Tell a Scientist you are eating an Organic Apple and he’ll probably say ‘All Apples Are Organic’. Organic has 2 basic definitions.
- According to the dictionary Organic basically means ‘of or containing carbon’. Therefore anything that is or has lived could (and should) be considered Organic. By that definition.
- To an Organic grower and consumer, Organic means ‘Not contaminated with any synthetic pesticide, chemical fertiliser or growth stimulants.
This does cause confusion with people changing to organically grown products to eliminate chemical pesticides and growth stimulants.
The Dictionary definition has often been used by companies labelling their products as organic simply because they were produced from something that could be considered organic based on the dictionary definition of it.
As a consumer, when buying organic products there a several things you should look for to determine if you are buying what is considered organic by dictionary definition or whether they are chemical and synthetic stimulant free.
- Look for the Logo – There are several certifying bodies around the world that undertake stringent testing procedures to ensure strict farming practices. In Australia ACO (Australian Certified Organic) is the Certification arm of the Biological Farmers association of Australia. There are also a handful of other certifying bodies in Australia.
- Look for a direct supplier – If possible buy directly from the farm. Observe the farming practices first hand by buying directly from the grower. If the seller does not allow sales from the farm (for legal or privacy reasons). Ask if you can book a time to visit the farm and see how their farming processes work.
- If you grow your own food look for seed producers offering Open pollinated, non-GMO, chemical free seeds from registered growers. This sounds like a hard to do task but there are several Heirloom seed sellers, growers and producers around the world. You can safely collect seeds from these varieties and sow them knowing they will grow true to type. You can not guarantee what you will get from commercially grown seed producers due to cross breeding practices. Seeds collected will generally revert back to either parent species.
- Look at the Label – The logo is just a small part of the Label. The product ingredients should be carefully considered when making buying decisions.
- Talk to your kids – Tell your kids why you buy organic products and what they should look for. Take your kids shopping with you and make the selection process fun.
Also, don’t be put off by odd shapes or colours in fruits and vegetables. This is how nature intended them to be. The smooth even fruit and vegetables you see in the supermarket were probably bred to look that way. The shape only looks better. It doesn’t change the taste.