10 Point Plan: 03 Consume organic and regional food
3. Consume organic and regional food
Contamination of ground and drinking water by synthetic fertilizers, bees and insects dying due to toxic insecticides, genetically modified food, soil compaction and erosion, and watery fruit contaminated by antibiotic-resistant germs – there are many reasons to turn our backs on conventional agriculture. Despite these generally known drawbacks, it is often the price that makes the consumer resort to conventional products. Biologically dynamic and regional products cost more, and this often has an impact on our wallets. But the price is worth it! For you and the environment.
Benefits of organic and regional foods:
- Better taste, since no growth accelerators are used. Taste the difference!
- Better health, because you don’t ingest growth hormones and pesticide residues.
For example, Greenpeace employees in Germany examined peppers from 13 supermarkets and were able to detect 350 different pesticide residues in them. Pesticides were found that have been shown to damage the human hormone system, impair reproduction and cause cancer in the long-term.
In the organic food industry, the irradiation of food stuffing with ionizing radiation is prohibited and fewer food additives are allowed (about 50 instead of over 300). Genetically modified food (GMO food) has only been around for about 20 years, and therefore, no long-term studies exist that show whether or not eating GMO foods is harmful to one’s health in the long term. However, there is an increasing number of studies suggesting that DNA from genetically modified plants can be transferred to the people who eat them. Other studies cite genetically modified foods as the cause of conditions such as Leaky Gut Syndrome, impaired digestion, damage to the intestinal wall or immune activation and allergic reactions as well. Autism, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s and the growth of human cancer cells are also now associated with GMOs.
- GLower CO2 emissions - Organic products are also considered to be the second greatest friend of the environment. Just "eating less meat and dairy products" reduces the production of greenhouse gases.
- Soil conservation and preservation of soil fertility - With well-planned crop rotation. Multi-year crop rotation ensures that the nutrients are preserved in the soil and that the land remains fertile for many more generations.
- Elimination of chemical pesticides or fertilizers - this protects not only our waterways, our groundwater and the biodiversity of native microorganisms, it is also better for your health.
- Animal protection and welfare - Animals supplying milk, eggs or meat must be raised and kept in an appropriate manner, usually without the use of antibiotics or growth hormones.
- Fair trade - Biodynamic agriculture is anxious to counteract the agro-industrial complex and its emphasis on increasing efficiency and reducing the cost of food with a functional model that consistently opposes the exploitation of nature and animals, as well as humans.
However, the bio-boom of recent years has led to a growing emphasis on increasing efficiency in biodynamic agriculture. In this respect, the bio food industry is currently largely in the hands of the agro-industrial complex that it originally opposed. For consumers, this means that shopping for organic food is not enough. In addition, care should be taken to ensure that the food was produced as close to its markets as possible and that no long transport was necessary.
Just one Tip: Seasonal shopping
Seasonal fruits and vegetables from your region are inexpensive, even in organic quality, and thus easy on your purse strings. You are not only doing something good for yourself: your health, farm animals, soil, groundwater, nature and small organisms such as bees and butterflies, but also for all generations to follow.
It is not for nothing that they say: "You are what you eat"
