This September sees the return of Organic September, an initiative by the Soil Association to encourage the whole nation to try organic. Throughout the month shops, farms and producers are inviting everyone to join them and experience what it means to be organic and why organic is food as it should be.
During September, shops, brands and businesses across the country will be showcasing how easy it is to shop and cook with organic ingredients along with the wealth of choice available.
Organic September has been perfectly timed to see some of Britain’s most popular everyday fruits and vegetables coming into season such as apples, blackberries, pears and plums while vegetables include beetroots, carrots, field mushrooms, kale, leeks, lettuce, potatoes, pumpkin and squashes, sweetcorn, tomatoes and watercress.
However, it is not only fruit and vegetables that are organic, it’s the full shopping basket. This year alone, over 1,000 new products were certified by Soil Association Certification including Adobe Malbec reserve 2017, Asda British cheddar, Clipper Fair Trade decaffeinated tea, Booja Booja Honeycomb caramel truffles, Jelley’s elderflower vodka and The Authentic Bread Company’s mini Earl Grey hot cross buns.
Having a Soil Association accreditation means whenever you see the organic symbol on a product you can be sure what you buy has been produced to the very highest standards. It means fewer pesticides, no artificial additives or preservatives, the highest standards of animal welfare and no GM ingredients.
Organic has a fully traceable supply chain right back to the farm. It’s inspected at every stage of the process meaning you really can know what’s in your food and how it has been produced.
Clare McDermott from Soil Association Certification, the UK’s leading organic certification body said;
“Simply put, organic is food as it should be, it’s fully traceable and available nationwide. This September we want to encourage small changes which can make a huge difference. Choosing organic means helping protect our vital wildlife and reducing your exposure to potentially harmful pesticides and chemicals. Demand for more organic food means more organic farms. More organic farms mean more wildlife and more animals raised to the highest welfare standards.”
Highlights of Organic September include:
- 8-9th September: Go! Organic Festival, Battersea Park, London
- 15th September: Organic September Saturday, a day dedicated to indie retailers, where independent retailers will open their doors and offer samples, tastings and talks to showcase their organic fare.
- 22nd September: Daylesford Harvest Festival
Swapping to Organic this September couldn’t be simpler and here’s five facts on why it’s good to make a small change:
- Fewer Pesticides: Almost 300 pesticides can routinely be used in non-organic farming. Many of these remain in the food we eat, despite washing and cooking.
- No artificial colours & preservatives: Hydrogenated fats and controversial artificial food colourings and preservatives are all banned under organic standards.
- Always free range: Organic means the very highest animal welfare as standard
- No routine use of antibiotics: Organic means healthier animals raised without the need for routine or preventative use of antibiotics
- No GM ingredients: GM ingredients and crops are banned under Soil Association standards
