We’ve all heard about ‘Organic’ and ‘Free-range’ this and that. But what does it actually mean? Why should you choose these products? How do you know if they are legit? And the most common asked question… doesn’t it taste funny?

What is Organic?

This means that food that is grown without harmful synthetic pesticides, herbicides or fertilisers and is endorsed by recognised certification bodies and subject to strict rules for handling, processing, packaging, transport and storage

What is Organic Certification?

This is a certification process for producers of organic food and other organic agricultural products. In general, any business directly involved in food production can be certified, including seed suppliers, farmers, food processors, retailers and restaurants.

Requirements vary from country to country, and generally involve a set of production standards for growing, storage, processing, packaging and shipping that include:

• Avoidance of most synthetic chemical inputs (e.g. fertilizer, pesticides, antibiotics, food additives, etc), genetically modified organisms, irradiation, and the use of sewage sludge;

• Use of farmland that has been free from synthetic chemicals for a number of years (often, three or more);

• Keeping detailed written production and sales records (audit trail)

• Maintaining strict physical separation of organic products from non-certified products

• Undergoing periodic on-site inspections.

In some countries, the government oversees certification, and commercial use of the term organic is legally restricted. Certified organic producers are also subject to the same agricultural, food safety and other government regulations that apply to non-certified producers

Why should I buy Organic Food?

You’ve heard the term ‘ you are what you eat’ so here is a simple question… would you go to your kitchen cupboard and start drinking and eating all the cleaning materials you keep in your home? The Jik? The All-purpose cleaners, the window cleaners? No? Well eating non-organic food is pretty much the same thing. All the chemical sprays and highly toxic pesticides and fertilisers that are used in conventional farming goes directly into your body. And we wonder why we have cancer, and diabetes and other ‘modern’ diseases?

Does Organic Food taste funny?

If you prefer eating plastic then yes it would taste funny to you, if you prefer eating pure food the way nature intended it will taste great. Don’t confuse gluten-free, wheat-free, sugar-free etc with Organic, these are dietary preferences and have nothing to do with Organic farming, and yes glutton-free, sugar-free does taste bad, but your body will look great!

What is Free Range?

This is a term which denotes a method of farming husbandry where the animals are allowed to roam freely instead of being contained in any manner. The term is used in two senses that do not overlap completely: as a farmer-centric description of husbandry methods, and as a consumer-centric description of them. Farmers practice free range to achieve free-range or humane certification to reduce feed costs, to improve the happiness and liveliness of their animals, to produce a higher-quality product, and as a method of raising multiple crops on the same land.

Free range may apply to meat, eggs or dairy farming

Why should I buy Free-Range Products?

Just like all the chemicals that are used in conventional crop farming, the same is used in conventional meat-farming. Cows are not meant to eat grain, but are force-fed this food as farmers don’t want to use their money on pasture land that would provide them with their natural grass as a diet. Because of being grain-fed, the cows develop many physical problems and so have to be medicated with steroids and antibiotics, pretty much from the moment they are born.

Then they are kept shoulder to shoulder in pens, waiting for the day they are inhumanely killed, the constant stress that they are under causes adrenalin and cortisol in their bodies which in case you didn’t know is poisonous if released over any length of time. All of this you are eating.

If you care for your own health, if you care even a little bit about animals, you would only eat free-range and would reduce your meat consumption by half, we guarantee you that if you were to ever visit a conventional farm you become a vegetarian over night.  You don’t have to go that far – but you can make a difference

To learn more click here

Where can i purchase organic and free range produce?

Cape Town:

Pick n’ Pay
George Famer’s Market
Giovanni’s Deli
Noordhoek Farm Village
Woolworths
Creeds
Organic Alive
Organic Living
Sage Organic Café
Super Foods
Hout Bay Organic Market
Camphill Village Market
Imhoff Farmers Market
Neighbourgoods Market
Porter Estate Produce Market
Rondebosch Organic Market
Stellenbosch Fresh Goods Market
Century City Natural Goods Market

Durban:

Pick n’ Pay
Brentwood Nursery’s market
Woolworths

Johannesburg:

Pick n’ Pay
The Bryanston Organic Market
Woolworths
Fruits and Roots
Irene Village Market

With thanks from Wikipedia, Why Go South Africa, Living Food for Africa

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