What is Organic?

What is Organic?

What does ‘organic’ actually mean and what’s the difference between organic and non-organic fruit, vegetables and animal products?

Organic – a definition




**Taken from DEFRA - Crown Copyright


Organic farmingorganic livestock


Organic labelling



What the research says

Buying organic produce

Organic food is cheapest when bought directly from a farmer or producer, either via a box scheme, farmers market or farm shop. Buying local, organic food will often cost less than the non-organic equivalent. Unfortunately, most of us cannot access organic food directly from the producer and therefore it tends to be more expensive than the basic non-organic equivalent in the supermarkets. It does pay to shop around. Some organic products cost less than premium non-organic products. You might be pleasantly surprised.

If you are on a tight budget but would like to buy more organic food, then you could try prioritising your purchases. Items such as organic flour, milk, bread and butter can be cheaper, as can fresh seasonal produce such as salad leaves and herbs. If you do compare prices, you may actually find that many organic brands are cheaper than their conventional equivalents and are often on special offer.

There are other reasons, besides nutrition, that people choose organic food - such as taste, to avoid pesticides and a concern for the environment. The organic movement does promote better soil and it stands to reason that in the long run, organic farming is better for overall soil quality. Let’s not forget the most important factor in your diet, as far as fruit and vegetables are concerned, is to eat as much and as wide a variety as possible.

If eating 100% organic is a struggle, keep in mind there are many high quality, wholesome foods around that do not come with organic certification – such as grass-reared meat, wild fish and hand-made cheeses.