This store requires javascript to be enabled for some features to work correctly.

Free shipping on orders over $59

Swiss chard close up growing in a garden outdoors

Organic - Why is it Better?

 

How food is grown can have a significant impact on our health and the health of our planet. Organic foods are grown at farms and facilities that must follow strict requirements to back up their organic certification. Regulations vary in different parts of the world, but the main differentiator for food to be certified organic is that it must be grown without the use of synthetic chemical pesticides and genetically modified organisms (GMO’s). Conventional farming has been criticized in recent decades for giving rise to environmental concerns including loss of biodiversity, increased water pollution and soil erosion. Below we have outlined 8 reasons you should choose organic the next time you shop. 

 

1. Organic Food is Safer.

Non-organic food often contains harmful hormones and pesticides. Pesticides are poisonous, designed to kill and can cause neurological problems, cancer, infertility, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, allergies, asthma, rashes, ADHD, and more. Toxins and other pollutants in food cross the placenta as well, which can cause health risks for babies. Many studies link pesticides to low birth weight, birth defects, neurological and behavioural problems, disrupted hormone function, and autism.

             

2. Organic Food is Non-GMO.

In addition to certifying there are no harmful chemicals on our food, the organic label also guarantees that there are no GMO’s present. GMO crops have been genetically altered to withstand the application of herbicides and pesticides — chemicals that protect harvests from viruses and bugs.

Organic cherry tomato plant close up, starting to ripen. 

3. Organic Farming Keeps Our Water Clean.

Non-organic farms create water runoff filled with pesticides and chemicals that finds its way into our drinking water, lakes, rivers, and oceans. Organically farmed food does not harm the water system and uses less water overall.

 

4. Organic Farming Keeps our Air Clean.

Non-organic farmers and the surrounding community are exposed to harmful herbicides and pesticides when the toxins end up in the air we breathe.

 

5. Organic Farming Maintains Healthy Soil. 

Soil erosion is a major threat to our ecosystem. It promotes flooding, drought, and causes excess dust in the air, which circulates, introducing toxins into the air and causing pollution. Non-organic foods are sprayed with highly toxic chemicals that kill everything other than the crop itself. This includes the living organisms that a plant needs to grow and pass nutrients through to the soil. Organic farms use sustainable farming methods that control erosion and keep soil pesticide free.

 Honey bee close up on a flower bud.

 

6. Organic Food Enhances Biodiversity.

Organic Food Helps Protect our Animals and supports much-needed pollinators. Wild Animals, fish, and birds, depend on healthy plants, streams, rivers, and lakes in their habitat. When pesticides infiltrate animal habitats, many creatures suffer. Pesticides do not differentiate between good and bad bugs but instead kills them all. Organic farming practices healthy growing techniques that maintain biodiversity, from large mammals all the way down to tiny insects.

 

7. Organic Farming Conserves Fossil Fuels.

Organic certification promotes sustainable farming methods, which may use up to 60% less fossil energy than conventional farming methods. This preserves non-renewable fossil fuels, reducing global warming impact.

 

8. Organic Food is More Rich in Nutrients. 

Organic foods get their nutrients from healthy, rich, organic soil, while non-organic crops need nutrients added from synthetic fertilizers made from fossil fuels. 

 

For these 8 reasons (and more) organic farming is widely considered a life blood for local communities; more sustainable way to grow food, slow down climate change and the effects of global warming, all while providing a healthier option for human consumption.