Celebrating everything organic!
Organic September is here just in time for harvest celebrations and this month we are reflecting on what organic really means and why we choose to be organic...
When we first started making brownies from our home kitchen 10 years ago, we made a commitment to sourcing ingredients which regenerated the planet, so that each brownie we put out into the world would be filled with deliciousness and purpose.
Why Organic?
Organic food is free from chemical inputs such as weed killers and artificial fertilisers. Many studies have shown that pesticides and synthetic fertilisers not only destroy soil health and biodiversity but also harm the health of our bodies.
Did you know there are 20 to 40% more antioxidants in organic food than non-organic food?
What is Organic?
As well as being free from chemical inputs, organic food is also No-GM, contains no artificial colours or preservatives and limits the use of antibiotics. The standards set by organic certifying bodies such as the Soil Association “help to sustain the health of soils, ecosystems, animals and people”.
Priced Out
The higher price of organic food inhibits more people buying it. 62% of US consumers said they would buy organic if it were more affordable. So how can it be made more affordable and therefore encourage more people to buy and more farmers to convert to organic farming?
In ‘The Hidden Cost of Food’ report, the Sustainable Food Trust highlighted that the UK food system generates hidden costs of over £116 billion a year. If the government were to tax non-organic food for the severe environmental and health costs associated with chemical, industrialised agriculture, the price of non-organic food would be higher than that of organic.
This would bring about a revolution in food and farming where people could make buying choices which supported the regeneration of the planet and improved human health.
Beyond Organic
We believe we can and must feed the world with a food and farming system free from chemicals, mono crops and industrialised farming. Organic is the first step towards this as it prevents the use of harmful inputs and its standards help to implement farming practices which support the health of planet and people.
Farming practices such as Permaculture, Biodynamic, Syntropic, Agro-ecology and Agro-forestry look beyond organic and each carry wisdom as to how we can create a food and farming system which can feed the world in harmony with the planet. Each of these practices have their roots in indigenous farming, which we can look back to for ancient wisdom to inform modern day food production.
Get involved in the #OrganicSeptember movement. Together we can make a difference.