I am firmly in the camp of those who buy fresh, organic produce from local farmers.
But what is organic and which foods are classed as organic and how are they certified?
Well, it seems that the organic food market is fast becoming a multi-million dollar industry…Should we be scared? I am!…so far in my lifetime and I could be proved wrong and am happy to be proved wrong however I don’t know of any big national conglomerate which is totally organic…
Organic farming first began as an alternative method of farming, a healthier way of farming without growing produce using man-made pesticides and fertilisers or contain and use genetically modified organisms (GMO’s)…There are still these small farmers who have no official certification but they follow to the T organic procedures and also take a whole farm approach and practise long term sustainability thus protecting the environment.
This is where local knowledge is a bonus as is getting to know your farmer…You also know that your carbon footprint is very low… Farm to the door can just be a few minutes or a few miles and delivered with a smile.
The certified large scale producers produce the food which your local stores sell…typically that food has travelled long distances…
These operations may buy specific allowable products, such as fish emulsion or blood meal to use as fertilizer rather than working within the farm to increase soil fertility. While this decrease in synthetic chemical use benefits the environment compared with industrial agriculture, these methods may not promote long-term sustainability, since off-farm products usually require greater fossil fuel use than sustainable farming practises.
Some research shows that organically produced crops have higher nutritional content than comparable non-organic crops, and some people find organic foods to be tastier.
The question remains, however, whether organic food shipped in from across the globe is truly a sustainable method of food production. Certainly organically produced food from a local farmer who employs an integrated whole-farm approach is fairly environmentally sustainable, though the economic sustainability of such an endeavour can be challenging.
Although we must decrease our reliance on fossil fuels to combat climate change, many organic policies do little to address the issue of sustainability, focusing instead on the strict list of prohibited substances, rather than a comprehensive long-term view of farming and food which your local farmer does…
It would be near nigh impossible to cover the whole world with regard to organic farming procedures and produce…Here are the top four…some surprises here for me…
China…always in the news one way or another and much of it not complimentary…I hold my hands up when I say I look at where things I wish to buy are produced and steer clear where possible…There has also not been a shortage of reports in the news citing food quality and safety scandals…HOWEVER…there is a rapidly expanding food culture plus there is a revolution in ecological food and ethical eating in China’s cities.
There is the development of a “formal” organic sector, created by “top-down” state-developed standards and regulations, and an “informal” organic sector, created by ‘bottom-up’ grassroots struggles for safe, healthy, and sustainable food. This is generating a new civil movement focused on ecological agriculture and quality food.
My research is leading me to believe that globally people are speaking and doing…not relying on the big multi conglomerates but looking at their local areas what they can do and they are doing it!
BUT…be very careful when you are buying from a small company as all is not as it first seems…Way back when I lived in the UK…I loved Burts Bees their soaps and natural products…It seems the lure of big money and trust me the big conglomerates have that…brought them out…
Brands like Burt’s Bees attract environmentally conscious consumers. They rely on being marketed as local and natural, but many people have no clue that these brands are part of globe-spanning corporations.
Quality often drops as a result.
Which leads me to conclude that will the small farmers win us over or be swallowed up? I think I know the answer to that in my heart…Yes, I am scared!
Thank you for reading..enjoy your week, laugh a lot and be kind xx
About Carol Taylor:
Enjoying life in The Land Of Smiles I am having so much fun researching, finding new, authentic recipes both Thai and International to share with you. New recipes gleaned from those who I have met on my travels or are just passing through and stopped for a while. I hope you enjoy them.
I love shopping at the local markets, finding fresh, natural ingredients, new strange fruits and vegetable ones I have never seen or cooked with. I am generally the only European person and attract much attention and I love to try what I am offered and when I smile and say Aroy or Saab as it is here in the north I am met with much smiling.
Some of my recipes may not be in line with traditional ingredients and methods of cooking but are recipes I know and have become to love and maybe if you dare to try you will too. You will always get more than just a recipe from me as I love to research and find out what other properties the ingredients I use contain to improve our health and wellbeing.
Exciting for me hence the title of my blog, Retired No One Told Me! I am having a wonderful ride and don’t want to get off, so if you wish to follow me on my adventures, then welcome! I hope you enjoy the ride also and if it encourages you to take a step into the unknown or untried, you know you want to…….Then, I will be happy!
Have a great week, stay safe and be well xx
