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Origin Organic |
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Story : Marcus Williamson |
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Additionally, we prepare fewer meals at home, preferring to eat out at a restaurant, a fast food joint or simply heat up another pre-prepared microwave meal. Whilst admittedly these foods are fast and convenient, they provide little in the way of quality nourishment, quite the opposite, the modern day diet is, quite literally, killing us. The word ‘organic’ has, in recent years, been coined on a global scale to identify foods that have been grown or reared without the use of synthetic chemicals, it’s a sad statement of our modern day society that we now have to label a natural product in order to differentiate it from the mainstream comparison which could well be labelled as ‘normal’. In 1985 ‘normal’ farm land totalled 99.9% of all EU farm land, by 2002 ‘normal’ farming occupied a slightly less 96.7% indicating that organic farming methods are on the increase, slowly but surely. A popular misbelief is that farmers have to grow ‘normal’ chemically altered foods due to the vast quantities required to feed the amount of people on the planet. In fact, as the applied chemicals continue to accumulate, degrade the soil and pollute water tables, the actual crop and livestock’s ability to resist disease lessens and so more aggressive chemicals need to be used, a vicious circle. If the same fields where replanted using organic methods then, after a 3 year ‘withdrawl’ period, the organic crops would produce the same, if not more per hectare whilst evolving a natural resistance to naturally evolving disease. So, why don’t all farmers switch to organic? Unfortunately, most farmers are subsidised by their governments, many of whom have strong links with the chemical companies and therefore heavily biased in favour of ‘normal’ non-organic methods - this fact is also the main reason why organic foods carry a financial premium. Eating healthy, nutritional foods that are free from synthetic chemicals is only one of several intelligent reasons for switching to organic. Whilst you may not be surprised to learn that organic fruits, vegetables, crops, meat, poultry and fish all have a highly nutritional value, you may be surprised to learn that ‘normal’ non-organic foods, aside from the cocktail of ‘added’ toxins, now have a substantially reduced nutritional value which is not necessarily apparent as the visual impact of non-organic foods suggest otherwise.
Due to the current pricing and availability of organic foods it can be difficult for the consumer to make an educated choice when putting food on the table for their family. However, many local food markets supplying local produce, often, due to lack of monies needed to purchase expensive chemicals, are abundant with fresh organic and relatively inexpensive produce. Seeking out a local supplier of organic produce can be a highly rewarding experience, not only are you taking control of what chemicals you allow in your body, you are also assisting the environment by cutting down on carbon emissions (global warming) which has increased 4 fold from 2000-2005, compared with data from the preceding 10 years, as many everyday non-organic, non-local products found at your local ‘supermarket’ have been flown around the world to end up on your table. Organic is simply a new way of classifying an old way, before chemicals and mass production of force grown foods. It was once said “If we forget where we have been, how will we ever know where we are going. Looking back reminds us that we are able to fulfil our nutritional needs, organically, without jeopardising the very fabric of our existence. Marcus Williamson, health writer, co-founder and CEO of Puriti Programs for Life, global
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The way we eat has changed dramatically over the last 30 years, our foods are now highly processed, in many cases, beyond recognition. 
For example, shopping for a chicken can be a minefield. A large juicy looking chicken, at a very low price, sitting next to an organic chicken that appears substantially smaller and perhaps twice the price creates a dilemma, do you go for ‘alleged’ value and quantity, or health? When you remove the visual image and look at the nutritional and humanitarian aspects, it starts to make a little more sense, for example, organic chickens have access to an outdoor natural environment and live a natural life for around 63-70 days before heading off for the table. In comparison, the cheap ‘value’ for money, non-organic ‘force grown’ chickens are reared in flocks of up to 100,000 living in a single shed and have an un-natural existence for only around 38 days. The end result is a partially formed ‘soft’ chicken that now provides a higher percentage of fat than it does protein along with a high level of various chemicals needed to ensure fast growth and disease resistance during its short life. So in this example, organic is not just about chemicals, actual nutritional value and animal welfare play a part along with the overall viability of a substandard product irrelevant of ‘value’. Which chicken would you choose now? |
Tropical Living: September 2007, Volume 7 Issue 4 |
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