go organic

The latest buzz words are "GO ORGANIC".

What does it mean to "go organic"? Organic foods are produced according to certain production standards, that is, they are grown without the use of conventional pesticides, artificial fertilizers, human waste or sewage sludge and that they were processed without ionizing radiation or food additives. Livestock are reared without the routine use of antibiotics and without the use of growth hormones. In most countries, organic produce must not be genetically modified.

Organic food production is legally regulated. Currently, the European Union, the United States of America, Canada, Japan and many other countries require producers to obtain organic certification in order to market food as organic.

Historically, organic farms have been relatively small family-run farms, which is why organic food was once only available in small stores or farmers' markets. However, since the early 1990s organic food production has had growth rates of around 20% a year, far ahead of the rest of the food industry, in both developed and developing nations. As of April 2008, organic food accounts for 1-2% of food sales worldwide. Future growth is expected to range from 10-50% annually depending on the country.

Processed organic food usually contains only organic ingredients. If non-organic ingredients are present, at least a certain percentage of the food's total plant and animal ingredients must be organic (95% in the United States of America and Australia) and any non-organically produced ingredients are subject to various agricultural requirements. Foods claiming to be organic must be free of artificial food additives and are often processed with fewer artificial methods, materials and conditions (no chemical ripening, no food irradiation and no genetically modified ingredients, etc.).

They may also be required to be produced using energy-saving technologies and packaged using recyclable or biodegradable materials when possible.

Early consumers interested in organic food would look for non-chemically treated, fresh or minimally processed food. They mostly had to buy directly from growers: "Know your farmer, know your food" was the motto. Personal definitions of what constituted "organic" were developed through firsthand experience: by talking to farmers, seeing farm conditions, and farming activities. Small farms grew vegetables (and raised livestock) using organic farming practices, with or without certification, and the individual consumer monitored. As demand for organic foods continues to increase, high volume sales through mass outlets such as supermarkets are rapidly replacing the direct farmer connection. However, for supermarket consumers, food production is not easily observable, and product labeling, like "certified organic", is relied on. Government regulations and third-party inspectors are looked to for assurance. A "certified organic" label is usually the only way for consumers to know that a processed product is "organic".

It is a common belief that organic food is very expensive. In general, organic food costs more than conventional food because of the laborious and time-intensive systems used by the typically smaller organic farms. You may find that the benefits of organic agriculture off-set this additional cost. At the same time, there are ways to purchase organic while sticking to your budget. There are several factors we should take into consideration when questioning the price of organic:-

(a) Organic farmers do not receive federal subsidies like conventional farmers do. Therefore, the price of organic food reflects the true cost of growing.

(b) The price of conventional food does not reflect the cost of environmental cleanups that we pay for through our tax dollars.

(c) Organic farming is more labour and management intensive.

Is eating organic food the same as eating natural food? Natural foods do not contain additives or preservatives, but they may contain ingredients that have been grown with pesticides or are genetically modified. In other words, the ingredients in the ingredient panel will look familiar, but they have not been produced organically. Natural foods are not regulated and do not meet the same criteria that organic foods do.

Many of us balk at the thought of eating organic food because we have this perception that organic food is unpalatable. This may have been true of processed foods at one time (for example, crackers or pretzels). However, this stereotype is as outdated as the hippie connotations that follow it. Today many organic snack foods taste the same as their conventional counterparts, while most people agree that fresh, locally grown organic produce does not compare to the alternative. Even organic produce that is not in season and has been shipped thousands of miles to reach our supermarkets' shelves cannot compare to the produce found in our own back yard or at farmers markets. Taste is certainly an individual matter, so give organic a try and see what you think! Try baking a couple batches of cookies or prepare a couple of bowls of fruit or vegetable salad; use organic ingredients in one and conventional ingredients in the other.

Here are some recipes that you may like to try:-

(A) ORGANIC DRINK

When my colleagues and I had a business lunch with some clients on 28 October 2008 at a Chinese restaurant, we were each given a complimentary drink at the end of the lunch. The drink was served in a test tube and was very red in colour. I took a sip and tasted beetroot. When we asked the waitress what was in the drink, she said that it was an organic drink and was very healthy.

Here are the ingredients for the organic drink:-

(a) beetroot

(b) lemon juice

(c) green apple

I do not know the proportion of the ingredients. I have not tried concocting the organic drink yet but I intend to do so in the near future. What was really interesting is that there was mixed reaction to the organic drink - the women loved the drink whereas the men all made a face when they took a first sip of the drink!

(B) SCENTED DUSTING POWDER

1 cup corn starch

1 tbsp orrisroot powder

1/4 tsp essential oil

Spoon the cornstarch and orrrisroot powder into a blender and run on low speed. Slowly add essential oil and blend well. The dusting powder can be applied with a powder puff.

(C) SEA MUD BODY MASK

2 tbsp Sea Mud Base (Sea Kelp, Green Clay, Calcium Carbonate, Baking soda, Xanthan gum)
5-6 drops of essential oils
1 cup distilled or filtered water (heated)

Blending Mask:Beat all ingredients together, using a whisk or hand blender, until mask begins to thicken into a paste. Add essential oils and blend well. If the mask is not being used immediately, pour into a clean plastic bag, knot at the end and refrigerate (3-4 days). Place bag in boiling water until warm to use your mask. The shelf life for the mask is 2 weeks refrigerated

(D) BATH COOKIES

2 cups finely ground sea salt
1/2 cup baking soda
1/2 cup cornstarch
2 tbsp light oil
1 tsp vitamin E oil
2 eggs
5-6 drops essential oil

Preheat your oven to 175 degrees celsius. Mix together all the ingredients. Take a teaspoon of the dough and roll it gently into a ball (about an inch in diameter). Continue doing this with all the dough and place the balls on an ungreased cookie sheet. (You can decorate the cookies with clove buds, anise seeds, or dried citrus peel if you wish.) Bake the cookies for 10 minutes, until they are lightly browned. Do not over bake. Allow the cookies to cool completely.

To use: drop 1 or 2 cookies into a warm bath and allow to dissolve.

Yield: 24 cookies, enough for 12 baths.

(E) BEAUTY WATER

1 egg white
1 tbsp honey
1 1/2 tsp vodka or witch hazel
2 drops lemon essential oil
2 drops lavender essential oil
2 drops thyme essential oil

Mix together all ingredients. Place in a clean container and keep in the refrigerator. At night before retiring, pour a teaspoonful in the palm of your hand or on cotton ball and rub over face and neck, letting it dry. If desired, in the morning, an hour before bathing, repeat the operation, also letting the liquid dry. Regular use of this preparation for four weeks will give the skin an extraordinary beauty and freshness.

Sources

(1) Wikipedia

(2) organic.org

(3) health-cares.net