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Organic Food

In one sense all food is 'organic' because it has come from plants or animals. However, for some fifty years the word 'organic' has been used to describe food grown without 'artificial' fertilisers or pesticides and in a way that emphasised crop rotation, making the most of natural fertilisers and ensuring that the life of the soil is maintained. Animals are kept in ways which minimise the need for medicines and other chemical treatments.

All consumers are entitled to expect that all the food that they eat will be safe and wholesome. The Government and local authorities operate a wide range of measures to ensure that this is so, for example by laying down rules about what may be said on labels, or for monitoring for the presence of contaminants.

But some consumers may also want to buy food which has been produced without synthetic fertilizers or pesticides, for example, or which has been produced in what they regard as a more sustainable way.

There are a number of terms used to describe food that has been produced in a 'traditional' or 'environmentally friendly' way. However the description 'organic' is the only one which is subject to European Community and national regulation.

Organic farmers and the makers of organic foods are not the only people to use some of the principles described in this booklet but as a system organic production offers a unique approach to farming and food.