Why Organic?
In a market where food prices are soaring and ready meals and drinks are available 24 hours a day right on your doorstep, then why should we choose to spend extra money on organic products? In order to solve this question we need to first ask ourselves; what is organic produce? And what makes it so much better than ordinary food and drink products? What are the actual benefits to me as a consumer?
We think that one of the key reasons why people choose to buy non-organic products or conventionally farmed produce is because they don’t understand the actual core value of organic products and farming in the first place.
So with this article we’d like to clarify just that; why one should choose organic products over conventionally grown produce.
Without further ado, let’s start by looking at the fundamental differences between organic and non-organically produced food. Because for all your average Joe knows, the difference is very small….or is it?
Organic Vs. Conventional
The word ‘Organic’ refers to the way farmers produce and grow agricultural products such as fruits, vegetables, grains, milk, meat and wheat. While conventional methods of growing and producing food include the use of chemicals in fertilisers and animal foods, organic production of food relies on methods that are natural and safe for the environment, the farmland and its animals. Below is a table outlining the difference between the two very different ways farmers choose to grow their foods.
| Conventional | Organic |
| Apply chemical fertilizers to promote plant growth. | Apply natural fertilizers, such as manure or compost, to feed soil and plants. |
| Spray synthetic insecticides to reduce pests and disease. | Spray pesticides from natural sources; use beneficial insects and birds, mating disruption or traps to reduce pests and disease. |
| Use synthetic herbicides to manage weeds. | Use environmentally-generated plant-killing compounds; rotate crops, till, hand weed or mulch to manage weeds. |
| Give animals antibiotics, growth hormones and medications to prevent disease and spur growth. | Give animals organic feed and allow them access to the outdoors. Use preventive measures — such as rotational grazing, a balanced diet and clean housing — to help minimize disease. |
What about the health benefits?
Although recent studies have shown disbelieve in the health benefits from organic food, we still strongly believe that organic is the only way if we are to live in a healthy and sustainable world in the future. We say it’s not so much about the ‘rejuvenated glow on your skin’ you get from eating organic stuff, but the pure satisfaction of knowing that by choosing organic we’re contributing to a future sustainable world. Oh, and this of course:
The good taste: Organic food tastes better than non-organic food. The prominent reason for this is that it is produced using organic means of production meaning that the food is often sold locally, resulting in availability of fresh produce in the market, which does taste better than produce that has been frozen, shipped, and transported across long distances.
The environmental safety: As harmful chemicals are not used in organic farming, there is minimal soil, air and water pollution; thus ensuring a safer and healthier world for future generations to live in.
The animal welfare: Animal welfare is a super important aspect (to us) of producing organic milk, organic meat, organic poultry, and organic fish. We feel happy that the animals are not confined to a miserable caged life when we eat organic animal products.
Still not convinced?
As final top-up you might wanna check out some of the following documentaries which we are positive will convince you to go organic and stay organic: Forks over Knives, The Perfect Human Diet, Food Inc, Food Matters or Samsara. What they all have in common is the way they brutally show the sadistic and incredibly un-humane reality of the way bad-ass conventional farmers go about their production today. We’re pretty sure that at least one of them will nudge you over the organic edge.
The topic of organic food and why we think it’s far better than conventionally grown produce is something that we can go on about forever, so in order to keep the rant short and sweet this is where we’ll end the post for now.
So next time you are planning an event of any kind we urge you to think twice about whether to go non-organic. If we could just ask for one thing you’ve taken away from this post it would be that in the future you choose a caterer that uses only organic food and produce. We at Organic Spirit indeed promote everything organic (hence the name, duh!) and as much as we’d like for every single one on this planet to go 100% organic we urge you guys to take care when choosing what catering supplier to use. Think environmentally friendly and think what will be best for our future generation and the world they will live in.
For more info on any of the above or if you’d like to discuss what we might be able to do for you please get in touch.
