This September sees the return of Organic September, an initiative by the Soil Association to encourage the whole nation to try organic.
Mature Times reports that throughout the month, shops, farms and producers are inviting everyone to join them and experience what it means to be organic and why organic is food as it should be.
Shops across the country will be showcasing how easy it is to shop and cook with organic ingredients along with the wealth of choice available.
Organic September has been perfectly timed to see some of Britain’s most popular everyday fruits and vegetables coming into season: apples, blackberries, pears and plums; beetroots, carrots, field mushrooms, kale, leeks, lettuce, potatoes, pumpkin and squashes, sweetcorn, tomatoes and watercress.
However, it is not only fruit and vegetables that are organic, it’s the full shopping basket. This year alone, over one thousand new products were awarded Soil Association Certification including Adobe Malbec reserve 2017, Asda British cheddar, Clipper Fair Trade decaffeinated tea, Booja Booja Honeycomb caramel truffles, Jelly’s elderflower vodka and The Authentic Bread Company’s mini Earl Grey hot cross buns.
Having a Soil Association accreditation means whenever you see the organic symbol on a product you can be sure that what you buy has been produced to the very highest standards. It means fewer pesticides, no artificial additives or preservatives, the highest standards of animal welfare and no genetically modified ingredients.
Organic has a fully traceable supply chain right back to the farm. It’s inspected at every stage of the process, meaning you really can know what’s in your food and how it has been produced.
Clare McDermott, from Soil Association Certification, the UK’s leading organic certification body said: ‘Small changes can make a huge difference.
Choosing organic means helping protect our vital wildlife and reducing your exposure to potentially harmful pesticides and chemicals. Demand for more organic food means more organic farms. More organic farms mean more wildlife and more animals raised to the highest welfare standards.’
During September, there are numerous events happening up and down the country making it easy for anyone and everyone to try organic, with great offers in stores and online, new products launching and lots of fresh products in season to try.
So, why not go organic for Organic September – it could well help improve your health as well as the health of the environment and could be just the beginning of a new organic you.
Highlights of Organic September include:
- 8-9th September: Go! Organic Festival, Battersea Park, London.
- 15th September: Organic September Saturday, a day dedicated to indie retailers, where independent retailers will open their doors and offer samples, tastings and talks to showcase their organic fare.
- 22nd September: Daylesford Harvest Festival.
- Organic “Open Gate” Sunday will take place on Sunday 23rd September.
(Story source: Mature Times)
