ORGANIC
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Since this month is “Organic September”, we’ve enlisted some local experts to share their expertise and explain what the O-word actually means — and why going organic is a good thing.
n a world where we are facing ever-increasing issues relating to climate change, diet-related illhealth and a widespread decline in wildlife, the need to be mindful of our food systems, and make changes to the way we view them, has never been greater. Organic September is a month-long campaign by the Soil Association, to raise awareness of the benefits of organic food and farming.
WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN? Organic is a word that's bandied around a lot these days, but for many people, what the label really means is a bit of a mystery. In reality though, it's not too complicated — at least not according to people at Yeo Valley Organic in Somerset (and they should know, since they’ve been an organic brand for more than 25 years!). “It means no chemical pesticides, fertilisers; not using antibiotics as a preventative measure (antibiotics can be used if the animals are sick when it becomes a necessary medicine),” says Adrian Carne, Yeo Valley Managing Director. “It means higher animal welfare and truly free-range livestock fed on a grassbased diet.” Mark Bury, founder and director of Eversfield Organic in Devon, explains more. “Organic food is made in the most natural way,
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without any artificial fertilisers, pesticides, livestock feed or manmade resources — the way nature intended,” he says.
ANIMAL WELFARE According to the Soil Association, organic farming has the highest animal welfare standards of any international farming system; which means truly-free range animals, encouraged to forage, graze and roam, with plenty of space, fresh air, and conditions that allow them to express their natural behaviours. This is certainly the case at Eversfield Organic, as Mark tells us: “At Eversfield Organic, our cattle and lamb are only fed on a 100 per cent organic grass fed and finished diet, with our other meat fed on organic, natural feed. The animals are also allowed to roam, graze and forage freely, expressing natural behaviours. This high level of animal welfare also means the need for antibiotics is reduced — keeping these out of the food chain. Indoor living forces the requirement of veterinary visits and antibiotics.”
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT Modern life means that almost every part of our lives has some impact on the environment, but by choosing food that has been produced organically, we can lessen the negative effects, as Tom Richardson, Communications Manager at The Community Farm, near Chew Magna in
Somerset, tells us. “The way food is produced has a massive impact on our health and the health of the planet. A whopping 75 per cent of land in the UK is used for agriculture and about 20 per cent of our greenhouse gas emissions come from food, so the food system has a huge role to play in answering the climate and nature crises. According to a recent report by the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations, if Europe’s farmland all went organic, agricultural greenhouse gas emissions could drop by up to 50 per cent by 2050 and we’d still provide plenty of healthy food for everyone,” he says.
Eversfield Organics’ Mark agrees: “Organic food is better for the planet, as avoiding man-made fertilisers and utilising waste products, such as organic compost in our closed-loop regenerative farming model, provides naturally nutritious soil to sustain crops and livestock. Using less energy than intensive, traditional farming, organic farming and supporting local farm shops can reduce food miles and ultimately CO2 emissions.” He continues: “It’s also better for the soil, which is a vital investment into our future. Organic farming adds to the natural humus (no
