New Organic Markets

There was a time when the term “organic” was not a part of our everyday language. It wasn’t all that long ago that people associated the word with hippies. My family decided to go organic five years ago. At that time my family and peers thought it was strange and unnecessary. A friend of mine gave me the nickname “hippy chick” just because of our organic lifestyle.

Now, organic is everywhere. It has become mainstream as people realize the benefits; especially the benefits of organic vegetables. There is some controversy surrounding the difference between organic and conventionally grown produce. Many agencies and researchers will tell you that there is no difference. However, you will have just as many claim that there is a difference. The key is doing the research and then deciding.

From my own research I’ve discovered that cancer survivors are often instructed, by their doctors, to adopt an organic lifestyle. That tells me there must be some evidence out there that points to benefits of eating organic. The FDA admits there are levels of pesticides on the produce we eat. But they get to determine what they deem acceptable. The amount of chemicals the FDA tests for is staggering. And the FDA can only test a small percentage of our food so what about the percentage that wasn’t tested?

The truth is that organic farming works. There is no reason to use the chemicals that are being used. We should turn to organic produce and reap the benefits of organic vegetables. So, what exactly are the benefits of organic vegetables? Let’s take a closer look.

A higher level of nutrients is found in organically grown vegetable. Conventionally grown vegetables are grown with artificial fertilizers that produce growth by filling the produce with water. So, conventionally grown vegetables are mainly water. There has been evidence of a steady decline in minerals for about six decades. In that time we’ve started pre-picking crops, started using chemicals for longer storage and we’ve over processed the produce.

Another benefit is lower intake of pesticide residue. Research has linked to consumption of pesticide residue to headaches, tremors, depression, anxiety, and lack of energy as well as many other symptoms. Even washing vegetables does not rid them of the residue. And some researchers are concerned about the effect of various pesticide residues that are contained in the same food. How do they affect our bodies when they are combined?

Children are more susceptible to the affects of pesticide residues because of their still developing organs. Some studies seem to link exposure to toxins with an increase in developmental delays. So, another benefit is that you are protecting your children.

There is also the environmental impact to consider. Organic farming is better for the environment. It is good for the soil structure, conserves water and is more efficient. So, there may be still some who will debate the benefits of organic produce but there is much evidence to support the benefits of organic vegetables.

Would you believe that there was once a time when a person could go to their neighborhood grocery store and be 100% guaranteed that any item from the produce section was not only good for them but fresh and harmless? A time when people would convert to vegetarianism only because they were against the harm of innocent animals for human consumption? So why is it nowadays we have segregated meats, fruits and vegetables by a ‘certified organic’ label? In recent years, consumers have chanced everyday supermarkets who buy their produce from farmers who may have one of the following challenges –

• Use of pesticides and other chemicals that could cause severe illness or even death to a human

• Employ workers that do not use common hygiene practices

• Products may have come in contact with livestock that may have been in ill health at the time of process preparation

• Livestock injected with hormones and other chemicals that make them larger but can be unhealthy for prolonged consumption

Of course, this was out of the control of your local grocer which is why many organic grociers, or grocers have sprung up worldwide over the past fifteen years – and more new stores are opening faster than can be counted. Here’s a short list as to why –

• The facilities usually adhere to strict housekeeping procedures, which usually includes routine cleaning of its equipment and space

• Organic grociers only carry certified organic products

• As many of us live longer, we are more likely to take care of ourselves with exercise and healthy diet

The disadvantages of using an organic grocier are –

• Because of the time and care to cultivate a presentable product for public sale, organic food tends to be priced higher than regular produce, dairy and meats

• Organic grociers are usually found in upscale, suburban neighborhoods

• The shelf life was half the time (or less) of its chemically-induced version.

Now, some organic co-ops could be found at farmers’ markets, small storefronts or in a partnership with a supermarket warehouse. Yet, they still had its limitations location, such as hours of operation, membership fees and in the cases where members could be owners as well; there may be differences of opinion that way be the death of a smooth-running operation.

Slowly, major supermarket chains and convenience stores have gotten on the organic bandwagon, even in urban areas. There are even a few little known programs for low-income individuals to eat organically. Separate space is used for cleaning, packaging and public display. The prices are still higher than that of non-organic produce and meats but competitive compared to specialty grocers. Inside some of the larger markets, there are entire sections dedicated solely to organic foods and other items that may be recommended for those with dietary restrictions. It is nice to know that eventually, healthy eating options are just as close as any commercial fast food establishment.

By Davinos Greeno

Recent research by market analysts nVision suggests four in ten adults now choose organic options on a regular basis. Organic supermarkets in England are booming and Europes biggest organic event, the Biofach exhibition in Germany in getting bigger every year.

Unfortunately, at the moment retailers are charging artificially high prices. I was in Tesco last week which is a rare occurrence as I shop locally where possible, and I nearly died when I saw the prices being charged for organic yogurt and eggs compared to the non-organic brands. Its about time that the government started to investigate these organic suppliers and supermarkets to see who is ripping us off! Encouraging competition is not always a good idea as this can drives down prices (good for the consumer) which can put organic suppliers out of business if they have small profit margins. I understand that we have to pay more for organic produce because there are more crop failures due to the fact that the farmers cannot use pesticides, but what is an acceptable percentage and does this vary from product to product. Should organic fish be 10 percent more expensive than non organic fish and vegetables 20 per cent etc?

Once only available in small health shops or farmers markets, organic foods are becoming much more widely available. In the past 10 years sales of organic food in the UK have increased over 10-fold from £100m in 1993/94 to nearly £1.4bn in 2004/05. This large growth is predicted to continue, and many companies are jumping into the market. Sales through farmers markets and farm shops have grown faster than any other retail outlet. Organic food and drink now accounts for 1.2 per cent of the total retail market (Source Soil Association).

There are two types of organic foods.

Fresh food

Fresh food is seasonal and perishable. Vegetables and fruits are the most available type of organic, fresh food, and are closely associated with organic farming. They are often purchased directly from growers, at farmers markets, supermarkets or through speciality food stores. Organic meat, eggs, dairy are also available.

Processed food

Processed food accounts for most of the items in a supermarket. Often, within the same store, both organic and conventional versions of products are available, and the price of the organic version is usually higher as already mentioned. Most processed organic food comes from larger companies producing and marketing products like organic baby food, organic beer, organic pasta or other convenience foods.

How do I know its organic?

The term organic is defined by law - all organic food production and processing is governed by a strict set of rules. Look for symbols such as the Soil Association symbol for your guarantee of the highest organic standards. The Soil Association organic symbol is the UK’s largest and most recognisable trademark for organic produce. Wherever you see it you can be sure that the food you have purchased has been produced and processed to strict and rigorous animal welfare and environmental standards. Other symbols to look out for include the Organic Food Federation and Certified Organic Ingredients.

Most people dont have enough time to read the labels of all the different food products that they buy to check for organic ingredients. So look for the various symbols, you can then be sure that the product complies with minimum government standards.

The use of such symbols is entirely optional and a product can still be organic even though if it doesnt carry the symbol of a certifying body. That means if you want to be 100% satisfied that what you are eating or using is organic always read the label or speak to the vendor.

Where you will find the symbol? - Look out for organic symbols on almost any kind of food and drink you can think of from fresh produce like fruit, vegetables and meat to processed foods such as bread or baby food. You can even buy organic pet food!

Davinos Greeno works for the organic directory This green directory lists 100s of Organic Food and Drink Companies and Eco Jobs and Campaigning Videos

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By Mike Selvon

Natural organic food has become a staple in local health food stores and in most grocery stores. Almost all food stores now carry a special section of natural and organic food. Consumers are demanding more and more certified organic foods and this has put a strain on the market.

Sales are growing faster than any other segment of the food industry. Annual sales in the United States are topping anywhere from $16.3 billion to $29.7 billion.

Several reasons exist for both this increase in demand and the hinder of growth. If one understands these, a larger understanding exists of how the natural organic food market will help consumers.

Three reasons exist for the increase in sales of it, however, the main reason is quite simple. Obesity and heart disease are among the prevalent health related deaths of individuals.

A way to avoid both of these is to stay fit and healthy. Natural organic food offers individuals the choice of products lacking in toxins as well as far healthier foods than those previously available. It is for these reasons demand has increased dramatically.

With the increase of E coli, salmonella, and Listeria, people are becoming more aware of the food they put into their bodies. Consumers want to be healthy at all costs and natural organic food offers the assurance of no pesticides or toxins.

This assurance will decrease the amount of infections from occurring due to the lingering affect of chemicals.

One other reason people are choosing such food is because of the demand for environmentally friendly materials. Organic food products are not only free of toxins, but they are also packaged in “green” materials that can easily be recycled.

With the planet trying to take a stance on taking care of the environment, any type of material that can be recycled is a plus.

Even though several reasons exist why natural organic food is a plus, a few reasons do exist that seem to be hindering the growth of this type of market. In organic farming, labor shortages are a great setback.

Farmers are increasing the production of crops and livestock yet a shortage of qualified inspectors is on the rise. With limits in inspections a lack of consistent supply to the markets is starting to occur.

Since demand is increasing, a consistently short supply is the worst thing that could possibly happen to the natural organic food industry.

The market for natural organic food is definitely increasing. The revenue organic foods are generating is on the verge of breaking records. People are trying to become healthier and avoid sicknesses thus the demand for natural organic food is growing by the day.

However, organic farmers are slowly decreasing and effecting the supply of food. With an increase in certified inspectors and farmers once again returning to the fields, natural organic food demand and revenue will continue to rise.

Enrich your knowledge further by reading more great natural organic food articles from Mike Selvon portal. We appreciate your feedback at our organic food blog where a free gift awaits you.

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By Lance Winslow

As more and more people come to find that the human food supply is clearly lacking, these consumers are turning to Organic Foods. There sure seems to be a huge growing world wide market for “organic foods” these days and in the US it seems we have a bit of consolidation going on between “Whole Foods Market” and another chain, as they try to garner economies of scale to compete against the “big boys” like Krogers, Winn Dixie, HEB, Wal-Mart, Albertsons, etc.

This is a major issue; price, as poorer consumers are eating real garbage, getting diabetes and upsetting the future balance of any legitimate quest for Universal Health Care. As people become more educated on organic foods we see more people looking to buy certified organic foods. Indeed not everyone can buy organic foods because there is not enough to feed everyone the good stuff.

Since this is a supply and demand issue the world wide market for organic foods will only get bigger. And we know more and more people are being born too. What are your comments on the human population growth in the world? Do you believe we are looking at 10.5 Billion by 2050-2075? If we had zero population growth that might indeed solve some issues? How many kids do you plan to have?

Are you going to be able to feed them only the best organic and certified organic foods? Nations who can certify their foods as organic stand to gain lots of ground economically in US Markets and elsewhere around the world, yet those who play games with the food they export might get black balled all together. This is a huge and serious issue and thus the market for organic certified foods skyrockets.

“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is a guest writer for Our Spokane Magazine in Spokane, Washington

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By Fran Black

Many shoppers only seem to have an abstract understanding of the benefits of organic foods and products on the environment and their health. Organic meat, poultry, eggs and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. Many people believe that genetic engineering is dangerous, unpredictable, and can reduce the nutritional value of food. But the FDA has said that the amount of hormones used in commercial livestock isn’t enough to harm humans. As a result to be deemed organic, meat, poultry, eggs and dairy products must come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. Typically organic fruits and vegetables, milk, eggs and meat products are produced within a 50-mile radius of their place of their final sale.

Organic produce refers to vegetables that are grown without the use of chemicals or pesticides. Only naturally occurring fertilizer, like manure can be used to grow organic produce. While it is still better to eat non-organic vegetables than no vegetables at all, consumers are starting see the value in organic products.

The natural and organic skin care product sector has seen a growth of thirty nine percent over the last year. The product formulations rely entirely on natural or naturally-derived ingredients. These products do not use any artificial preservatives.

The FDA does not regulate skin care manufacturers, questionable ingredients often make their way into their formulas. Some of these products may claim to be all-natural, while still containing a slew of chemicals and toxins. As a consumer if a skin care product contains an ingredient that you are unsure about, write down it’s name and do a little research. If a product claims to be all natural, its ingredients should be easily recognizable as natural components.

Scrutinize the first several listings in the product to be sure that they are the natural ingredients you are looking for. Dirt, dust, pollutants, and other environmental pollutants enter the body through the skin, providing a more significant gateway to your system, so it is important to be aware of what products contain. In response to a growing demand on the part of consumers, more and more organic foods and products are flooding the market. Even in mainstream supermarkets, certified organic foods and organic skin care products are available.

Demand for organic production is increasing by at least 40 per cent each year. And while in some cases the price for organic raw materials may be 3 to 4 times more expensive than conventional. If consumer demand increases, prices should continue to drop.

Francesca Black works in marketing at Organic Items http://www.organic-items.com and Pilates Shop http://www.pilates-shop.net leading portals for organic products and natural excercise.

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By Susan Yurek

I honestly think the world of people who have made the commitment to vegan and/or organic changes in their lives, and like most, am beginning to reflect a more relaxed attitude that seems to come with that lifestyle.

What is most exciting, and a big reason I got into the business of organic bedding and textiles, is the deep connection to Fair Trade practices that promise living wages, health care and dignity to farm workers around the world. As Fair Trade products become more popular here, more and more families around the globe are now living in decent housing and eating better.

Talk about an obvious solution to global hunger! Fair Trade, and organic certification, of course, do add to the cost, which is difficult for some consumers to understand. It is unfortunate that some organic retailers respond by taking the Wal-Mart approach, and cheapening organic products to attract customers. Not easy to do though, because organic cotton and organic wool are not nearly as plentiful as those online hawkers would suggest.

(”LOWEST PRICES!”, “HUGE SELECTION”, “LOWEST PRICES ON THE WEB!”, etc. Ugh.)

Of course the most helpless will lose. In the business world, it’s now trendy to strip wages and fire employees in order to undercut prices. (Let’s save opinions about offshoring American jobs for another day.)

We must find it particularly egregious to do this to an organic industry that has always been deeply committed to humane Fair Trade initiatives. On organic farms and cooperatives overseas, the tactic repeatedly devastates the lives of innocent farm workers.

Ethical organic retailers gladly walk that difficult line between responsibility to the industry and Fair Trade initiatives, and offering our customers competitive pricing whenever possible. Those same ethical retailers (at least in my clique) are appalled at the cheapening of an organic industry we truly support.

I would wish that savvy organic consumers everywhere would boycott, shun, or do whatever is their style, to denounce that behavior. Sadly though, there will be a few who won’t pay attention and will continue trying to buy organic bedding and organic cotton products on the cheap.

Please don’t.

Susan Fullen-Yurek is an ecommerce entrepreneur and owner of Kushtush Organics (http://www.kushtush.com). Susan believes in the great potential of organic markets, and the industry’s deep commitments to humane and Fair Trade practices as logical approaches to solving global hunger.

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By Hayley Jones

There is more and more talk about organic products, in particular with regards to food, but it can be difficult to really understand the benefits both in terms of the production methods and the advantages for the consumer. This article seeks to provide an overview to organics in order to answer some of the common questions relating to this subject.

In the first instance, there are the environmental benefits of organic farming methods. One of the main requirements in order to achieve organic status is the minimal use of artificial chemical pesticides and fertilisers, which can provide short term gain to the long term detriment of the environment by causing harmful substances to enter the soil and waterways. In addition, organic livestock must not routinely be given drugs and are kept in a free range environment with a natural diet. It is generally agreed that these requirements provide a number of benefits including a more positive environmental impact, better animal welfare and higher levels of food safety as chemicals banned include those linked to asthma and heart disease.

From the point of view of the consumer, there are also further benefits in terms of the nutritional value of the food. Organic food is considered to contain on average 50% more vitamins, minerals, enzymes and other nutrients than intensively farmed produce and genetic modifications are banned. Unfortunately organic food is often more expensive than intensively farmed produce, but these costs are coming more in line. It is worth looking into local delivery schemes, as these often offer good value for money.

In addition to food, there is also a wide range of other organic products on the market, including cotton, beauty products and gifts. Non-organically produced cotton, for example, can have terrible health consequences for the farm workers, so it is worth looking into organic alternatives.

If you are looking to buy organic food or other products, it is important to check for a certification mark from an organisation such as the Soil Association. Descriptions such as ‘natural’, for example, have no legal restrictions, so a certification mark is the only way to be sure that the products you buy meet the tough guidelines these organisations have.

Hayley Jones is the Web Marketing Director of UK Energy Saving, http://www.uk-energy-saving.com Information on organic products can be found at http://www.uk-energy-saving.com/organic_products.html

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By Michael Malega

I hope that the following article will help you to better understand this topic.

It’s not always easy to find natural organic products for the person who has already gone organic, so you can imagine what case of hurdle that might be for those who are still only looking to go organic. Many people, despite their good intentions, will hindrance at having to purchase their weekly foodstuff supplies from a health food or specialty store.

Over and above the prohibitive price you would more than probable incur, is the planted dislike of anything that is even remotely thought of as good for you. This of course enough stems for our childhoods when “good” was almost just about shoved down our throats with the prevision that we would grow to like everything green and filthy tasting.

The funny thing is, that we do (to a very great extent – there are a few exceptions!), but we would still readily enough cut off our noses to spite our faces and stay from our good resolutions to bargain natural organic products if we had to find our way through a wellness food store.

Buying our natural organic products from our convention grocery shop or supermarket virtually makes it seem like a natural (if you will excuse the pun) practise in food market shopping. Sure our each month grocery store account would go up, but we would still have the gratification of enlightened that we purchased our natural organic products not from a health food store!

However, all of that notwithstanding, when you go to buy your natural organic products be it at the wellness food store, or the grocer’s close to the corner, there are a few things that you will want to look out for, and these affect the small substance of seals. Not the Marine or the ground forces variety, but the diversity which involves a seal or a certification of some sort.

The most normally accepted of these seals is the USDA seal of organic certification. There are many such unlike seals for the numerous natural organic products, but it is best if you first learn about them. For example even though an organic product might be USDA certified, it doesn’t inevitably have to have 100% of organic products contained within its packaging.

In fact, unless it specifically states on the promotion that you are purchasing a 100% Organic product, you will most in all probability be getting natural organic products which have only 95% of organic produce or even only a minimum of lifelike organic products contained inside it.

As mentioned earlier, the easiest way to tell the difference of opinion is by cautiously looking at the packaging of the natural organic products that you are buying. “100% Organic” will give you (not unnaturally enough) a hundred percentage of organic produce in your products… to read more on this subject, please visit our web site by clicking on our link below… Thanks for reading and good luck putting this information to good use.

Michael Malega presents several Natural Organic Products articles for your information. You can visit Michael’s web site at: Natural Organic Products http://www.natural-organic-foods-online.com/Natural-Organic-Products.php

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