Why Organic Strawberries?

I've really been enjoying this seasons strawberries, every week they seem to be getting sweeter and more full of flavour.

If you are living near to Enniscorthy don't miss out on the chance to visit the Wexford Strawberry Festival next weekend. It kicks off on Wednesday the 25th with a Strawberry Ball and goes on until the 29th of June. It would be worth going just on the chance of being able to sample the Organic Strawberries produced locally at the Wexford Organic Centre. 

So why should we choose organic strawberries? 

Thankfully one of the most devastating chemicals used in Strawberry production, Methyl Bromide was phased out in 2005. According to the Environmental Protection Agency the chemical was used as a pesticide both to sterilise the land before planting and after harvesting. Apart from the obvious concerns of chemical residue on the fruit itself it was found that Methyl Bromide was having a devastating effect on the ozone layer. It is also sited in the Environmental Protection Agencies Draft Guidance Note for Ozone Depleting Substances as being responsible for the deaths of some pesticide appliers. 

Unfortunately Methyl Bromide was only one of 50 chemicals that is listed by the Pesticides Action Network as being routinely used on Strawberry crops. I picked two at random from their list: Methomyl which when taken orally, inhaled or absorbed through the skin can cause symptoms which:

may include weakness, blurred vision, headache, nausea, abdominal cramps, chest discomfort, constriction of pupils, sweating, muscle tremors, and decreased pulse. If there is severe poisoning, symptoms of twitching, giddiness, confusion, muscle incoordination, slurred speech, low blood pressure, heart irregularities, and loss of reflexes may also be experienced - source extoxnet

And Thiophanate-methyl which although not anywhere near as toxic as Methomyl does cause skin and eye irritation.

So if you aren't lucky enough to be able to source organic strawberries on your doorstep try to buy from a small local supplier who is less likely to have used the full spectrum of chemicals and will be able to tell you exactly how they are grown.

Better still, why not try and grow your own next year!

Bamboo Clothing - The Pro's and Con's

Fashion has taken a seriously green turn this year, with London Fashion Week kicking off the trend back in February and in April we in Ireland hosted our first ever Ethical Fashion Week. 

Bamboo clothing is being heralded as the newest eco-fabric and at a recent trade show I was excited to finally see and feel this new cloth. It is beautiful, I was struck by how shiny it was, it's appearance and feel is closer to that of satin than it's eco-competitor organic cotton. It was also really light, a cloth nappy seemed to loose all it's bulkiness when made from bamboo.  The lady at the stand told me that because of it's natural deodorising properties you could wear the socks for a week without washing them... although I'm not quite sure if I'm ready to test that yet!

The advantages of bamboo seem endless, it's naturally antibacterial and anti-fungal, it's durable, it grows quickly without the use of pesticides and it is completely sustainable. It would seem to be a miracle fabric, but as with all things there is a disadvantage. I had noticed that although bamboo is grown organically that none of the garments seemed to be labeled organic. Looking into this further I discovered that hazardous chemicals such as sodium hydroxide and carbon disulfide are used during the processing of the plant. These chemicals are extremely toxic and can cause severe health problems to the people working with them. For example carbon disulfide is known to:

 '...affect the normal functions of the brain, liver, and heart'  *

and sodium hydroxide when inhaled can cause:

 '...swelling or spasms of the upper airway leading to obstruction and loss of measurable pulse; inflammation of the lungs and accumulation of fluid in the lungs may also occur'*

Even with all these health effects bamboo is still more environmentally friendly than many other materials. For example non organic cotton uses approximately 150g of pesticide per pound of raw cotton - enough to produce just one T shirt.

The good news is that there is an eco-friendly and organic way of producing bamboo cloth which allows natural the natural enzymes in the plant to break down the pulp. Although it is eco-friendly it is very labour intensive and as a result costly. New technologies are also being developed to help make the mass processing methods greener.

 

* Source: The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry

Further Reading:  

Environmental News Network

Los Angeles Times Blog

Organic Clothing