Hello! We're back from a spontaneous summer break due to being extremely busy (in a good way). Missed you all and looking forward to catching up...
Since September is Organic Month, I thought I'd share some thoughts about organic fruit and veg. First up, I don't think animal products can be considered truly organic because even if they comply with the legal definition their environmental impact and contribution to food injustice is so great, not to mention what suffering the animals have to undergo. So let's not go there.
But surely you can't go wrong with organic fruit and veg, can you? Well, it all depends on where you live and what you personally feel you are prepared to buy and put into your body. In the US, the definition of organic does includes GMOs, so that's food for thought. Not so in the EU, but then there are, in both places, certain permitted chemical pesticides he produce is allowed to be grown with. These include such things as copper sulphate. You can go the the Soil Association's website for more details. I suppose that pest control has to be considered but it seems a shame that creatures have to be killed to get veg onto our plates. And when it comes to feeding the soil, most organic fertilisers are made from animal blood and bone, so the farmers are buying slaughterhouse by-products and those plants are taking them in. There is a solution, however, and that is to buy "stock free organic" if you can. These products have not been grown using animal parts.
Then in the UK there's also the food miles issues. Organic isn't grown locally- only 5 percent of organic produce sold in the UK is from the UK.
...so is it really worth paying more for something which may not be produced much more ethically than it's non- organic counterpart? It's up to you. Organic food usually tastes better, after all, and although I haven't heard of any scientific evidence that shows it's more nutritious, it could well be. Maybe it's worth buying to support what is, after all, a slightly better way of growing. Personally, I prefer the fruit and veg we grow ourselves, without killing pests and using only veg compost, comfrey and seaweed to feed them.
What are your thoughts about this?
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