Take a fresh look at your pantry, opt for organic products

Thinking green is no longer just for the few. We have to care for our planet and it’s down to all of us to prevent an ecological disaster. In order to achieve this, it’s essential to adopt a sustainable attitude to our lifestyle which includes improving our diet and choosing and supporting organic produce. This refers to products that are obtained by avoiding the use of unnatural means and by making the most of natural cycles which affect both plants and animals. These practices are respectful of the environment and furthermore yield produce which are beneficial to our health.

According to the guide Alimentación Saludable (a healthy diet), edited by the NGO Intermon Oxfam, organic food has clear added values:

It has a higher nutritional value and a more intense flavour. Organic products taste better. Furthermore, they preserve the nutrients that we expect to find in them, like vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

Their elaboration is more labour intensive. In the practice of producing organic food, the natural cycles are unchanged making it more labour intensive. However, this is also why these practices contribute to the enrichment of the regions and environments where they’re produced, fomenting sustainable development and responsible consumption.

They avoid polluting the environment. By not using chemicals and fertilisers, organic producers don’t pollute the environments in which they work. On the contrary, they are distinguished by the fact that their operations preserve and care for the environment.

According to the study The world of organic agriculture 2018 undertaken by FiBL and IFOAM-Organics International, Spain today is the tenth largest consumer of organic products worldwide, with a market which already moves 1.686 billion euros annually. The consumption increased 13% in relation to 2017, more than the average for that of the EU, but a way off the increases registered in Ireland, France and Denmark, which were more than 20%. 

According to the study cited, Spaniards spend around 36 euros a year on organic products which represents 1.7% of their shopping basket. The study highlights that in Europe, fruit, vegetables, and dairy are the organic products in highest demand, but above all the star products are eggs.

How can I recognise authentic organic products?

We must look at certain items in order to verify that we are getting authentic organic products: they must have the European Union’s Organic Farming certificate and the code of the certifying body; the label must describe the origin of the ingredients; the ingredients should specify which elements are organic and we should see terms such as “ecological” or “biological” or failing this their abbreviations “eco” or “bio”.

Furthermore, we need to consider other aspects: the packaging as well as the contents, and that the products are not handled by intermediaries which would have an additional impact on the environment, among others. Trying to consume sustainably also adds further value.

Until recently, we had to visit specialist shops in order to buy organic products, however this is a growing trend and is gaining momentum, many supermarket chains have now begun to offer bio products in their stores. For example, in January Lidl announced that it was stopping to sell eggs from caged hens; Mercadona promised to stop trading code 3 eggs (they come from battery hens which live in cages almost without space to move) in 2023, and in the last years Carrefour has opened two new Carrefour Bio stores in the centre of Madrid.

Withfor is participating in the organic food and production week 2019

From the 19th to the 27th of October Bio Week will be celebrating organic food throughout Catalonia.   An exhibition offering a wide range of activities spread across the territory with the aim of promoting and raising awareness of organic food and its production.

Being in line with Withfor’s ethical philosophy with regard to people and their surroundings in order to promote their well-being, we are joining this initiative and will be holding the “Organic cooking: take a fresh look at your pantry” workshop. Here we will learn of the benefits that organic food offers both our health and the environment. We will have the pleasure of Elena Julián, from the health food restaurant MAAI, with whom we will learn useful tricks to use at home, preparing a cold, healthy dish and sampling it together.

 The session will take place at the home of Withfor next Thursday 24th October at 18.30h. Tickets are limited. Reserve you place here. We’re waiting for you!