Why Organic Pork?

In the current economic climate we are all trying to cut back on luxuries in life and it may seem easy to save a few pence by cutting back on the quality of the food we eat.

The withdrawal of Pork products from our supermarket shelves after the Dioxin contamination back in December serves as a stark reminder of why we should continue to support quality organic and local foods. At the time of the withdrawal the Organic Trust issued a statement reaffirming the safety of the Organic meat system.

Consumers are reassured that under the organic system no recycled food waste whatsoever is permitted for use in the organic feed system. All feedstuffs used on Organic Trust certified farms are fully verified by our organisation. In addition, every single aspect of the production process for organic meat is fully audited by highly qualified Organic Inspectors from field to fork – organic is the only food system which has this level of regulatory control, traceability and transparency.

More here.

The issue of organic meat came to my attention again recently when I came across this article in The Guardian. As a vegetarian it may seem odd that I would want to discuss the benefits of organic pork but I understand that vegetarianism isn't for everyone and hopefully I can make you understand why organic meat is a better choice.

The Guardian article deals mostly with the welfare of intensively reared pigs and although the most shocking conditions sited are of animals raised in the Netherlands Irish pork production isn't a million miles away from their system.

Before looking at the conditions of intensively reared pigs we should first understand the natural behavior of a pig. There is a beautiful description in Peter Singer and Jim Mason's book 'Eating' which describes a pig collecting materials and constructing a nest:

This particular sow is ambling about in the brush along the tree line, biting off twigs and leaves and carrying them back deeper into the woods where she is building a nest. It looks like a large bird's nest on the ground, about five or six feet in diameter, a ring of tangled small branches, leaves, and detritus from the forest floor . The sow carries a leafy branch into it and tucks it in among the others.

This is of course the description of a pregnant free range pig. So what conditions would you expect to find an intensively raised pig reared in in Ireland?

Compassion in World Farming's Irish Website states that most of the 158,000 breeding sows in Ireland are kept in intensive pig farms. At the very best this means many pigs are kept together in a large barn with little or no natural light and no access to the outdoors. At the very worst, similar to the ones sited in the Guardian article, pregnant sows are still confined to narrow pig stalls which barely allow them enough space to lie down or move around, on concrete and slatted floors when they are able to rest the pigs often have to lie on the waste which has failed to drain away. EU regulations mean that pig stalls are being phased out but the total ban does not come into effect until 2013.

Sadly this isn't the end of the suffering for a sow. As she comes close to giving birth she is often moved to and even smaller enclosure called a 'farrowing crate' these are so small she is unable to turn around or lie down, even standing up can be challenging. The intensive pig industry claims that these conditions are necessary so that the Sow doesn't roll over and crush her young but surely this problem only arises from there not being enough space in the first place!

When her young reach approximately 6 weeks old they are taken from their mother to be fattened up for meat. These piglets are again kept in crowded conditions on slatted floors. 95% of these 'fattening pigs' have their tails docked.

One of the founding principles of the Organic movement has been animal welfare. It therefore follows that pigs raised for organic meat have to have access to the outside world and are able to participate in their natural behaviors such as nesting. It is also required that they are fed on a diet consisting of 90% organic feed and as stated in the quote from the Organic Trust this never consists of recycled feeds. These principles mean that, as the Organic Trust ultimately states, orgnaically farmed pork is, as with all organically produced food, 'good for nature, good for animal welfare, good for the economy and ultimately good and safe to eat for the consumer'.

Update
As part of 'The Great British Food Fight' season on Ch4 Jamie Oliver will be looking at the pig farming industry. Don't miss it! Find out more from the Ch4 website.

Why Organic Skincare

I have been using and selling organic skin care products for well over a year, but whereas people are beginning to understand the reasons for eating organic food, the benefits of using organic cosmetics are probably not so well know. Although there are strict regulations in place for the labeling of foods as organic these do not apply to skin care products. This can be quite confusing for the consumer, how can you be sure that the bottle of moisturiser on the shop shelf does not contain harmful chemicals?

It is widely believed that a percentage of what you put on your skin is absorbed into your blood stream and a few years ago there was quite a scare when some chemicals, such as parabens used in preserving skin care products and deodorants, were found to be present in breast tumors. No conclusive evidence has been found to link cancer and these chemicals but the scare alone has driven many to seek non chemical solutions. 

The amount of chemicals present in the everyday creams, gels and soaps that we use is quite alarming. A quick look at the side of a bottle will bamboozle you with long names such as methylchloroisothiazolinone, phthalates, polyethylen glycol which appear alongside more familiar ones such as formaldhyde. Some of these chemicals are harmful by themselves, for example methylchloroisothiazolinone is thought to be linked to gene mutations and nervous system disorders, phthalates to genital abnormalities and infertility and formaldehyde to cancer and respiratory irritation. The real worry is that nobody knows what long term effects these chemicals will have when they are combined. In the past, clinical studies on mice have shown that mixing some pesticides can cause conditions similar to Parkinsons Disease an effect never anticipated when the chemicals were used on their own. 

In order to avoid these chemicals we must choose organic but how do we know which ones really are organic? 

Although it is not a legal requirement, if you want to be sure it really is organic,  look for certification on the packaging. Some certification bodies are stricter than others. I always feel like I can trust the Soil Association and I believe the Australian Certified Organic label has one of the strictest set of rules for certification of skin care. Always look to see what percentage of the ingredients are organic. The soil association will approve a small amount of non organic ingredients to be used in the formulas it certifies but these will always be a very small percentage of the end product.

Some of the best known brands of certified organic skin care are: Essential Care, Spiezia from the UK, Miessence from Australia, Dr Bronner from the States and I'm glad to see a new Irish brand on the market Nadur Organics who are in the process of becoming certified.

Why Organic Cotton?

Organic cotton seems to be really hot this year. I sell organic cotton baby clothes both in my hampers and at my market stall in Stillorgan, Dublin. I have been stocking them for just over a year, and they have always been a big seller . The trend seems to be spreading. One of the local shopkeepers in the Stillorgan shopping centre was telling me that they were particularly pleased with their new organic cotton range. It had only been on the rails for just over a week but were already selling really well. If you are in Stillorgan on a Wednesday pop by my stall and I will point you in the direction of her shop.

I am often asked how cotton can be organic. I think we often forget that our clothes come from plants too. In fact, according to The Guardian's Green Living Guide: "More than 10% of all agricultural pesticides are used to grow cotton, even though it makes up less than 3% of the worlds crops" Also most of these crops are grown in developing countries where the environmental impact and damage to human health that these chemicals cause is most damaging. Imagine a country with very little water, then imagine polluting that water source. The best source of information on organic cotton that I have found is PAN UK

The advantage for us? The baby clothes I sell are noticeably softer than the non-organic alternative, they are gentle next to the babies skin, and in my opinion less likely to flare up any allergies that a child may have. For the adult it's the same. There are great brands of organic socks and underwear out there. As for organic cotton fashion items, you can feel good about wearing them as well as looking great.

So where can you buy organic cotton? In Ireland of course you can buy from me. Also try Unicorn Designs or Oxfam and I know there are a lot more that you can get mail order from the UK.