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Why Organic?
There are many reasons for choosing an organic lifestyle and some will have more relevance than others to each of us. Generally the 2 main ones are:
Protecting our Biodiversity
By choosing organic and environmentally friendly products and services (eco-ganics), you will be helping to protect our biodiversity – that is the correct balance of plants, animals and habitat in order to maintain a healthy planet – one on which we desire to live. Caring for the environment means limiting the ecological damage that has taken place and also finding more sustainable options for the future.
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Health
There is much truth in the saying ‘we are what we eat’ – what we put into our mouth, rub onto our skin and breathe in through our nose all has an effect, no matter how small, on how we look and feel, right now and into the future. This could be a very positive effect but it could over time, maybe a lifetime, be not so good. Non-organic produce that has been grown in poor quality soil, picked before it has had a chance to ripen and then kept in cold storage for long periods (often months) losses much of it's nutritional value. The same goes for highly processed and many pre-packaged foods where the lost nutrients are often added back-in together with many other synthetic additives and preservatives. So many people today suffer from allergies, degenerative disease, cancer etc and no-one really knows exactly why. By consuming eco-ganic products you are limiting the intake of unnatural foods or products and so may possibly be limiting the chance of developing disease and illnesses in the future – after all prevention is better than cure.
Understanding Organic
Marketing of products can often be misleading, the advertising and labelling can make us believe that by using the product we are doing something good, clean and healthy. Often we all too readily accept what we are told and assume that it wouldn't be allowed if it wasn't 100% good for us – would it? Unfortunately, legislation regulating what can and cannot be put into products, what words can be used to describe them and how they are marketed can lag behind the advancements in research and development. With so many new products hitting the shelfs everyday we need to become more self-aware of what really is best for us, our familles and friends and the environment.
Dr Andrew Monk, formerly CEO of the Biological Farmers Australia (BFA) – Australia’s leading authority and regulation body for the organic industry, spoke to Debbie Elkind, a journalist at the Sydney Morning Herald. Debbie wrote a story called ‘To Question is Only Natural’ published in December 2004 which, in part, covered the lack of public knowledge about what we are really buying.
Andrew is alarmed at the misleading claims made by some mainstream brands.
“I think people would find it scary if they knew just how poorly regulated it really is right now. A lot of companies claim to use ‘natural’ this and ‘natural’ that and they may indeed use natural ingredients, but then they dump a whole lot of chemicals in with them.”
Monk is also alarmed at the misleading claims made by some mainstream brands. “You see a lot of products that claim to have aloe vera but what they’ve really done is add a miniscule amount to the water content that makes up the bulk of the product and called it 70% organic. A product needs to have at least 10% aloe vera to have any benefit at all. “We’re at pains to express concern about the things people put on their skin. I think people are used to thinking of their body as an impenetrable barrier but the chemicals you put on your skin are ultimately digested by the body.”
Whether or not chemicals used in skin care products are harmful is a matter of huge debate. As is the question of whether even the most genuinely natural ingredients can provide real cosmetic benefits. However, if your preference is to reduce your use of chemicals, you could clearly do worse that to look for Certified Organic products.
To question is only natural by Debbie Elkind, SMH – December 2004
If you aim to lead a life full of vigour and well-being and in harmony with your environment then choosing eco-ganic products and services will be a sure step to achieving that goal.