What is organic ?

Simply said it is a food that's grown without the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, generally it means that the food was grown in soil or water that had no synthetic chemicals added for a minimum of three years. No genetically modified crops can be sold as organic. No sewage sludge or fertilizers containing anything synthetic. Animal manures, green manures, and biological pest control must be used. Farmers are to minimize erosion and runoff and rotate crops to maintain soil fertility and are responsible for preventing any drift of pesticides, pollutants and non-organic seeds onto their land.

No growth hormones or antibiotics can be given to animals. Sick animals must receive appropriate treatment and only approved vaccines can be used (including antibiotics) but then cannot then be sold on organic markets. No animal removed from organic management can then be sold as organic; organic dairy products must come from organically managed herds.

Animal feed may not contain plastic, urea, poultry litter, manure, or parts of slaughtered animals, but it can contain fish products. Animals must have outdoor access for fresh air, freedom of movement, sunlight. They must be chosen for their adaptability to local climates and resistance to prevalent diseases and parasites.
Animal welfare must be promoted, stress and pain minimized.

Organic farmers are fighting to redress the balance, improve the land they farm and treatment of animals as living beings deserving respect and good treatment. This requires dedication and hard toil. An outbreak of docks in a field of wheat has to be taken out by hand — back breaking work. Straw bedding is expensive and has to be mucked out frequently — labour intensive. There are no cheap feed alternatives. Animals take twice as long to grow. Yields per acre are lower. But we can continue to produce in this way year after year. When we leave there will still be song birds living on our insects and nesting in our hedges. Trees that took a lifetime to grow will still be there to give shelter from the sun and wind. People will still be needed to work the land.
Farmers who use organic growing methods and people who buy organic foods are committed to long-term stewardship of the land and a vision of humans being in ecological harmony with nature. Their mission is to ensure sustainability of the air, soil and water, and to maintain the health of people, plants and animals. Organic farming without any questions is a boon for our ecological future