You cannot recognize the highest organic quality at first glance. If you take a closer look, it becomes clear: organic food is far superior to products from conventional agriculture. It's worth going organic: not only our health benefits from the quality standards, but also the environment. That's why we should all become organic nerds 🤓 🌱
Organic vs. conventional: quality instead of quantity
Growth accelerators, insecticides and other chemical substances: In order to achieve the highest possible crop yield, the use of pesticides is widespread in conventional agriculture. The problem: We can neither see nor taste toxic chemical residues on apples, pears or peppers - and so we usually unknowingly consume a number of toxins in our diet.
You might be asking yourself: So what's the problem?! Well: Pesticides have an often underestimated, negative influence on the human body. They can change the genetic material, trigger allergies and impair our bodily functions. Because of the way they work, they weaken our immune system and disrupt our hormonal balance. Pretty scary, right? So if we consume invisible toxins every day, our body is constantly busy breaking down and getting rid of these substances. Quite a feat of strength in the long run. Especially in early childhood development, it is important for mother and child to avoid toxic residues on fruits and vegetables. Because of their body size, infants and small children also absorb a higher percentage of harmful substances than adults - and therefore have to break down larger quantities.
Products from organic farmers do not require any chemicals - and are completely uncontaminated due to the high purity and quality standards. The EC Basic Organic Regulation prescribes the avoidance of chemical-synthetic plant protection products and easily soluble mineral fertilizers. When growing organic products, farmers completely avoid additives such as growth accelerators. Instead, they rely on pure nature for their fruit and vegetables. That means: enough sunlight and daylight, good air and lots of love.
Organic products are only harvested when they have reached their optimal level of ripeness. Patience pays off: organic fruit and vegetables have a particularly high proportion of vitamins and antioxidants. This not only ensures an intense taste, but also a healthy enjoyment.
The consequences of conventional agriculture
Agriculture is characterized by working in open systems. Specifically, this means: Fruit and vegetables should not grow behind thick walls or in closed rooms, but in fields and fields #freetheveggies
But growing fruit and vegetables in the fresh air brings with it problems: Heavy machinery for soil cultivation and harvesting as well as the use of crop protection products and fertilizers that contain heavy metals and pollutants have a negative impact on the quality of soil, water and air. In addition, the natural habitat of animals and plants is affected. And our groundwater as well as rivers, lakes and seas are also affected:
- Nitrogen fertilization is particularly important in intensive agriculture. This fertilizer is not only responsible for the higher greenhouse gas emissions in conventional agriculture, but it also leads to an oversupply of nutrients (eutrophication) in water and soil. The result: excessive nitrate contamination of the groundwater. Nitrate concentrations in these groundwater bodies are over 50 milligrams per liter - normal levels are no higher than 25 milligrams
- Although nitrate pollution in surface waters is lower than in groundwater, it is still far too high. The result: Our coastal waters are eutrophic and in poor ecological condition.
- Plant protection products and heavy metals contained in fertilizers, pollutants and residues of pharmaceuticals from intensive livestock farming pose further potential threats to terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems
- Grassland plowing, moorland use, forest clearing and tillage destroy the habitat of many animals and reduce biodiversity
- In 2018, German agriculture was responsible for the emission of around 64 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents. That's 7.4 percent of this year's total greenhouse gas emissions! Methane emissions (CH4) from animal husbandry and manure management as well as nitrous oxide emissions (N2O) from agricultural soils, as a result of nitrogen fertilization (mineral and organic), are primarily responsible for this. 62 percent of CH4 emissions and 79 percent of N2O emissions came from agriculture
This is the situation with agriculture in Germany
What makes organic farming better?
Organic farming does not require the use of nitrogen fertilizers. Instead, organic farmers rely on organic fertilizer, which binds carbon dioxide in the soil and thus contributes to a clean climate. The alternating cultivation of different crops is also an important factor in improving soil fertility. The right knowledge about favorable plant neighborhoods, good sowing times, a varied choice of locations and weed control without chemical agents also help organic farmers to grow their products in an ecologically sustainable manner and to create added value for the environment and our society. This is achieved through four basic features: crop rotation, humus management, strengthening the plant's own defenses and weed control without chemicals.
- Crop rotation: Alternating cultivation of different crops that complement each other. This method improves soil fertility. This also means that diseases and pests have less chance of spreading.
- Humus farming: This includes soil loosening and green manure. Otherwise, the organic material (manure and compost) from our own farm forms the basis for further enrichment with humus.
- Strengthening the plant's own defenses: The basic principle is prevention against diseases. Among other things, knowledge about favorable plant neighborhoods, the right sowing times and the choice of location and variety can help
- Weed control without chemicals: This is achieved through crop rotation and soil cover (e.g. with straw) or through mechanical processing.
Our conclusion: Organic good, (almost) everything good
Organic farming relieves pressure on water and soil, protects our biodiversity and helps minimize greenhouse gases. Enough reasons to remove conventional foods from our ingredient lists. And don't forget: organic is better for our health.
An absolute no-brainer for us. We rely on organic. All of our ingredients are subject to the highest organic standards and are grown, harvested and processed under strict quality controls.
Sources:
Greenpeace Research Laboratories 2015: Critical Cocktail https://www.greenpeace.de/themen/landwirtschaft/pestizide/kritischer-cocktail
Greenpeace Research Laboratories 2015: Pesticides and our health https://www.greenpeace.de/sites/www.greenpeace.de/files/publications/pestizide-gesundheit-greenpeace-20150502.pdf
UBA 2019: Environmental impacts of agriculture https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/themen/boden-landwirtschaft/umweltbelastungen-der-landwirtschaft
UBA 2019: Organic Food https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/umwelttipps-fuer-den-alltag/essen-trinken/biolebensmittel#gewusst-wie
UBA 2019: Ecological Agriculture: https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/daten/land-forstwirtschaft/oekologischer-landbau#okolandbau-in-deutschland
