More and more people are choosing to fill their fridges with organic food bought straight from the farmer rather than buy the pre-packaged versions off supermarket shelves. What's the big deal with organic food?
What is organic food?
Organic food is food that has been produced without pesticides, chemical fertilizers, or genetic modification. Organic animals are farmed with minimal use of antibiotics and they are also typically kept under better conditions. Producers of organic food try to keep their produce as natural as possible – at every stage from farm to fork.
The Food Fight
For many organic food buyers, moving away from mass-produced foods is really important for environmental, economic, and personal reasons. Some people prefer to buy organic food because it is often produced in an environmentally friendlier way. For example, organic food might be packaged using recycled or biodegradable materials. It is also usually purchased at local growers markets, which means it hasn’t been transported across the globe and added to all that carbon clogging up our atmosphere!
There are also lots of people who buy organic food so they can make sure that farmers get a fair cut of the profit. Selling groceries through big suppliers like supermarkets means that farmers have less control over the fairness of pricing. Weekend organic food markets allow farmers to sell directly to the public at retail cost without having to give a share to the middle-man – the supermarket. So you get to eat, the growers get paid, and everyone’s happy – except for the retailers, of course.
Other people just love organic food because it tastes better. It hasn’t been modified with hormones or chemicals so it’s better for your health, plus visiting an organic market is a super fun way to spend your Saturday or Sunday mornings. For food consultant Alison Alexander, the best part about buying organic is the community involvement. "The real advantage is meeting the maker, to put a face to that produce, to me that is the value of a farmers' market."
Hard to swallow
Because organic food doesn’t use pesticides or hormones, it often takes longer to produce and there isn’t as much food produced. Some plants might be damaged by insects or some livestock mightn’t be sold because of disease. This means that organic food tends to be more expensive than its mass produced counterparts. However, the growing demand for organic food is creating a larger market for organic farmers. This is helping to bring the price down.
To market, to market!
Why not check out your local organic market this weekend? You don't have to be sticking it to the supermarkets or campaigning against carbon to enjoy organic foods. You may just like to see what's being grown in your region. You might even get a free tasting!
How do I know this?
Paula Goodyer, Tied in ethical knots at the supermarket?, The Sydney Morning Herald
<http://blogs.smh.com.au/lifestyle/chewonthis/archives/2008/09/_it_was_good_to.html>
James Ferre, Organic farms open their doors for National Organic Week, Australian Food News
<http://www.ausfoodnews.com.au/2008/10/15/organic-farms-open-their-doors-for-national-organic-week.html>
Amanda Clark, Farmers markets drawing the crowds, ABC News
<http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/10/13/2389582.htm>
Claire Bruynius, Organic is growing, The Daily
<http://www.thedaily.com.au/news/2008/oct/09/organic-growing/>
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© 2008. First published on actnow.com.au
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