Organic

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"Organic" has become more than just a buzzword in today's health-conscious society; it's a lifestyle

choice embraced by millions worldwide. The term "organic" refers to a holistic approach to agriculture
and food production that prioritizes natural processes and sustainability. Organic farming is the
production of food without the use of synthetic chemicals or genetically modified components.
Organic foods are not necessarily completely chemical free, but the pesticide residues will be
considerably lower than those found in produce manufactured with synthetic chemicals. Organic
food is grown without the use of synthetic chemicals, such as human-made pesticides and fertilizers,
and does not contain genetically modified organisms. Organic foods include fresh produce, meats,
and dairy products as well as processed foods such as crackers, drinks, and frozen meals. Organic
farmers employ techniques like crop rotation, composting, and biological pest control to nurture the soil,
conserve water, and promote biodiversity..

Source: FIBL-IFOAM, The world of organic agriculture, 2015

How your food is grown or raised can have a major impact on your mental and emotional health as well
as the environment. Organic foods often have more beneficial nutrients, such as antioxidants, than their
conventionally-grown counterparts and people with allergies to foods, chemicals, or preservatives may
find their symptoms lessen or go away when they eat only organic foods.

FEWER PESTICIDES- Chemicals such as synthetic fungicides, herbicides, and insecticides


are widely used in conventional agriculture and residues remain on (and in) the food we eat.
UNPROCESSED- Organic food is often because it doesn’t contain preservatives that make it
last longer. Organic produce is sometimes (but not always, so watch where it is from) produced
on smaller farms nearer to where it is sold.
SUSTAINABLE- Organic farming tends to be better for the environment. Organic farming
practices may reduce pollution, conserve water, reduce soil erosion, increase soil fertility, and
use less energy. Farming without synthetic pesticides is also better for nearby birds and animals
as well as people who live close to farms. However, organic farming does often require more
land to produce the same amount of food as conventional agriculture, which can increase carbon
dioxide levels in the atmosphere.
HEALTH BENEFITS OF ORGANICALLY RAISED ANIMALS- :Organically raised
animals are NOT given antibiotics, growth hormones, or fed animal byproducts. Feeding
livestock animal byproducts increases the risk of mad cow disease (BSE) and the use of
antibiotics can create antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria. Organically-raised animals tend to be
given more space to move around and access to the outdoors, which helps to keep them healthy.
NUTRITIONAL SUPERIORITY- Organic meat and milk can be richer in certain
nutrients. Results of a 2016 European study show that levels of certain nutrients, including
omega-3 fatty acids, were up to 50 percent higher in organic meat and milk than in
conventionally raised versions.
GMO FREE- Organic food is GMO-free. Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) or
genetically engineered (GE) foods are plants whose DNA has been altered in ways that cannot
occur in nature or in traditional crossbreeding, most commonly in order to be resistant to
pesticides or produce an insecticide.

CATEGORIES OF ORGANIC FOOD

A whole range of fruits and vegetables are available organically in the markets. Apart
from the most commonly purchased organic foods such as fruits, vegetables, grains,
dairy products and meat, there are many processed organic products available such as
sodas, cookies and breakfast cereals. Organic milk and meat are richer in nutrients than
their conventionally grown counterparts.

The demand for organic foods began with fruits and vegetables given the evidence of
pesticide residues in them. However, the popularity of organic foods has now extended
to food grains, pulses, tea, spices and even oil seeds.

Apples, peaches, strawberries, grapes, celery, spinach, cucumbers, cherry, tomatoes,


peas, potatoes, and peppers are some of the fruits and vegetables that should be
bought organic as these are most heavily sprayed by pesticides in normal, usual or
regular farming methods.

In all, following foods are covered under the current organic standards:

1. Vegetables

Organic vegetables account for the majority consumption of organic food. Spinach,
tomatoes, cauliflower, potato, bitter gourd, carrot, capsicum and green chilli constitute a
significant part of the offered organic vegetable option. These vegetables mostly have
the exposure of humans rather than toxic chemicals and fertilizers. They are hand
weeded and densely planted.

2. Fruits and fruit juices

Organic fruits contribute a great deal towards the consumption of organic food products
in India. Fruits like alphonso mangoes, pomegranates, bananas, peaches
and apples are the most bought organic products. In such types of fruits, quick ripening
chemicals like acetylene gas in the form of calcium carbide are not used and shots of
ethylene hormone are also not given to the un-ripened fruits to fasten the ripening
process. The quality of organic fruits with consistent sweetness can be felt up to the
core of the fruit unlike chemically ripened fruits.

There is increasing preference for organic fruits juices these days. This includes
coconut water, orange juice, apple juice, pineapple juice, aloe vera juice, gooseberry
juice, amla juice etc.

3. Grains

Currently, organic food grains are in great demand as consumers are now becoming
increasingly aware and health conscious. Products in this category include wheat,
millet, corn, maize and rice. To grow these grains, mulches, organic fertilizers and cow
dung compost are used in place of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers, herbicides and
pesticides.

4. Legumes

Consumers are displaying marked preference for organic pulses including moong,
chana, toor, masoor, urad, arhar, kidney beans etc. It has been observed that
organically grown pulses are sweeter and enriched with high nutritional elements. In
addition to that, the aroma of cooked organic pulses speaks for itself and its elite level.

5. Dairy Products

Milk constitutes a popular item in the list of organic food products. In a simple language
organic milk means the milk obtained from cows that are not treated with growth
hormones and antibiotics and are fed on 100% organic products and allowed to graze
naturally. All this is undertaken to ensure that the produced milk is free from any
undesirable chemicals because the cattle’s produce is affected by what they eat.

6. Eggs

Organic eggs are produced from organic chickens that are kept on a natural diet and
grains devoid of any antibiotics, chemicals, egg shells or ground bones. These chickens
are not caged.
7. Meat

Organic meat is obtained from animals raised without treating, feeding and exposing
them to any radiation, herbicides, pesticides, sewage Sludge, additives, preservatives
or genetically modified organisms. Animals produced through organic means have
healthier environments than conventional farming where they are administered of
antibiotics, growth hormones and disease preventive medications. They are fed with
grass, grains, berries, seeds and green leafy plants. The organic meat thus produced is
enriched with Omega-3 and certainly is a healthier option than non-organic meats.

8. Beverages

Organic tea is in great demand at present. The reason for this is more flavoured leaves
and higher nutritional values of organic tea. Organic tea cultivation is based on the
conventional methods of farming to produce high-quality green leaves. In this method,
hand weeding is done to avoid herbicides and the weeded out plant material is mixed
with cow dung and used as fertilizer. Cow urine is used to protect plants from various
kinds of insects. Other popular organic beverages include coffee, jal jeera, aam panna,
nimbu pani, sugarcane juice, toddy and kokum juice

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