About My Quest

Happy pigs in mud, cows in clover. This is the way we like to think of farm animals. Unfortunately this is most often not the case. My love of animals and conviction that eating meat is part of the ideal healthy human diet has led me to seek out meat that is:

Humanely raised and treated
Free range
Grass fed
Hormone and Antibiotic free
Pesticide free
Affordable

Although certified organic food is wonderful because you are assured that the producers strictly satisfy the above criteria the cost of these products is generally very high and not affordable for everyone.
'Organic' is a ridiculous term because it simply means that it consists of natural elements. Many food producers are predominantly 'organic' by the definition set out by reputable certifiers however for a range of reasons they do not bother with the expense of becoming certified.
Many farmers produce food that fits the list above and I plan to find them. I encourage you to band together with friends, family and colleagues to buy in bulk direct from these farmers.

Friday, April 9, 2010

Organic food and my concerns

My main concerns with 'organic' produce are;

A. The term organic is ripe for abuse as it's general meaning applies to all food
B. Reputably certified organic food is very expensive often 50% more expensive
C. There is a lot of produce out there that would satisfy the criteria of certified organic but it is not certified due to work load and cost to producers

Dictionary definition of organic;

"Characteristic of, pertaining to or derived from living organisms"

So that applies to all food and in Australia the term 'organic' can legally be applied to any food because well, technically it is organic.

For the purpose of discussion I will make the following distinctions.
I will use the word organic by it's dictionary meaning. CO will refer to certified organic and CICO Cows In Clover Organic will refer to my listed objectives;

Humanely raised and treated
Free range
Grass fed
Pesticide free or limited
Hormone and antibiotic free
Affordable

The only way to ensure that you are buying CO or even CICO is to buy products with approval from a reputable certifier. Read here about which labels you should trust. By all means if you can afford it and want the convenience, study these labels and please buy up.

If animal welfare is your main priority source products with the RSPCA label. They are the only organisation that offers a certification and standard for animal welfare who actually visits the farms to ensure that they comply.

For more reading on this topic or if you wish to become vegetarian read this book. The Ethics of What We Eat by Peter Singer and Jim Mason, a horrifying, practical, factual yet inspiring book which looks at how to make animal welfare and environmentally conscious decisions when buying meat.

I aim to find meat that is first and foremost raised humanely but also adheres to the basic principles of certified organic; pesticide free, hormone and antibiotic free, free range and grass fed.



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