Buying organic foods
Why should you buy organic foods?
- Organics defined
- Nutritional benefits of organics
- Cost of organics
- Going organic
- Organics in Australia
Organic foods have been grown without the use of pesticides, artificial fertilisers, hormones or antibiotics. Organic farmers promote farming methods that care for the environment, are sustainable and have animal welfare as a high priority.
Nutritional benefits of organics
It has been shown in studies that organic foods have higher levels of vitamins and minerals, including those cancer-fighting compounds - antioxidants which scavenge for free radicals to limit or prevent them from damaging the DNA.
Flavonoids (which are potent antioxidants) are produced by the plant to protect it from damage by their natural predators - insects. When pesticides and herbicides are used on plants, these naturally-occuring flavonoids are decreased. When plants are artificially protected from insects (through the use of pesticides and herbicides), they do not produce as much antioxidants because there is not as much need to do so. By using these chemicals to protect plants from disease and pests, a two-fold negative effect is produced - (1) the plants produce less antioxidants, so that when we eat them, they do not provide the high levels of antioxidant protection as organic foods grown naturally would, (2) the environment is poisoned by these pesticides and herbicides.
Organic foods contain higher levels of the cancer-protecting antioxidants and are preferable to conventional foods. Check to see if the food is certified by the proper certifying authority.
Organic foods are somewhat more expensive than conventional foods, mainly because there are more costs associated with producing organic products and also because it is still a smaller industry than conventional farm. Organic farming is still in it's infancy, although it is the only way that farming was done in the past, before chemicals were introduced.
Organic farming take-up is growing steadily, as more farmers are realising the benefits to them and their families. The more farmers that use these natural farming methods, the more the costs of the foods will be lowered.
To start eating organics, the best way to do this, if cost is an issue, is to be a selective organic food shopper. To do this:
- Try to buy organics of the foods that have the most chemicals applied - such as: strawberries, lettuce, tomatoes, pears and apples
- Other fruits and vegetables that have a skin that is peeled can be bought from the conventional range
- Try to buy organics of the foods that are eaten most and conventional of the foods that are eaten least
- Check to make sure the food is certified by the relevant certifying authority
The following are references for organics in Australia:
- Biological Farmers of Australia
Provides information about biodynamic and organic farming
- The National Associate of Sustainable Agriculture Australia (NASAA)
Australian and International Organic Certifier
- Australia Certified Organic
Australian and International Organic Certifier
- The Organic Federation of Australia
The peak body for the Organic Industry in Australia
- Biodynamic Agriculture Australia
Provides information about biodynamic farming
- Organic Consumers Association
Provides information about organic agriculture
