Today I want to talk to you about the importance of organic. Organic means working with nature. It means higher levels of animal welfare, lower levels of pesticides, no manufactured herbicides or artificial fertilisers and more environmentally sustainable management of the land and natural environment, which means more wildlife. Whatever you’re buying when you choose organic food, drink or beauty and textiles, you choose products that promote a better world. Organic means healthier and better for the planet.
Organic can sometimes be a bit more expensive, but not always. It is important for you to know that some fruits and vegetables for example contain a much higher number of pesticides than others. The Environmental Working Group releases a list every year with the Dirty Dozen and the Clean Fifteen. The Dirty Dozen is the list of twelve fruits and vegetables that contain the highest amount of pesticides and should therefore always be consumed organic. The Clean Fifteen on the other hand lists the non-organic produce least likely to be contaminated with pesticide levels. So if you’re on a budget, you know which to buy organic and which are ok to buy non organic. For example, a single non organic strawberry sample contains 22 different pesticides!
EWG’s Dirty Dozen:
- Strawberries
- Spinach
- Nectarines
- Apples
- Peaches
- Pears
- Cherries
- Grapes
- Celery
- Tomatoes
- Sweet Bell Peppers
- Potatoes
EWG’s Clean 15:
- Avocados
- Sweet Corn*
- Pineapples
- Cabbage
- Onions
- Frozen Sweet Peas
- Papayas*
- Asparagus
- Mangos
- Eggplant
- Honeydew
- Kiwi
- Cantaloupe
- Cauliflower
- Broccoli
*Most sweet corn and papayas are GMOs, so choose organic or at least NON-GMO.
In Conclusion:
Purchasing the produce listed in the Clean 15 is a way to save some money and still avoid the most contaminated fruits and veggies. None of the fruit on the Clean Fifteen list tested positive for more than four pesticides. And when you buy the non-organic produce, fill a bowl with water and either a teaspoon of baking soda or a cup of apple cider vinegar and let it sit for ten minutes. Rinse well. This will remove some of the pesticides.
Happily Green Ever After 