Beyond Organic: Why It’s Time to Make Sustainable Choices
Increasing numbers of people are choosing food and other products that are certified organic through organisations such as Australian Certified Organic. Health conscious consumers pick organic products because of their nutritional benefits and also through a sense of social responsibility. If you want the food you eat to be free range, cruelty free and produced without the involvement of GM, hormones, antibiotics and synthetic pesticides, the organic stamp certainly guarantees all these good things for you and your family. But did you know that just because your fruit and veggies are certified organic, this does not guarantee that they have been produced in a sustainable way?
What is Sustainable Produce?
Ensuring that the food you buy is sustainable isn’t as easy as looking for a symbol on the packaging. Companies in Australia only gain their organic status when they meet a strict set of criteria, however there is no set of rules and regulations when it comes to sustainability. Sustainability is a way of life and generally, the best way to find sustainable food is to shop locally with small suppliers who are proud to be sustainable and keen to let their customers know about their philosophy.
Think Big, Act Small
In a world where bigger is nearly always considered better, sustainable farmers believe that operating on a smaller scale is better. Owning less land means farmers need to vary how their fields are used, for example by allowing animals to graze on cropland. Less space also means farmers are more likely to grow diverse crops which helps improve soil quality and conserves resources. Sustainable farmers working with limited land, such as those in more urban environments, are also more able to experiment with new sustainable techniques such as vertical planting. Not only that, sustainability is all about choosing the right crops for the soil to minimise the use of unnecessary chemicals and additives.
Live and Let Live
Unlike many large-scale producers, sustainable farmers aren’t just thinking about how the finished product translates into profit. So rather than chopping down trees so that every scrap of land can be monetised, a sustainable farmer may choose to keep trees and other plants not only for their aesthetic benefits but for the valuable contribution they make to the eco system by providing natural water filtration, clean air and shelter for animals. They also may need the assistance of a qualified arborist to make sure their trees are in healthy condition.
Beyond the Land
There would be no point in producing sustainable produce and then packaging it in wasteful plastic packaging. But as anyone who routinely shops organic knows, organic doesn’t necessarily mean eco-friendly packaging. Sustainable producers go the extra mile to ensure their packaging is minimal and 100% recyclable. Not only that, they introduce beneficial initiatives such as humane treatment of animals, paper-free offices and great working conditions. Also, as low emissions are high on the green agenda, shopping locally with a supplier who minimises the use of fossil fuels for production and transportation can only be a good thing.
We can all do our bit to live sustainably. Why not start by giving your land the care it deserves?
