The benefits of choosing organic

Choosing organic brings more than just a dietary benefit, the environment and farm animals benefit too. Beyondpesticides suggests that organic food leads to better health through the reduction in pesticide exposure and increased nutritional quality. Choosing organic maintains or improves our health without the need to produce the toxic effects of chemical agriculture.


The soil association defines organic food as food which is produced using environmentally and animal friendly
farming methods on organic farms. Such foods are legally defined and strictly regulated by European Union law. The authority responsible for organic farming regulations in the UK is The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).


In order for products to be legally labelled and marketed as 'organic', UK and EU law dictates that products must be inspected at least once every year. These laws require processed products to be labelled as 'organic' providing that at least 95% of the agricultural ingredients are organic.




The use of this logo is obligatory for all organic pre-packaged food produced within the European Union. The logo is designed to make products easier to be identified by consumers. Alongside the logo a code number of the control body is displayed as well as the place where the agricultural raw materials composing the product have been farmed.


Friends of the Earth highlight concerns over the use of pesticides in our food, suggesting that 20% of fruit and vegetables sold in supermarkets contain more than one type of pesticide residue. Over 100 different types of pesticide residues have been found in the various fruit and vegetables tested.
Little research has been conducted on the effect of pesticide mixtures, although it has been acknowledged that there is a potential risk to the immune system or behavioural changes. There is also growing concern about the presence of endocrine disrupting chemicals or pesticides which can disrupt hormone levels and are possibly linked to increasing rates of breast cancer and testicular cancer. More information regarding pesticides and their effect can be found in the pesticide section of this site.