As a dedicated organic consumer I like to play my part in minimizing the impact our species has on the planet. There are numerous “big” environmental issues, which I don’t have direct control over, and then there are the smaller ones over which I enjoy at least a degree of control. Naturally enough, rather than depressing myself with my inability to alter the course of global issues, I tend to focus my efforts and attention on the day-to-day things I can do to contribute to a better, cleaner, greener society. That’s why I pay particular attention to the packaging of organic produce. I have an expectation – and I don’t believe it to be unreasonable – that organic products should be packaged in an environmentally responsible manner....

Once again, packaging has surfaced as a hot topic. This time, the debate surrounds bisphenol A and its use in common household and commercial packaging items. But it is the use of bisphenol A in baby bottles – and its link with a range of health problems, including cancer, impaired immune function, early onset of puberty and diabetes – that rightly has people most concerned. What is Bisphenol A? Bisphenol A is a chemical commonly used in the manufacture of clear polycarbonate plastic. It is one of the top 50 products produced by the chemical industry, generating revenues in the order of $6 million per day in the United States, Europe, and Japan alone. Global bisphenol A production exceeds 6.4 billion pounds per year. How pervasive...

There’s a lot that’s been written about why we should – and for that matter why we shouldn’t – be eating organic food these days. I don’t intend to go into a monologue covering off on every one of these arguments. Instead, I thought it might be worthwhile taking a quick look at some of the chemicals that can find their way into our food chain. But first, let’s consider why they’re there in the first place. Fertilizers and pesticides are the two main sources of introduced chemicals into our food chain. Fertilizers are intended to increase plant foliage and generally to make plants appear larger and more healthy. Research has found that synthetic fertilizers lower the nutritional content of fruits and vegetables and also have...

An animated debate has recently been playing out, particularly in the United Kingdom, around the subject of air freighted organic imports. Those opposed to the importation of air freighted organic foodstuffs site the irreparable environmental damage caused by the release of green house gases brought about by the unnecessary burning of aviation fuel. Those in favour appear to have adopted the stance that source (country of origin) organic certification should be the only determinant used to assess whether an item should be allowed to present as organic in its destination market. They also site the fact that the vast majority of airfreighted organic foodstuffs, which routinely make their way to so-called first world nations, are generally sourced...

Have you noticed when purchasing certified organic products that the packaging used tends to be lighter and more economical than the packaging used in equivalent conventionally produced items. I have. Prior to switching to an organic lifestyle, my trashcan would be full to overflowing on an almost daily basis. It wasn’t that I was constantly eating, it’s just that – like most people in the United States – I had become accustomed to discarding tonnes of plastic, styrofoam, paper and cardboard each year. I’m happy to report that, more often than not, my trashcan now remains empty for several days in a row. The compost heap out the back ensures that very little goes to waste. But not all organic products are created equal....