insideKENT Magazine Issue 90 - September 2019 | Page 46

ORGANIC KENT
ORGANIC IS EVERYWHERE THESE DAYS, FROM FARMERS’ MARKETS TO THE SUPERMARKET, BUT ALTHOUGH IT MAY SEEM
LIKE IT, ORGANIC IS NOT A NEW CONCEPT. ALTHOUGH IT MAY FEEL AS THOUGH ORGANIC FOOD, CLOTHING, AND OTHER
PRODUCTS HAVE ONLY BEEN AROUND FOR A FEW YEARS, IT’S NOT A NEW THING BY ANY MEANS. IN FACT, BEFORE THE
SECOND WORLD WAR, EVERY CROP THAT WAS GROWN AND HARVESTED IN THE UK WAS ORGANIC, SINCE NO CHEMICALS
WERE USED AT ALL. HOWEVER, THE WAR LEFT MANY A SCAR, AND THE FARMING INDUSTRY WAS CALLED UPON TO
PRODUCE MORE AND MORE FOOD FOR THE WAR EFFORT, AND FOR AFTERWARDS WHEN THE COUNTRY NEEDED TO GET
BACK ON ITS FEET. THE EASIEST AND MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO DO THAT WAS TO START USING CHEMICALS AND PESTICIDES
TO INCREASE HARVESTS AND SAVE AS MUCH OF THE CROP AS POSSIBLE FROM RODENTS AND INSECTS.
Studies have shown a number of
health benefits to eating organic food.
Firstly, of course, there are no
pesticides, antibiotics, or synthetic
hormones in use (although it’s still a
good idea to wash the skin of organic
fruit and veg to ensure it is entirely
clean) and not ingesting pesticides and
hormones has to be a good idea.
Next, organic food tends to contain
more healthy fats. Although these fats
should still be eaten in moderation,
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they are actually an essential part of
a well balanced diet.
A bonus to all the great health giving
and maintaining properties of organic
food is that it tastes better too, so
anyone who might normally shy away
from fruit and vegetables may well
enjoy the taste more when it’s organic.
Which means their diet will improve
dramatically.
Meat and poultry can be organic too.
The animals are raised using no
chemicals or additives in their diet,
giving quality, organic meat.
And the soil that is used to grow organic food? That benefits as well. Without
being polluted by chemicals, the soil maintains its nutrient rich components, so
every time a new crop is planted, it has the same minerals and antioxidants as
the crop before, rather than the soil becoming weaker and less fertile over time.
The soil doesn’t need as much time to ‘recover’ after a harvest, so more crops
can be planted, giving a better overall yield.
In the long run, the benefits are even more far reaching. Buying organic means
that fewer people have to come into contact with harmful chemicals because the
demand for non-organic food is lessening, meaning that fewer chemicals are
needed. It’s a circle of change, but it starts with buying organic and telling others
about the benefits of it.