Organic, Schmorganic

Dominic Lawson poo poohs the Organic food Shtick by writing :

The general public, however, had already begun to call the organic bluff, perhaps one reason Whole Foods’ sales have suffered over three consecutive quarters in the United States and Prince Charles’s Duchy Originals has seen its profits slump. That noise – half-fart, half-howl – you heard last week was the organic balloon bursting. (Times)

I am an organic sympathiser of several decades standing, in fact I was an early member of the Soil Association. Lawson thinks I might want to send him hate mail in the wake of the "evidence" that organic food is no better nutritionally than the shitty chemical kind. (Apparently the FSA has been getting weird and nasty mail from some very disturbed people.)

Well, I am not going a waste a nail bomb on him (joke). These geezers are missing the point. Organic food is not about nutrition, it is about an attitude to our environment and the fact that some people genuinely believe that organic produce tastes better. The problem is that the public get it mixed up with the loony vegans and animal "rights" terrorists, which it never has been - you have been able to buy organic beef for decades, and it really does taste better.

It is in the end a lifestyle choice, not one everybody can make, I admit, but it is merely the other end of the spectrum from Mechanically Separated Meat and those wicked Chicken Nuggets.

Years ago, a farmer in Lincolnshire was prosecuted for feeding his cows, among other things, dead chicken carcasses and the bones of condemned cattle. Organic standards at least imply that you are less likely to eat that kind of food. You pays your money, so hey, let's not let science get in the way of a warm smug feeling of being a bit natural and back to the landy.

4 comments:

Doubting Richard said...

If food is organic then someone has usually taken some care over it. It has not just been produced at the lowest cost that will physically put an item of food on the supermarket shelf. Therefore it probably actually tastes of something!

organic man said...

I've just driven past a field of spuds that have had that sickly sweet weedkiller sprayed on them to kill off the shaws before harvesting. That stuff can't be good for your system surely.
The 'presenters' on Talk Radio were discussing organic food the other day and one of the presenters said that oranges, pineapples etc were safe because they had a thick skin and the chemicals couldn't get in. Err how does the plant feed itself if not through the chemical filled soil that it's grown in. You are what you eat applies to plants aswell I would have thought.

Wrinkled Weasel said...

You get a decent class of commenter on here. I favour organic for the reasons "organic man" and "doubting Richard" have given. It cannot be right to cover our food in chemicals whose sole purpose is to kill things.

strapworld said...

WW.

Are sheep dipped these days? Do 'organic' animals providing meat for the people ever injected with anti biotics? Of course they are and that must be a real cause for concern.

Nice to have you back on the ether dear chap.