What Is Organic And Fairtrade Tea And Coffee?

The UK is known as a nation of tea drinkers, one Polish person once asked me if we drank tea at 3 oclock everyday as some sort of ritual! Most of us dont realise that this tea is often grown on tea plantations in the developing world where the crops are sprayed with many chemicals and pesticides and the workers that pick the leaves are not only exposed to this danger but are often paid a pittance of a wage as well.

Organic and Fairtrade tea, coffee and cocoa are growing in popularity as people realise the benefits of spending those extra pennies per box and the payback in both health and human terms.

Why buy organic tea, coffee or cocoa?

Consumers usually decide to buy because production is carried out using sustainable farming practices, specifically not allowing deforestation to occur as part of plantation farming techniques.

Some producers go down the Fairtrade route, which gives the consumer further altruistic benefit in terms of assurance that the workers on the tea or coffee plantations have been working under improved terms and conditions, giving them a better quality of life and reducing exploitation. You can now buy organic, Fairtrade tea which is not much more expensive then just organic tea. I buy Morrisons own branded organic, fairtrade tea bags as its cheaper than the branded products such as clipper teas.

What exactly is organic I hear you ask?

Tea or coffee qualifies as organic only when environment-friendly techniques are employed in its production. An organic unit should essentially be a self-sustaining one, designing the farm at the time of establishment of new organic tea or coffee plantation is crucial for optimum utilization of resources within the plantation itself.

In order to establish organic tea fields or coffee plantations, it is necessary to build up inherent nutrient levels and neutralise the chemical residues left in soils from past cultivation. This requires an interim period – called the conversion period. Based on the agro-ecological conditions, this period may vary from 3 to 5 years. If plantation is taken up before conversion period is over, chemical residues may show up in the product. These processing techniques are sufficient to make it highly unusual for any pesticides to be present in the end product.

Insect pest and disease management

Insect and disease management in organic farming systems rely on the inherent equilibrium in nature. This includes using natural enemies of pests to keep their numbers in check.

There are many varieties of organic herbal teas now available also. Some of these have the added benefit of possessing medicinal properties. For example, peppermint tea aids indigestion and chamomile can soothe and relax you.

What Does Certified Organic Mean?

The meaning of “organic”.

The dictionary says organic means of, related to or derived from living organisms. Most people reading this will say,

“yes, yes I knew that”. But what you may not know is that the use of this word by producers and manufacturers can be

misused or misunderstood. It’s use is far more complicated then slapping the term on a box or can and calling it

organic. As I’m sure every citizen of this country is aware by now, manufacturers twist terms, words, and phrases into

the image they want to portray to the public. Unfortunately this rarely reflects the true nature of the product,

healthy or otherwise. It’s generally a sales ploy.

“All Natural” as an example

We’ve all heard the words “all natural” for many, many years and we’ve all been duped for many, many years into

believing this meant the product we were consuming was completely of nature when of course there is no guarantee that

it truly is “all natural.” Manufacturers may include plant abstracts or juices in products, call it natural, then add

in chemical preservatives, dies, and perfumes thus rendering an originally healthy product toxic and the public is

rarely aware of it as they go about their daily lives. Not only that but natural ingredients is no guarantee that they

weren’t grown in chemical laden fields or taken from hormone laced livestock. This is an example of a very misused

term and one that is unregulated by the government. Buyer beware!

So what is “certified organic”?

The same applies, to varying degree, to the products labeled organic, accept that there are some USDA rules and

guidelines for the use of the term “certified organic“. In order for a product to carry the USDA certified organic

label it must be 95% organic. This leaves 5% leeway for manufacturers to insert non-organic stuff, maybe non-organic

ingredients, maybe preservatives, maybe anything. To be guaranteed of a 100% organic product you must look for the

100% symbol. The USDA stamp alone is no promise that there isn’t some toxic substance in that extra 5%. Products may

be labeled “made with certified organic ingredients” if they are 70% organic, meaning that 30% may be of non-organic

origins. And finally manufacturers are permitted to list organically produced ingredients on the side label if their

product contains less then 70% certified organic ingredients. So, conclusion: it is very hard to escape the chemical

world we’ve all been plunged into, willingly or unwillingly.

Certified organic gets downplayed by congress<

Unfortunately for consumers and those dedicated to the organic revolution Congress relaxed its certified organic

guidelines in 2005. Loopholes in new guidelines could allow dairy animals treated with antibiotics, animal by-products

and hormones as babies to be converted to organic production. The loophole may also allow artificial or chemical

substances, including nearly 500 food contact chemicals to be used in organic processed food without approval.
Finally, these new guidelines allow non-organic ingredients to be substituted for organic without notification during

“emergency decrees”. This basically opens the consumers back up to the onslaught of man-made toxins when they thought

they were buying healthier, chemical-free products. All this happened despite huge consumer, and organic producer

opposition, making this writer have to wonder whose best interest does congress have at heart?

What does it take to become certified organic?

Needless to say, becoming certified organic by the USDA is very difficult, costly and time consuming. Their guidelines

and rules can be stringent and tough. For growers this includes abstaining from the use of chemical poisons, such as

pesticides, and sewage slug 3 years prior to certification. This often means allowing fields to lie fallow for three

years, producing no revenue for the farmer. Growers may not use pesticides and other chemical poisons during the

duration of their certification. Organic growers may not use genetically altered or enhanced organisms nor may they

irradiate. They must also practice sustainable farming methods which include, soil building, crop rotation, manure

management and conservation of the land. Ranchers must provide outdoor pasture for grazers. Pasture land is required

to be free of pesticides and other poisons as well. Livestock may not be treated with unnecessary antibiotics or

hormones and must be fed only certified organic feed. Finally, growers and ranchers must avoid contamination with

toxins during collection and processing and keep meticulous records of all operations. The guidelines for

manufacturers are just as stringent in their controls. But it doesn’t stop there. The USDA sends inspectors annually

to check records and crops. Often times they come unannounced.

So why do they do it? Why do growers choose to go through the rigors of gaining organic certification?

Firstly there is a growing community of farmers, gardeners, ranchers, producers and manufacturers that believe in

sustainable methods of producing food and other products. These people see much further into the future, preparing,

keeping, maintaining and protecting the ground for future generations as opposed to mining the ground for short term

gain. Basically they do it because they believe in it and they believe in its growth and it is growing.

So why the heck do organics cost so much more?

There are a couple of reasons for this. Firstly there will be lower crop yield due to natural processes we once

controlled with poisons. Secondly, the rules and regulations imposed by the USDA require much more time and attention

to detail costing the farmer and manufacturer. Thirdly, though growing, the industry remains small. As we all know as

the supply begins to actually balance with demand, prices go down. Meaning the more you buy, the more the farmer can

afford to produce thus lowering his prices. Just like with anything else.

It has even been mentioned that adding together all the money the country spends in health care to treat toxin related

diseases, the cost to clean up toxic spills and other related needs equals or exceeds the difference we pay for

certified organic products which protect our health and environment from ever becoming damaged in the first place.

What Are The Benefits Of Organic Food?

There is much discussion today about the pros and cons of organic food. People want to know whether organic food is better than non-organic food. They wonder whether the term “organic” is nothing more than the latest money-making marketing term being thrown about. They question the regulatory oversight bodies that determine whether the food that’s labeled organic really meets all of the criteria. These are difficult questions to answer with certainty especially since the answers often depend on who is asked. Regardless, there are several very real benefits of consuming organic food. Here is an overview of the most common.

Organic Food Tastes Better

The people who eat organic food claim that organic food is more flavorful and studies have actually been conducted that confirm this belief. The chemicals that are used in the production of non-organic food definitely affect flavor.

Organic Food is Better for the Body

The United States Environmental Protection Agency now lists many of the chemicals used in the production of pesticides and fungicides as potential cancer-causing components. It makes sense then, that when non-organic foods are consumed, so too are these cancer-causing ingredients. Since these types of chemicals cannot be used to grow organic foods, they simply are not present and therefore, they cannot be ingested. Eating organic foods won’t unfortunately prevent cancer because there are plenty of genetic and environmental factors that can cause it to develop. However eating organic food greatly reduces the chance that certain cancers will develop.

In addition, organically-grown produce contains up to 50% more of the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants the body needs to stay healthy and perform at optimum capacity. If you’re trying to add more fruit and vegetables to your diet, you can double the benefits by eating organic ones.

You Can Feel Good about What You Eat

When you eat organic food, you know what you’re not getting. You know you’re not eating food that’s been genetically altered or shot up with growth hormones and antibodies. You know that the skins of your fruits and vegetables aren’t a thick covering of chemicals and other harmful ingredients. The bottom line: You know that you are fueling your body with healthy fuel. Centuries ago, people did not have as many health-related issues as they do in these more modern times. Plenty of people feel it is our food that is killing us.

You Help Protect Environment

When pesticides and fertilizers are applied to plants, there is no way to keep the chemicals used in their production from covering the ground. Rain and irrigation cause these chemicals to be absorbed into the ground. As they absorb into the ground, they percolate down to the underground water tables. Ultimately, the chemicals leach into nearby water bodies. The soil as well as the water begins to be contaminated. Over time the birds, fish and other animals living in these environments become affected. Since organic foods are grown without using these dangerous chemicals, their growth will never impact the environment in this manner.

The Increased Benefit Of Organic Tofu

As more and more people heed the advice of researchers and begin to examine what they are eating, there has been a momentous change in the diets of many modern Americans. Heeding the advice of experts who herald the benefits of whole, natural foods, the health-conscious among us are looking for new and better ways to feed ourselves and our families in a healthy – and delicious – way. Tofu continues to be a main staple in the diets of vegetarians and healthy eaters as a meat alternative. But with the growing trend towards choosing organic foods, many tofu enthusiasts are taking their diet another step further by choosing organic tofu.

Tofu derives from soybean curd and is used in a variety of recipes and cuisine based on its moisture content. Soft tofu, with the consistency of custard, is often used in the making of tofu-based deserts. Firm tofu, has lower moisture content than soft tofu and is generally pressed into blocks to be used in recipes. Dried tofu has the lowest moisture content of all tofu varieties and is often used crumbled or sliced in tofu recipes; in some cases it is pressed into noodles. Tofu can be used as a meat substitute in most any recipe; tofu made into a puree can be used as an alternative to dairy products. Because tofu has very little of its own natural flavor, it has the ability to absorb the flavor of any other ingredient in the dish. Subsequently, tofu enthusiasts use tofu in a variety of cuisines that feature it raw, stewed, fried, and even grilled.

Organic tofu differs from traditional tofu in that the soy milk that is used to make the tofu is organic. Tofu is extremely healthy to start, packing an enormous amount of protein in every bite; it is also low in calories and contains zero cholesterol. The soy protein found in tofu has even been found to reduce the risk of heart disease. But with the use of organic tofu, the health benefits increase even still. Organic soy milk means that you are minimizing significantly – if not eliminating altogether – your exposure to chemical additives or genetic modification.

Many people are so committed to using only organic tofu that they choose to make their own tofu at home. This can be a relatively easy thing to accomplish and will ensure that you have complete control over all the ingredients. There are tofu-making kits for home use that can be found online and will ensure that you always have access to organic tofu!

The Facts About Organic Baby Food

Quite simply, organic baby food is that which is processed without the use of artificial pesticides and/or synthetic fertilizers. While many note organic food as being either store-bought, garden grown or gathered in the wild, the correct association is certified organic foods, which are produced and labeled according to strict regulatory standards. In a number of countries, including the United States, the use of the word ‘organic’ in the commercial market, without the proper certification, is prohibited by law.

Organic baby food is most commonly found in a supermarket and will be labeled accordingly. Because of it’s nature, organic baby food is more expensive than other types. Processed organic baby food typically includes only those ingredients that are organic and has no artificial food additives. While there seem to a number of benefits to using organic baby food, the most common reason for purchasing this type of product is the overall quality. Increased nutritional value, the absence of residues from artificial pesticides and better taste are all positive benefits of organic baby food.

Organic baby food, because it is believed to be fresher, often carries an improved taste over other baby foods. Because organic farms are small, their products are most commonly sold close to home. Therefore, organic baby food and other products feature a fresher taste simply because they are fresh.

By 2003, organic food products were available in 20,000 natural food stores and 73% of commercial grocery stores. While many believe that organic baby food is helpful, others are not as certain. Some believe that farming and organic fertilization may carry it’s own risks that may be passed along in organic baby food.

The main debate lies with the better approach to manufacturing organic food. Is it more healthy to use artificial and synthetic products in food processing or natural fertilizer and organic farming methods? There are both sides to any debate and the questions surrounding organic baby food is no different. There is legitimate concern over contamination and safety of organic food and products, but an exact determination as to which side of the table is right has yet to be decided.

The information in this article is to be used for informational purposes. It should not be considered as, or used in conjunction with, professional medical advice or recommended feeding for your infant, toddler or young child. Prior to beginning any food preparation involving the use of organic baby food, consult your child’s physician for additional information and/or a recommendation regarding the use of organic baby food as part of your child’s food intake.

The Benefits Of Organic Milk Or Is It Just Plain Hype?

Organic food and milk was promoted heavily in 1999 and 2000 due to the number of health scares such as BSE and the misuse of antibiotics and pesticides by dodgy farmers and producers.

The government, producers, suppliers and retailers then began the shift towards going organic and the result of this activity was a surge in the number of farmers converting to organic production. The supply of organic milk increased rapidly in response to market demand and financial support to convert to organic farming methods that do not use artificial pesticides (insecticides, fungicides or herbicides) on pastures where cows graze. Organic cows are not fed GM cattle feed. This means that there is no possibility of GM or solvent residues being found in organic milk. It has been estimated that in the UK and the USA, our bodies contain traces of at minimum 300 potentially harmful chemicals absorbed from our food. Eating organically grown food and drinking organic milk is an easy way for people to avoid these chemicals.

The popular press is going cow-wild over research that supposedly proves organic milk is healthier than conventional milk. Lets look into this a bit deeper….

Organic milk has all the nutritional goodness of non-organic milk but due to the cows more natural diet, it also has some additional health benefits such as higher levels of vitamin A, E and antioxidants.

The main issue that the organic milk industry is advertising is the high content of omega-3 fatty acids, found abundantly in oily fish (such as salmon, herring and cod) and walnut and fish oil. Omega-3s have been thought to protect against cancer and heart disease. This high content is great news as most people in the UK are deficient in Omega 3 fatty acids, which are also essential for maintaining supple and flexible joints, healthy growth and strong bones and teeth.

But are these benefits just empty nutritional superiority claims? Many commentators argue that the amount of Omega 3 is that small that people should eat fish at least once a month instead, and that buying organic milk for this purpose is nonsense.

The British Food Standards Agency says it will review the matter but has yet to be convinced that organic milk is any more nutritious than non organic milk. The lack of conclusive scientific research on the nutritional benefits of organic milk could lead to negativity in the overall organic market.
My thoughts are this….you pay an organic price premium but you could be getting extra Vitamins, Omega 3, non-GM contaminated milk plus supporting your green lifestyle and a traditional way of farming. On that, I for one am prepared to pay extra and will continue to drink organic milk.

Should I Buy Fairtrade, Organic Or Local Food?

Again, I find myself torn apart with choices when deciding which is the most ethical, eco friendly and/or healthy option when it comes to shopping for food and non-food products.

Should I buy food and products that support workers in Third World by buying Fairtrade labelled products even though these goods normally travel thousands of miles from Africa, South America or South East Asia? What if these foods were produced with the use of pesticides and additives? It makes sense then to look for and to buy Fairtrade, organic food to both help the producers in the Third World and fulfil my lifestyle choice to eat healthy and additive/pesticide free food. Thankfully, many producers are now wising up to this dilemma by increasingly producing organic and Fairtrade labelled products. I am currently using Fairtrade, organic t-bags at home! Now comes another important question, should I buy Fairly Traded organic sugar from Kenya that has travelled thousands of miles, or should I buy apples grown in the UK (ideally from a farmers market) that have only travelled only a few hundred miles which means less carbon dioxide and other nasty emissions from the lorries that you see constantly on the motorways in the UK? Buying UK products not only ensures less food miles but also supports local farmers, communities and economies. Unfortunately, choice is often limited and can be more expensive then food produced in other countries……… Decisions, decisions, it’s probably best to abstain from eating and give your choice making brain a rest!

But I can safely say that I make attempts to avoid food or products that have travelled from far away destinations such as Australia even if they are organic! Next time you are in the supermarket or wherever you buy your food from check the labels and you will be surprised by how far your food has travelled. Also look at the amount of unnecessary wrapping such as individually wrapped peppers, mushrooms and kiwi fruit in wrapped boxes. When I buy from the local market I tell them to throw it all into one bag, the customer next to me often has 10 individually wrapped portions of fruit and veg. That’s 11 (10 plus one big plastic bag) bags into the landfill site that day. For maximum eco efficiency we need to be using jute or other bags made from recycled materials and putting all the loose food into that.

For recycled bags, Fairtrade and Organic companies, products and food see GuideMeGreen.

Organic Health Food Store And Your Health

No matter where you go or what you’re doing these days, you are sure to be bombarded on all sides by slogans, advertising campaigns and health conscious people about your own health and how to look after it properly. This extends to every aspect of your life, including what you eat and where you can get it. This is where the organic health food store comes into your otherwise peaceful existence.

You are forced to leave your normal easy lifestyle to adopt one which most definitely better suited for you, but which is also too much hassle in this and age of convenience foods.

The world might be changing its outlook on these things and finding them lacking in anything resembling nutrition, but they are the staple of you life and you have gotten used to them to such an extent that weaning you off these foods is somewhat along the lines of weaning someone off smoking twenty packs of cigarettes a day.

You have to be dragged down kicking and screaming to the nearest organic health food store by those people who profess to love and care for you, when in reality if they cared even one iota for you, they would leave you alone in your singular little rut of eating overcooked TV dinners, greasy fat-filled hamburgers and fries, and sugar laden drinks and desserts. That’s of course assuming they care about you.

But since your family and friends are heartless monsters who enjoy seeing you suffer being in the best of health, you unfortunately have no choice but to go along with their whims and fancies of the moment. And in this case, the moment seems to be stretching out into an eternity of having to eat healthy organically grown and produced foods and this in turn necessitates your having to go on a frequent basis down to your local (or nearest) organic health food store.

Of course if you really tried hard you might be able to get back to your unhealthy lifestyle of one pot of coffee in the morning and another two or three pots as the day progresses. Unfortunately though fate does not seem to be on your side and you find that even when you try to break free of the imposed health food diet, you can’t.

Why? Because now you’re used to it and all the grease in those greasy hamburgers is enough to turn you green – literally. This is unfortunately your lot in life now and you find yourself frequenting the organic health food store more and more often as your taste buds decide to rejoin the living, and your palate finds enjoyment once again in your meals.

Organic Food Recipes And Your Eating And Dietary Lifestyles

Although some people would like to go organic and lead a healthier lifestyle, they find themselves stopped by a few things. Among these little stumbling blocks in their paths to going organic, are things like the cost of organic foods, the ready unavailability of organic foods, as well as the little fact that they will also need to find organic food recipes to go with their new lifestyle.

This is in fact a major stumbling block for many people who balk at the thought of not only changing their eating and dietary lifestyles, but of also having to change a lifetime’s worth of cooking experience to accommodate their new healthy lifestyle.

The fact of the matter is that people will go to the trouble of finding organic food suppliers, and of buying their costlier organic meats, dairy and produce, but when they have to actually sit down and find organic food recipes to go along with everything they’ve done thus far, their enthusiasm starts to wane.

This is where people actually tend to go wrong and miss the point. There is no such thing as special organic food recipes just as there is no special method of preparing the foods you buy which are organic.

The whole point is not to have to slog away looking for organic food recipes, replacing the ones you already have and know how to cook well, but to make your entire lifestyle healthier, of which the use of the use of organic foods in your cooking endeavors being a large part.

The trick then to going organic and finding yourself cooking organic food recipes, is to use the same old recipes which you’ve been using thus far and transform them into something other than artery clogging, waistline expanding, sugar level increasing foods.

In other words, now that you’ve gone organic and are using organic foods in your life, you also need to make your cooking style a healthier one as well. This means that if you’re using what amounts to a gallon of fat or oil per day, you might want to cut down on it to almost nothing!

Of course any dietary changes that you make, if they are going to be extensive should be discussed with your physician as you will then be able to get a better picture of what proper changes you need to make. The same advice applies if you have an underlying medical condition which requires you to have a special diet.

Replacing your normal foods with organic foods is fine, but you will need to make sure that when you turn your normal everyday recipes into organic food recipes, that you don’t change your dietary habits in such a radical manner as to be harmful to you. If you’re careful and follow a sensible dietary plan, you won’t really have to make too many food-sacrifices if at all to offset your newly acquired organic food habits.

Organic Food and Locally Grown Food: Are They the Same?

In the U.K., consumers are gobbling up organic food by the bushel. In fact, according to the Organic Centre Wales, “Direct sales of organic food through box schemes, farmers’ markets and farm shops grew by more than a third to L144 million during 2004.” And those numbers have continued to rise as consumers become increasingly concerned about the long-term effects of the chemical fertilizers and pesticides used on crops grown by non-organic farms. While most people agree that organic food is preferable over non-organic, a debate has begun about the source of organic foods. For example, is imported organic food as desirable as UK organic food?

Making the Case for Local Organic Food

Those on one side of the debate insist it doesn’t matter where organic food is grown; rather, the crucial factor is that the food meets stringent standards to ensure that it is truly organic. Those on the other side of the debate are equally vehement that locally grown organic food is preferable to imported organic food, both because the fossil fuels used to transport imported organic food add to global warming and because UK organic food supports local farmers.

Advocates say that you can find UK organic food at an organic farm shop, or even arrange for organic food delivery right to your door. You can even find organic fish, such as organic trout from an organic fish farm. There, the organic trout may live in 400-year-old spring water and eat natural shrimp that comes from organic watercress beds.

Those who favor importing organic food point out that an organic farm shop will only have seasonal foods, which severely limit the choices consumers have when preparing meals. Imported organic food, they say, retains its superior nutritional quality while delivering a bountiful variety of fruits and vegetables.

Some people, of course, take the middle ground, and opt to select their foods from an organic farm shop when what they desire is in season and shop for imported organic food the remainder of the year.

The Bottom Line

People may differ in their opinions about whether or not to limit one’s consumption of organic food to that grown locally, but virtually everyone agrees that organic fruits, organic vegetables, organic fish, and organic meats are preferable to those that are grown with chemical fertilizers, insecticides, and fungicides.

Currently, non-organic growers are authorized to use over 1,000 chemicals on crops. This translates into everything from soil erosion due to over-farming to dangerous toxic runoff into our drinking water. Growing food organically is a way to reverse this trend. With over 700,000 hectares dedicated to UK organic food, farmers are trying to meet consumer demand. Still, some markets import almost half of the organic food they sell. As for who will win the debate over locally grown organic food vs. imported organic food, only time will tell.

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