Organic or not??

[Jax]

I've been a little dismayed at the recent vibe in the media that organic produce isn't any better than that which hasn't been grown organic (here's one article suggesting this (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8174482.stm)), and that organic farming isn't better for the environment (an old article suggesting this here (http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/green-living/organic-farming-no-better-for-the-environment-436949.html)).

However despite the above government reports (that always makes me wonder about their agenda), New Scientist (3rd July) reports that "potato plants farmed organically grew 35% larger on average and endure 18% fewer pest infestations. Organic plots contain a more diverse range of pest-killing species, whereas some pests prosper in fields doused with conventional pesticides".

So where do you stand on this? I prefer organic when I can afford it and if it's not been shipped tousands of miles, but then when I would the more exotic produce I don't have a lot of choice in that!

[Raw Rob]

I don't quite fit into any of the categories. I try and buy only organic, and I succeed in that with most things, but I value ripeness of fruit as the highest priority, so sometimes I will buy non-organic if it is riper (and/or seems of better quality). I also try and buy local where possible and when I was living in London, buying local from the farmers markets was more important than organic (because that also probably means it is fresher and riper).

I've not read the links, but sometimes organic is not all is should be - eg very large scale "organic" agriculture which supplies supermarkets, possibly not much better than conventional. I virtually never buy in supermarkets, organic or not, the quality is usually very poor compared to farmers markets.

Rob

[Della]

I'm bit middle of the road too, I prefer organic and have a weekly box delivery but it also has to be local (or as local as possible) farmers markets are cropping up more and more now there are some good ones and some not so good ones, I don't think we have has many as in the South (which I am so envious of) but I would push the boat out on this one and say local good produce means more to me than organic non local, that again depends on how much is in the bank too!

[Jax]

I don't quite fit into any of the categories.

I'm bit middle of the road too,


LOL I knew there'd be some that fell outside of the categories as it's really difficult these days to define all possibilities http://www.rawinuk.com/images/icons/icon7.gif But it was just to get a feel of the current trend really and if people felt strongly one way of another.

Rob I didn't realise you were moving to France - awesome, I love France :D Your point about ripeness is excellent, some of the produce is so unripe in supermarkets where it's been picked far too soon to be freighted over http://www.rawinuk.com/images/icons/icon9.gif

LOL Della I wish the markets we had around here were more geared to Farmers Markets but alas they are mostly selling cheap tat.

[Raw Rob]

Rob I didn't realise you were moving to France - awesome, I love France :D Your point about ripeness is excellent, some of the produce is so unripe in supermarkets where it's been picked far too soon to be freighted over http://www.rawinuk.com/images/icons/icon9.gif

Yeah, we live in a camper van now, travelling around France (and other parts of Europe) looking for somewhere nice to live. (See my blog for more... (http://www.rawrob.com))

Forgot to say, I try and eat wild food where ever possible - fresh, local and hopefully organic. I virtually never buy greens, I just pick wild ones (yes, both in London and now while travelling in France), and when there is wild fruit available I eat that as much as possible, at the moment in the Alps we are finding lots of wild strawberries, and in Geneva we had mulberries (not wild as such, they were on public land in the city centre.)

Rob

[Jeni]

Hi Jax

I know what you mean about Organic not getting the Recognition it deserves but you have to consider the bigger picture. The Big Owned Media wil NEVER let organic get too good in the eyes of the average consumer. Big Biz owned media will always protect big biz - who are not organic and dont intend to be, as money comes first.Governemnts are only interested in the amount of tax money they can get thier hands on.
If the average comsumer ever got more interested in where their food comes from and the amount of pesticides that are used then we would see such a different picture.Pesticides kill slowly over many years so that the public dont really put two and two together.

Organic does have more nutrition in it, (Tasting the difference is enough for me ) but nobody really wants that info to come out, so they will always find some other down beat info to put up instead. We were at best 80% food sustainable for the WW2 and were feeding POWS as well. so we have never really grown all our own food, but the rest of it could reach us by boat not ship.

[Jax]

Pesticides kill slowly over many years so that the public dont really put two and two together.

Hi - I agree, I've always said that we are guinea pigs in a long term study, because nobody knows the long term effects of pesticicide and preservative usage, well apart from that humans aren't decomposing as quickly these days!

[Jax]

Yeah, we live in a camper van now, travelling around France (and other parts of Europe) looking for somewhere nice to live. (See my blog for more... (http://www.rawrob.com))

Forgot to say, I try and eat wild food where ever possible - fresh, local and hopefully organic. I virtually never buy greens, I just pick wild ones (yes, both in London and now while travelling in France), and when there is wild fruit available I eat that as much as possible, at the moment in the Alps we are finding lots of wild strawberries, and in Geneva we had mulberries (not wild as such, they were on public land in the city centre.)

Rob
Ah Rob I am intensely envious ha ha, especially the Alps bit as I love to visit with my snowboard in tow http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v445/ShaunRydersBrainCell/Smilies/winter-smiley_snowboard.gif ;) MMMMM the strawberries and mulberries sound AWESOME! Whereabouts did you get your wild food in London, did you have to travel out far to get any? Sorry being very nosey as I always find London so concrete and dirty http://www.rawinuk.com/images/icons/icon11.gif

[Raw Rob]

Ah Rob I am intensely envious ha ha, especially the Alps bit as I love to visit with my snowboard in tow http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v445/ShaunRydersBrainCell/Smilies/winter-smiley_snowboard.gif ;) MMMMM the strawberries and mulberries sound AWESOME! Whereabouts did you get your wild food in London, did you have to travel out far to get any? Sorry being very nosey as I always find London so concrete and dirty http://www.rawinuk.com/images/icons/icon11.gif

I'm not talking about central London, it might be difficult to find wild food there, but I lived in zones 2 and 3 and found various parks and wild land to find greens. I used to run wild food walks starting at Canada Water tube station, about 10 mins walk away is Russia Docks Woodland which has an amazing selection of wild greens.

Rob