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September – A month of raising awareness and promoting ecological balance and preventing over exploitation of natural resources
September is a month that celebrates, nationally, organic food and organic farming and is organised by the Soil Association each year.
But what does organic mean, and why is it so important?
There are several elements that contribute to a product being organic from using fewer or no pesticides, not using preservatives and artificial colours, of course always being free range, and not using routine antibiotics.
These practices make produce more nutritionally valuable better for the environment allowing the soil to naturally replenish, benefiting the wildlife, and helping reduce the impact on climate.
But it’s not just about the product, it’s also about the farming process being organic, using the land in the most natural way without adding artificial additives and considering the entire process that goes in to producing an organic product. Spanning from the energy use that goes into the actions to the impact farming has on biodiversity, keeping a sound ecological balance, to soil enhancement practices, maintaining the quality of water and the tools/equipment used and maintained to farm.
What are the benefits of going organic?
There are many benefits to choosing organic some of which we list below
- Helps combat climate change and impact on the environment
- Organic practices hold animal welfare to the highest of standards
- It’s better for people’s health as reduces the exposure to pesticides
- Supports biodiversity and ecological balance
- Safeguards wildlife
And the most important? Food is as it should be!
What you can do
- #chooseorganic and look out for the “Soil Association Organic” symbol when purchasing goods
- Grow your own
- Make your pledge for the planet
Interesting facts according to the Organic Farming Statistics in the United Kingdom for 2021
- Organic land area – 507 thousand hectares is farmed organically in the UK.
- Organic land use – 61% of UK organic land is accounted for by permanent grassland.
- Regional organic land use – 61% of the total UK organic area is in England.
- Organic crops – 9% of the total UK organic area is used to grow cereals.
- Organic livestock – 3.1% of the total UK cattle population is reared organically.
- Organic operators – there are 5.7 thousand organic operators in the UK.
Find out more interesting facts by visiting the Organic Farming Statistics in the United Kingdom for 2021 web page.
You can learn more about what organic means, why choosing organic is beneficial and lots more information by visiting the Soil Association, Organic September pages.