With huge issues like climate change, diet related health issues and the global decline in biodiversity, the need to change our food systems has never been more important. Farming systems like organic farming, that work with nature rather than against it are a big part of the solution. 

I’ve been making mindful choices about the food I buy for quite a few years, so I know a fair bit about what organic means and why it is important. This post is dedicated to getting across a message that is very close to my heart. Sharing the knowledge is the least I can do, in the hope that I can contribute to shedding a light on such an important issue and help others move in the right direction of forming a deeper connection with and respect for our beautiful planet.

What is organic? 

Organic is a farming and food production system, where farmers aim to produce good quality healthy food, using methods that benefit people, the planet and animal welfare. Organic food production is the most affective method when it comes to delivering many benefits for biodiversity and society. In a nutshell, Organic farming is low impact, sustainable and regenerative.

It’s also important to note that this is not new. Organic farming is based on traditional methods of farming that humans used for thousands of years. It wasn’t until the 18th century that we humans begun to change our methods due to the pressures of population growth. We started to develop new methods of agriculture that would allow us to produce more food to feed more people. In the 1920s, we started to see the introduction of chemical pesticides and mechanical harvesters during the industrial revolution. This changed farming drastically to something far removed from the traditional organic methods we had previously relied upon.

Now we’re at a turning point. We’re discovering that industrial methods of farming are destroying our planet in complex ways that we’re only really beginning to understand. And this realisation calls for change. By increasing the use of organic farming methods we are beginning a healing process. We, (and I mean predominantly the white privileged when I say ‘we’ here) need to reconnect with our routes and learn from communities and cultures where a connection to the earth is still a fundamental part of their life. It’s important that we relearn and reconnect in order to survive. We need to make a dramatic cultural shift away from greed fueled capitalism, towards balance, harmony, compassion and community. Our future existence as a species depends on it.

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Photo by Nandhu Kumar on Unsplash

But lets not spend too much time wallowing in the guilt about what we’ve done and become. Nothing can be learned without first making mistakes. If we choose to step foot in the right direction as a result of what we have learned, we will heal and we will become the humans we were always meant to be – true earthlings. 

Certification

To be a certified organic farmer, a set of standards that comply with strict regulations must be met. These regulations ensure that farmers work to sustain the health of soils, ecosystems, animals and people. In order for farmers to market their products as organic they must be legally certified to do so. In the UK every organic farm and company must undergo an annual inspection. These are carried out by certified bodies to ensure they are compliant with regulations. 

Tip: Look for the word ‘organic’ on food packaging. This is a protected term that cannot legally be used unless the farm or company is certified organic. Do not fall for terms like ‘natural’. Only the term ‘organic’ will guarantee that the food, drink and other products you’re buying have been made in a way that is better for farm animals, wildlife and the natural environment.

I would also highly recommend you look out for labels on packaging that prove it is certified organic. There is a handy link at the bottom of this post where you can find out more about food labels you can trust.

Pesticides and fertilisers

As the name suggests, pesticides are used to kill ‘pests’, in other words, insects, weeds and fungal diseases that damage crops. However there are many recent studies that show this is having a detrimental impact on biodiversity. Our planet is now in the midst of a biodiversity crisis and insects are in decline globally. 

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Pesticides do not only kill ‘pests’. They also kill important pollinating insects like humble honey bees. Bees are just one example of an essential pollinator that are, unfortunately killed by pesticides. The decline in bees and other pollinating insects is worrying, because they form a hugely important part of an interconnected system that supports all humans – that’s you and me. As this quote attributed to Albert Einstein sums up bluntly – without bees, humans will eventually and quickly cease to exist. And so then, it is vitally important that we change the way we view nature. Nature is our ally, not our enemy. By fighting against nature, we are essentially fighting against ourselves.

In the UK, the Soil Association only permits certified farmers to use naturally derived pesticides as a last resort. Instead of relying on pesticides, organic farmers work with the natural balance of nature to fight pests. Rather than driving nature out, they encourage birds and predatory insects like ladybirds to control ‘pests’ by eating them. Farmers are also selective with crop breeds to reduce the risk of plant diseases on their farms.

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Photo by Christopher Martyn on Unsplash

On organic farms, synthetic fertilisers are simply not required because the farms support the nourishment of plants and crops naturally. Soil health is fundamental to the success of an organic farm. It is best for soils to have continuous cover. Fields are not tilled, exposing soils to erosion from the elements like in industrial farming methods. Instead organic farmers use clever crop rotations and farm plants like legumes, which absorb nitrogen from the atmosphere. This helps keep the soil enriched and naturally fertile. Farmers also replenish the nutrients in soil using compost and animal manure. 

Compared with conventional farming, organic farms are largely self sustaining. Ideally, organic farms should rely very little on external inputs for them to be sustainable and financially viable.

Animal welfare

A huge added bonus of organic farming is that animal welfare is taken incredibly seriously. Every facet of welfare is covered under organic standards, from living conditions and feed, to the transportation of animals and humane methods of slaughter.

Unlike some other ‘free-range’ labels, organically farmed animals fit the true definition of free-range. Animals on organic farms are given lots of space to move around. They have access to the outdoors and are raised in conditions that allow them to express their natural behaviours. This means smaller flocks of chickens and other poultry birds and smaller herds of sheep and cows, with more space to dig and graze and frolic. 

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Photo by Zachariah Smith on Unsplash

Another important factor when it comes to the organic farming of animals is that routine antibiotics use is neither needed or permitted. The use of preventative antibiotics to keep animals healthy is not required when animals are farmed in a way that doesn’t damage their health. It really is as simple as that. The animals are also fed a natural, organic diet, which ensures healthier, happier animals. 

Organic farms are not banned entirely from using antibiotics, but they must only be used as a last resort. Organisations like the Soil Association have gone as far to ban the use of antibiotics that are important for human health entirely, such as Colistin. This is critically important because the overuse of said antibiotics can impact their effectiveness in treating disease. It goes without saying, that we need our antibiotics to be reliable.

Genetically Modified crops

Most non-organic animals are fed genetically modified (GM) foods. These are usually grown in very large industrial monocultures. This is a huge problem because growing animal feed in this way takes up a massive amount of land. The majority of farmland in the USA is used to farm GM corn and soy in order to make animal feed and fuel. Farms like these are responsible for the destruction of the natural environment through the depletion of fertile soils and deforestation. Agricultural land like this could instead be covered by forests, or be used to farm crops for human consumption, solving food poverty issues.

Organic farming standards ban the use of all GM ingredients. Animals on organic farms can only be fed a natural, organic diet. Organic farmers and processors are responsible for protecting their products from contamination with banned GM ingredients. 

By buying organic you are not only supporting good farming practices but you are also having a wider impact by not supporting industrial farming that damages our planet.

Artificial colours and preservatives 

Organic farming methods restrict the use of artificial colours, preservatives and other additives in their products. You can rest assured that your food will be free of toxic chemicals, hydrogenated fats, and other highly processed additives when you choose organic.

Organic food is generally healthier and far closer to its natural form than other non-organic products. When you buy organic, you know exactly what you’re putting in your body.

Why organic?

I’ve already mentioned quite a few reasons why buying organic is the better choice above, but I’ve highlighted a few of those reasons in a little more detail below. These are what stand out to me most and are the key reasons why I make conscious decisions in the supermarket. 

Nutritious and delicious

It might sound obvious, but food grown in healthy soil is more nutritious and there are studies to prove it. 

A study published in the Journal of Agricultural Food Chemistry in 2003 found that organic fruits and vegetables are better for fighting cancer due to their higher concentrations of cancer fighting antioxidants compared with conventionally grown foods.

There is also evidence favoring organic food that comes from a million dollar study funded by the European Union called the Quality Low Input Food Project. This was a four year study, where the researchers obtained their results after growing fruit and vegetables, and raising cattle, on adjacent organic and non-organic sites.

The study found that organic produce is far more nutritious compared with non-organic produce. More specifically, organic fruit and vegetables contain up to 40% more antioxidants than those from conventional farming methods. Organic produce also has higher levels of many minerals that benefit health. Even organic milk contains up to 90% more antioxidants than non-organic milk!

I do also find that organic produce is more flavorful. It seems to make logical sense if the food contains more nutrients for it to taste of more. Organic food, in my opinion, is more delicious than non-organic food. It really is a win win!

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Photo by Brad Stallcup on Unsplash

Organic / regenerative farming Helps fight climate change and protects biodiversity

Organic farming is better for the planet. As mentioned previously in this post, Organic farming works with nature, not against it, supporting biodiversity. When we farm organically, the surrounding air and the water in nearby rivers and lakes doesn’t become polluted by synthetic fertilisers. Wildlife isn’t poisoned by toxic chemical pesticides and soils aren’t exposed to erosion through tilling, but are kept nutritionally rich, healthy and able to sustain life.

There is a whole world beneath our feet. Soil is a habitat for earthworms, beetles, woodlice and other tiny organisms that form a part of an important ecosystem that benefits the plants that are rooted in it.

Soil dwelling creatures twist and burrow and nibble their way through our soils, increasing nutrient availability, improving water drainage and soil stability. Worms feed on the debris of plants, such as dead roots and fallen leaves. Their digestive system concentrates the organic and mineral components in the food they eat. Then small heaps of nutrient rich muddy soil, otherwise known as casts, are excreted by the worms. Nitrogen in the worm casts is then absorbed by plants. Worms and other annelids along with mollusks and insects provide food for birds and mammals like hedgehogs. In other words, without healthy soil, the whole ecosystem collapses.

Healthy soils also store more carbon. In fact, keeping soil healthy around the world is one of the most effective ways we can fight climate change because of the carbon storage potential of healthy soils. There are billions and billions of tons of carbon stored in soils globally. It amounts to more than there is stored in plants, trees and the atmosphere combined! 

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Photo by sippakorn yamkasikorn on Unsplash

Industrial farming causes stored carbon to be released into the atmosphere from the soil through erosive plowing. This is not the case on organic farms.

By choosing to buy organic produce and products, you are supporting farmers who are leading the way towards a better future with a sustainable food industry. You’re supporting farmers that keep carbon in the soil. 

What can you do as an individual to help support the regenerative movement?

Use your buying power

We can all vote with our hard earned cash every time we head out to buy groceries and other products. There are even organic beauty products, household items and clothing that we can choose instead of other alternatives.

At the same time, I know is it somewhat discriminatory to ask everyone to buy organic all the time. Organic products can be expensive and not everyone can afford them. Choose organic if you have the privilege to spend a little more on your weekly shop, but if this isn’t feasible for you there are other things you can do to support the movement.

If you can, it’s also advisable to shop locally at farm shops and farmers markets. This way your food is more likely to have a smaller carbon footprint than the food you buy in the supermarket. You’ll also be supporting small local businesses.

Montezuma’s extraordinary Chocolate
Delicious organic British made chocolate

Work on your connection to the earth

If you feel disconnected from nature, there are lots of things you can do to rekindle that connection. Check out my post 15 ways to reconnect with nature for some ideas for things you can try today.

Educate yourself

Spend time reading about organic farming and watching documentaries. This is how I know what I know and it has ignited a huge passion within me to share this knowledge with the world. I have an idealistic vision for what our future world could look like. But it’s not just a fantasy. We can bring these visions and dreams to life if we all make a little effort to push society in the right direction. We are all individually responsible for being the change we want to see in the world.

Use your voice

If what you have read today speaks to your curiosity I only ask that you use your voice and share this with others. As a movement we need more voices. I recently attended a webinar about regenerative farming. It was a Facebook live hosted by Earthday.org. The maximum number of people who tuned in at one point was only about 67. It’s simply not enough if we want to make a powerful impact and push for real large scale change. If you’re interested, here is a link to the webinar on Facebook. It was a hugely insightful and important conversation and I’d highly recommend you give it a watch if you have the time to spare.

This years theme for Earth Day is ‘Restore Our Earth’. This is the perfect opportunity to join in with the conversation around organic and sustainable farming along with other restorative practices such as tree planting. We can all contribute to cultivating a healthy future for all beings so lets feel empowered and take action together. Find out more.

Further reading and resources

The Soil Association

Visit the Soil Association website to learn more about organic farming in the UK. 

Kiss the Ground documentary 

This is a fantastic documentary all about organic and regenerative farming and the importance of healthy soil. The documentary is currently available on Netflix. You can find out more about the documentary on the Kiss the Ground website. Watch the trailer below.

Organic-bio.com

This is a really handy website owned and run by Iporex Organics International (Iporex Ltd) and is a directory of organic food wholesalers and suppliers. 

I would highly recommend you always look for labels on products that prove they are certified organic. In the UK, the key label to look out for is the Soil Association. It is also important that we try our best to buy organic when we travel too. 

There is a fantastic list of labels you can trust on the website here.

Happen Films

Check out Happen Films on YouTube. There are documentary films about sustainability and permaculture as well as tiny houses and natural building. There are some really beautiful films on their channel and a lot of them are quite short – bitesized inspiration! Happen Films aim to inspire change in people’s lives, creating a better world. I’ve personally found these really interesting and inspiring.

Find out more on the Happen Films website.

As I find more resources I will continue to update this list. 


Thank you for reading, have a beautiful day. 

~ Faine