It’s disheartening when we hear individuals dismissing organic food as nothing more than a hip, 21st-century trend for the middle classes. For us, it's a lazy argument. There’s nothing faddy about organics, heck, until the middle of last century, all the food we ate was organically produced. Organic food is the norm - the hyper-processed, super-industrialised, chemical-laden products are the intruders that have plagued our diets for the past few decades.

The arguments for choosing organic food, buying locally and supporting organic farmers are nothing less than compelling. In this latest blog from Loving Foods, we’re getting on our veggie crate and sharing three reasons why organic food is better. For your health, for your conscience and for the world around you.

1. A Diet Free of Pesticides and Heavy Metals.

The dreaded P-word. Pesticides. Or, bluntly speaking, poisons. The National Farmers Union aggressively defend their use of pesticides and in doing so, consumers blindly ingest chemicals that have no purpose but to seek and destroy. It’s madness. The National Organic Standard Board outright refuses the use of pesticides or synthetic fertilisers in the organic production of grains, fruits and vegetables. Conventional farming operations deem that the quantities used in their practices are within “safe limits”, however, health experts state there is damage that this chemical-laden produce does over time.

A study by the British Journal of Nutrition asserts that organically grown crops not only show close to nil detectable chemicals pesticides, but due to the natural sources of fertilisation used, they are also 48% less likely to test positive for Cadmium, a toxic heavy metal that accumulates in the liver and kidneys.

1. Antibiotic Apocalypse for Animals (and those who consume them).

If animal welfare is top of your agenda, you’ll be comforted to know that the CIWF (Compassion in World Farming) support organic as the best form of humane and sustainable agriculture. CIWF class organic practices for raising livestock as “the best in action”. For instance, organic agricultural operations only treat unwell animals with antibiotics when they indicate clinical signs of illness. Intensive farming practices, on the other hand, use antibiotics constantly as a preventative measure.

They use antibiotics to treat stressed, disease-prone, factory-farmed animals. Globally, concern is climbing over the hackneyed use of antibiotics in farming - farm animals account for almost two-thirds of all antibiotics used and consumed in the EU. This infiltration increases our exposure to antibiotic-resistant superbugs. And you all know how we feel about antibiotics.

3. Additive-Free, Antioxidant-Rich.

One of the longest-running investigations into the nutritional value of organic foods recently discovered that organic onions contain 20% higher antioxidant content than conventionally grown onions. The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry carried this study for 6 years, and assert that previous studies that have slated the nutritional value of organic produce, simply did not give the research the time it required.

Another persuasive reason for sticking with organic is to avoid the additives that go hand in hand with mass food production. Organic food manufacturers are permitted to use just 45 of the thousands permitted in Europe. These 45 additives are derived solely from natural sources, such as lecithin and citric acid, and are allowed in organic food. No artificial flavourings, bulking agents or nasty colourants are permitted. If you don’t want a “chemical cocktail”, stick with organic.

Why Organic Food is Better for You.

There’s no denying that organic products are more expensive than conventional ones and whether they’re really worth the extra cost has to be an individual decision. If you’re in a position to afford all organic produce, that’s wonderful, but understandably, it might not be feasible for everyone.

If it’s not, the most important groups to buy organic are foods that you eat day-in and day-out, or those on the ‘Dirty Dozen’ list that have the highest levels of pesticide contamination. If you eat eggs, dairy and meat, we recommend that you make organic choices here when you can also. It’s especially beneficial for young children, the elderly, pregnant women and those who are affected by allergies, to support wellness by choosing organically produced foods.

Loving Foods is licensed to manufacture and supply organic foods. We are certified by the Organic Food Federation: GB-ORG-04, who inspect us once a year to make sure that we meet regulations set at UK, European and International levels. These rules, known as standards, are designed to protect consumers and ensure that they are buying genuine organic products that can be fully traced back to the source.

Organic produce is the only organised, coherent, global alternative to the industrial food epidemic and we’re proud to stand by other organic producers and consumers to fight the good fight.

We all deserve better.