Organic Transition

A visit to a local market - Nov 2009

I am holding a bundle of sweet leaves (sauropus androgynous), a green perennial vegetable found mainly in S.E.A. It is rich in Vitamin D and is among a few flora containing vitamin K. There are occasional reports of headaches when too much is consumed. It has also been linked to obstructive lung disease when taken in massive amounts due to the high concentrations of alkaloid papaverine.

Food grown with aid of chemicals can affect our well being. By going organic, you can limit your exposure to toxic chemicals, pesticides, hormones, antibiotics and genetically modified foods. Moreover, organic farming uses 50 % less energy and water resources as compared to conventional farms, thereby reducing the environmental impact and disturbance to earth's ecological balance.

Going organic can be a challenge especially when organic foods cost 50% or more than non organic foods. I have found a few tips on how to make the transition and buy organic on a budget. If you can't afford a complete conversion to organic, you need to identify those categories of "must have" foods where you will receive the greatest benefit.

1. Some fruits and vegetable require very little pesticides if any. Therefore you don't need to buy organic ones. For example, bananas, pineapples, oranges, papayas, brocolli, sweet potatoes, avocados.

2. Buy fruits and vegetables that are in season as prices are less competitive. Also keep a look out for the sale of the week.

3. Bulk purchase is cheaper. As such you could consider sharing these purchases with friends, families or neighbours.

4. Meat eaters may want to switch to antibiotic, hormone, pesticide-free meat and 100% grass fed.

5. Avoid conventional milk especially for your children. Dairy cows are injected with GE hormones rBGH/rBST and possibly fed with genetically modified grains and hay.

6. Cloned food sounds creepy to me! Genetically engineered food contains genes derived from bacteria and virus.

7. Eat out less if you want to eat more organic foods.

8. Start a garden. Grow your own herbs. For those small spaces, a container garden is a good alternative.

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DIRTY DOZEN: CONVENTIONAL CROPS WITH THE HIGHEST PESTICIDE LOADS

1. Peaches

2. Apples

3. Sweet bell peppers

4. Celery

5. Nectarines

6. Strawberries

7. Cherries

8. Lettuce

9. Grapes

10. Pears

11. Spinach

12. Potatoes

For more information on foods that you should buy organic, please do take a look here at:

The daily Green

A Environmental working Group and Consumer Report:

Shopper's guide to pesticides

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By MarieC1

My utmost thanks goes to Prima, my wonderful assistant who helped me nurture my garden.