Lifestyle
Is Organic Food Healthier?
1min read
We’re often told to buy organic whenever possible, but we may not really know what that means. So what does it mean to buy organic food, and is it better for us? Read on to have it all explained.
What is organic food?
The Department for Agriculture and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) defines organic food as:
‘the product of a farming system which avoids the use of man-made fertilisers, pesticides; growth regulators and livestock feed additives. Irradiation and the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) or products produced from or by GMOs are generally prohibited by organic legislation.’ The approach to organic farming is therefore a model that is environmentally and socially sustainable and responsible, as high use of fertilisers used for non-organic food can result in polluted waterways and compromises wildlife and biodiversity, which we must protect.
Is organic food healthier?
Generally, organic food isn’t actually much healthier than conventionally farmed food. While there may be fewer fertilisers and pesticides in organic produce, but there isn’t much evidence to say that buying organic has many more nutritional benefits or that it carries less chemical burden than non-organic food. It is, however, much more sustainable in the long term, and ecologically better for the natural world, so it’s encouraged that anyone who cares about the environment and has the means to should try and buy organic food wherever possible!
Got any other questions about food and the environment? Let us know below.
By Toni Olukiran
Toni is one of our lovely Content Marketing Assistants, and when she’s not writing posts about everything from Jamaican cooking to vegan champagne, she’s making a Spotify playlist (she was at 200, at her last count) or playing tennis in the park.
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