It may be difficult to believe, but we as consumers have the power to make a difference through the things we buy. So many nay-sayers always tell you that we will never produce less meat, but if less people buy meat then the demand decreases and it is no longer cost effective to produce meat on such a large scale.
This is just one example. The same goes for buying organic products. This includes organically grown food, clothing made from organically grown materials like cotton, and even beauty products which contain organically grown ingredients.
Buying organic creates a bigger market and a bigger demand for organic products, which in turn makes more companies produce organic products.
Why Choose Organic?
Organically grown food, ingredients and materials don’t only benefit our planet, they also benefit the people who live on our planet. When you choose organic, you’re choosing less of the bad stuff. You can see how buying organic helps below:
Environment
Organic farming prohibits the use of chemical pesticides, which can pollute water , the environment and make their way into our food chain. Pesticides tend to be used to kill weeds, insects and control crop diseases. However they tend to affect other wildlife through poisoning, contaminating water or disrupting ecosystems. Many pesticides have been banned in the EU because they are directly responsible for the declining bee population.
According to the Soil Association:
If all UK farming was organic, pesticide use would drop by 98%.
Organic farming processes also offer the best model for addressing climate change as they are less dependent on oil-based fertilisers while storing higher levels of carbon in the soil.
People
Organic farming also means the people working on those farms are not exposed to harmful chemical pesticides, or other nasty chemicals throughout the production process they otherwise would be.
The growing of non-organic cotton has is fact been linked to a number of cotton farmer suicides. The farmers are pressed into buying seeds from a particular company which only grow with the help from particular pesticides. The prices go up and the farmers can no longer afford the costs.
This kind of behaviour has got to stop. We need to be more caring towards people in developing countries. Organic farming can help farmers find a way out of poverty.
Organic Products
The organic market is growing, more and more products have an organic alternative and some supermarket are adopting organic policies.
We have around 2,000 organic products in store at Natural Collection, with everything from food to fashion!
Food
When you buy organic food, you’ll know exactly what’s in it. There are a few certifications, including the Soil Association certification, that have a number of standards in place that organic food must meet.
Typically, to be labelled organic, the food or ingredients must not have been grown with the use of pesticides, must not contain additives, preservatives or GMOs. Basically, you’ll always know exactly what’s in your food, from field to fork.
Clothing
We strive to offer organic clothing where possible, when choosing new brands to sell, if they use organic materials they’ll be high up the list. Some of our favourites include Thought (formerly Braintree Clothing), People Tree and Nomads.
You can find out more about Organic Cotton in one of our previous blog posts here.
Beauty
Our organic beauty includes a whole range of skin care, body care, hair care and bath products from brands like Green People, PHB Beauty, Pacifica and Organic Surge, among others. With no harsh chemicals used, organic beauty products are less likely to irritate the skin, and it means they won’t be absorbed into the body.
Let us know your thoughts on buying organic in the comments below. Is it something you’ve always done? Something you’re new to? Or even something you’ve never even thought about?