3 - Know what you’re putting on your skin
Organic is not only about food - up to 60 per cent of what you put on your skin absorbs into your system. On average, most women apply 126 different ingredients to their skin on a daily basis and roughly 90 per cent of these ingredients have not been evaluated for safety. Under organic standards, synthetic colouring agents, fragrances, ethoxylated ingredients, silicones, paraffin, petroleum products and animal testing are all prohibited.
4 – Support humane treatment of animals
Organic farming follows strict animal welfare regulations, providing living conditions which allow animals to express their natural behaviours. It does not allow the use of hormones or routine antibiotics and it uses organic feed for the animals. Animals on organic farms are truly free-range, happy and healthy.
5 - Help combat climate change
Many organic farming practices (such as minimum tillage, returning recycled organic materials to the soil, the use of cover crops and rotations) increase the return of carbon to the soil, raising productivity and favouring carbon storage. This in turn creates healthy living soils which are more resistant to droughts/floods and therefore more resilient to climate change.
Giving organic a go in your home is easy. Start by growing at least some of your food (herbs, salad greens and tomatoes thrive in pots or a garden bed), composting food scraps, and buying organic or chemical-free food whenever it is available.