The Soil Association is encouraging people to ‘Organic’ their September by making a small change to their everyday shopping. After a year of unprecedented environmental protest, there’s never been a better time to shout about the role organic farming has to play in the climate change debate.
Organic farming is better for wildlife and therefore better for the planet, and it also builds healthy soils for more sustainable farming practices. Campaigning for more organic food and farming means that together, as global citizens, we can help to slow down climate change.
Plus, in 2016, scientific evidence found nutritional differences in organic vegetables, fruit and cereal crops, with organic crops shown to be up to 60% higher in a number of key antioxidants. So organic farming also has benefits for our health and wellbeing.
Wondering where to start? Here are the Soil Association’s top five easy changes to make for #OrganicSeptember:
Switch to organic milk: No system of farming produces milk with higher levels of omega 3 fatty acids or a healthier balance of omega-6. Eat less, but better, organic meat: Organic animals enjoy the very highest welfare standards of any farmed animals. They are fed a GM free diet and graze on organic pasture where pesticides are severely restricted. Switch to organic beauty: There are currently no legal standards for organic beauty so some products may be labelled ‘organic’ even if it doesn’t always stand true. Look for the Soil Association symbol to make sure that what you put on your body is as important as what goes in it. Sign up for an organic veg box: Organic farms support 50% more wildlife than non-organic farms, so you’re not just treating yourself to the best of British produce, you’re also helping to protect bees, birds and butterflies. Brew an organic tea or coffee: Organic tea and coffee is grown without the use of artificial pesticides and fertilisers. This not only reduces the farmers’ exposure in the developing world, it also means healthier soils and more habitats for birds and wildlife.
Want to know more? Watch this Soil Association video or visit soilassociation.org
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