An article on the Guardian website today continues the argument as to whether organic food is healthier. A new report by the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) has reviewed the research for the past 50 years and found that there is no evidence that organic food is more nutritious than non-organic food. Whether this is true or not is a subject of debate, but I think that anyway it misses the point. For me, the importance of organic food is not what is in it, but what is NOT in it – the chemicals that are added to food produced by non-organic agricultural methods. The FSA study does not seem to take into account the long-term health effects of these chemicals, or the effects of these toxins on the planet. As the Guardian article concludes, an EU study found that: levels of nutritionally undesirable compounds such as toxic chemicals, mycotoxins and metals such as cadmium and nickel, were lower in organic crops.
Un article sur le site Guardian continue le débat autour de la nourriture biologique. Un rapport nouveau de l’agence des normes de la nourriture britannique (FSA) dit qu’il n’y a pas des preuves que la nourriture biologique est plus nutritive que la nourriture de l’agriculture traditionnelle. Je pense que ce n’est pas le point essentiel. Pour moi, c’est les produits toxiques dans la nourriture de l’agriculture traditionelle qui font du mal à la santé et à la planète à long terme. Comme l’article conclue, une recherche de l’UE a trouvé qu’il y a des niveaux des produits chimiques inférieurs dans les récoltes biologique.
I think we should be sensible about this when choosing our food. I would prefer, ideally, to eat organic local food and I do when I can. But I think it is better for the planet to eat locally grown non-organic food than to transport organic food long distances.
Je pense qu’il faut être raisonnable. Je préfère manger la nourriture biologique et locale, mais c'est mieux manger la nourriture locale et non-bio que transporter la nourriture autour du monde.
Of course, the best vegetables are those you grow in your own garden or those which are locally grown like the fruit which producers sell at the roadside near here or these wonderful basketfuls of produce we saw in Sant Feliu de Guixols market on our recent trip to Catalunya:
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Shading the sorrel / Donner l’ombre à l'oseille
Our sorrel plants were looking a bit dry in the hot weather, so Lo Jardinièr had a good (and free) idea to shade them. Our local shop leaves vegetable crates outside for anyone who wants them to take them away, so he picked up two and used them to cover the sorrel plants. Just enough light gets in through the slats and the plants are now looking green and healthy again.
 On a donné un peu d’ombre aux plants d’oseille avec des cageots de l’épicierie. |  |
5 comments:
I totally agree about the organic food argument and said exactly that to Steve last night when we watched the news. Folk eat organic because they know what they're getting!
No one will convince me that organic food isn't better looking, more nutritious and better for the planet as well as the eater. But the only proof I'll ever need is the taste. We recently ordered an egg dish at a big chain restaurant. It had an anemic yolk and no taste, compared to our multi-colored eggs from a local suburban mom. Now if only I could break my addiction to bacon!
Great post and a great blog... just walked right in... hope you do not mind. The timing is great for I too feel so strongly about the issue of poisons in our food, water, earth and air. The toxic industry is so huge the world over now... I do not trust studies that doubt the benefits from food grown organically in living soil versus food grown in chemical lifeless soil and coated with poisons... and as you say no one can doubt the richness of flavor in real food. The mega corp "organic" growers are not interested in a philosophy of caring for the land and our food, but more the billions of dollars they will make and are always trying to change the standards of what organic is... a constant battle for food activist. You might like this site if you do not already get their alerts. http://www.organicconsumers.org/
Great idea with the veg crates to create shade.
The food looks fantastic. You have some wonderful ideas for your veg. and I shall pinch some of them. Love goats cheese with rocket, a pot of which I'm growing at the moment. When the pomegranates are ready,they will blend nicely with the rocket and goats cheese for a starter.
I do so agree with you, they really miss the point as usual. When I buy organic sugar, I do not buy it because it is more nutritious but it is not laced with all the chemicals sprayed in the sugar cane fields; or potatoes, or wheat etc.
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