Organic Foods
Many People are uneasy about organic food. Could it be the word itself? It sounds difficult - like organic chemistry. Is it the result of scientists tinkering on the farm? Actually, it's the opposite. It's an attempt to keep scientists and their chemicals off the farm. A lot of people in Australia and around the world seem to be grasping that, and embracing the idea of organic food.
According to figures from the Organic Federation of Australia, organic food is valued at $500 million per annum in this country, with sales growing at 25-50% each year. But to understand what organic means - and why so many people think it is important - a little history is necessary.
Where Did it Come From?
The first application of the term "organic" to farming was in 1940, in a book called Look to the Land by Lord Northbourne, an English farmer and reformer. His principles were based on those of Rudolph Steiner, the Austrian who developed "biodynamic" farming in 1924 (as well as the Steiner method of education).
Both systems were a reaction to concerns about the increased use of petrochemical fertilisers - by-products of petrol production - still used today. When they're first used, these powerful fertilisers dramatically increase the amount of food grown. The problem is, they also kill the life in the soil, so crops become completely dependent on them.
The fertilisers also drain into river systems, causing problems such as the growth of blue-green algae, and weaken plants' natural resistance to pests and weeds. And so pesticides and herbicides were developed to protect crops. Many Scientists claim these secondary chemicals are harmful for our health; others say not, as their use is controlled. At the very least, the jury is out.
What Does it Mean?
Organic farming takes farming practices back to pre-fertiliser, pre-chemical days. Synthetic fertilisers, pesticides, herbicides and genetically modified organisms are avoided, which minimises pollution of air, soil and water and optimises the health and productivity of both plants and animals.
The way Steiner saw it, healthy animals depend on healthy plants; healthy plants depend on healthy soil; and healthy soil depends on healthy animals for their manure. Organic faming is believed to be better for the environment not just because it's chemical-free, but because the soil has a greater capacity to retain water, carbon and nutrients such as nitrogen.
The Rodale Institute in Pennsylvania, US, is dedicated to organic farming research and carried out a series of field trials over 23 years, from 1981. It found that because of this ability to retain water and carbon, organic farms use just over 63% of the energy of conventional farms. It also calculated that if 10,000 medium-size farms became organic, it would be equivalent to taking more than 1.17million cars off the road, because of the amount of carbon able to be stored in the soil.
Is it Really Organic?
Ask to see certification. All organic farmers and producers must be certified by one of seven accredited bodies, and one of their logos will appear on all organic produce.
Becoming certified is a three year process, and farmers must conform to strict rules regarding the health of the soil, what "inputs" can be used (i.e. switching from synthetic pesticides to organic methods) and the way animals are treated and slaughtered.
The first year is known as "pre-conversion" period, when conventional farming methods are phased out and organic ones introduced. For the next two years, at least, the farm is said to be "in conversion", after which time the produce or products can be labelled organic. Farms and producers are subject to inspections and spot checks and if they're found to be cheating, they can be penalised, prosecuted, or even jailed.
John Newton - www.ofa.org.au
for Australian Table September 2007
