Fruit - Certified Organic

“An apple a day keeps the doctor away”- We have all heard this since we were children, but as we grow older we realise that it actually makes a lot of sense. Not just apples, but all kinds of fruit have some health benefits or the other. Fruits have been known to man, for centuries, as one of the best sources of vitamins and minerals. They are essentially God’s packaging of multi-vitamins and minerals.

Apples are rich in Flavonoids, Catechin, Chlorgenic acid, and Querecetin, all of which are antioxidants and help in preserving the heart. Bananas are rich in vitamin C and B6, manganese and potassium and are a natural antacid. Cranberries are rich in vitamin C, Vitamin K and Manganese and have anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties. Each fruit has its own set of health benefits, which makes them an essential part of the human diet.

As human beings got greater insight into the benefits of consuming fruits, the demand for these fruits also increased. With an increased demand, the need for a greater supply became necessary. In order to meet this enormous demand, farmers have resorted to using pesticides and chemicals to make their farms more productive and reduce pests. This unchecked use of chemicals and pesticides has led to better looking fruit for sure however; it has also led to the loss of minerals, vitamins and the vitality of the fruit. Not to mention, the consumption of these chemicals can be fatally dangerous for human beings.

As the adverse affects of these chemicals and pesticides on human health have begun to come to light, the demand for organically grown fruits has increased. Organic fruits are those fruits that are grown in chemical free environments, where the soil is not treated with any foreign chemicals and no pesticides are used to reduce the damage caused by pests. Organic fruit may not look as ‘glamorous’ as chemically treated fruit, but it sure is a lot better for human consumption.

Going the healthy way

Our coming generations are becoming more aware about what they buy and most importantly what they consume. The age of information has helped us realize that we have been consuming harmful pesticide treated food products for years and we will have it no more! Everyone wants to eat the healthiest that they can. We all want to live healthier and longer lives. While we have little control over the kind of air we breathe or the genetic problems we inherit from our ancestors, we certainly have control over what we ingest.

Slowly but surely, a major part of the ‘aware’ population is turning towards the consumption of organically produced fruits, vegetables and other food items. But before we give our complete support to the consumption of organically produced foods, it is important to understand how pesticides and other chemicals are harming us and the environment that we live in and why we need to go the organic way.

Pesticides - The silent killer

Pesticides are designed to kill. Their effect therefore, a majority of the time cannot be limited to one specific kind of organism. In the process, pesticides end up harming more than just the pest that they were aimed at killing. There are approximately three million pesticide poisoning cases each year, according to the World Health Organization. Of these three million almost 220,000 people lose their lives to these pesticides.

Since the use of pesticides is not regulated and goes mostly unchecked, there is often an overuse of the chemicals that causes harm to human beings, as well as, other organisms. Sometimes even a low level of exposure to these pesticides can be harmful. While the full range of effects of pesticides on human health are still unknown, some of these effects are mentioned below.

Long term exposure to pesticides can cause a number of neurological defects such as loss of vision, loss of memory, reduced response to stimuli, altered behavior, decreased motor skills. A majority of the times these symptoms are unnoticeable and may not be corresponded with the use of pesticides. Apart from these effects, the use of pesticides may also cause cancer, hormonal disorders, asthma, problems in reproduction and allergies.

Insecticides are no better. The ingestion of Organo-chlorine insecticides can lead to hypersensitivity to sound, light and touch, dizziness, nausea and confusion. The use of these insecticides not only causes complications for human beings but also contaminates our drinking water, both on the surface and under the ground. Through the use of insecticides we are not only killing the harmful insects but also those that are responsible for processes like pollination. The birds and the bees are getting affected by the use of these harmful chemicals.

The use of herbicides, although they are less toxic to human beings and other mammals, is no better. Herbicides cause hindrances in the production of enzymes and hormones in plants. There are however, some concerns regarding the effect of herbicides in wildlife and aquatic beings. A popular herbicide called Atrazine, has a fatal impact of frogs. This herbicide was later banned within the European Union however; it is still the most widely used herbicide in the United States. Over seventy million pounds of Atrazine is used in the US every year. The use of herbicides also leads to the contamination of groundwater and surface water. A number of chemicals that are contained in pesticides are what are referred to as soil contaminants. The use of these pesticides greatly reduces the general biodiversity of the soil. Soil, on which pesticides have not been applied and contain more organic matter, tend to retain more water and helps in increasing the yield of farms. During drought years, organically maintained soil is more likely to have retained water that can help in the yield of the crop.

Additionally, it is noticeably that some kinds of pests and harmful insects are able to develop a resistance for a particular kind of pesticide. In an effort to fix this problem, farmers almost always resort to the use of profuse amounts of pesticides; this only makes the effect of the pesticides worse as both a fatal chemical for the various creatures that live close to it, as well as multiplies the pollution that is caused by the use of this pesticide. In order to save the birds and the bees, save ourselves and the environment that we live in, we must turn towards organic farming and its methodologies for producing organic fruits and vegetables. We must feed our farm animals with organic produce and steer clear of steroids and hormone injections. Because whatever chemical we use to grow our crops and feed our animals will ultimately end up inside us. In order to save ourselves, therefore, we must resort to organic farming and consume only organically produced foods.

The rise in demand of organically produced fruits and vegetables

The organic food market since the year 1990 has grown at an increasingly rapid rate. In 2012 it reached a whooping $63 billion. The demand for these organic products has led to a rise in the demand for organically maintained farms. In 2011, almost 37,000,000 hectares of land was being farmed organically. These numbers have grown a lot since.

What is organic farming?

Keeping in mind these awful effects of pesticides, insecticides, herbicides and other chemicals, many people are resorting to the consumption of organic fruits and vegetables. Organic fruits are fruits that are grown in their natural environment, without the use of harmful pesticides and other chemicals that are used to ward off pests that destroy the crops while they grow.

The use of hormones that are injected into the plants is curtailed and the use of steroids that help the plants grow faster and bigger is also rejected in organic farming. Organic farming allows for the fruits and vegetables to grow on their own in their natural environment without the use of any foreign material that are used to control infestation. Only manure and other organic fertilizers are used in the process.

Many countries regulate the use of organic products in the production of these fruits and vegetables in order for them to be labeled as organic. Any produce that contains below 95% organic materials cannot be labeled as organic food in Australia. The organic fruit Brisbane offers is therefore, of very high quality and purity in terms of how it is produced.

In many cases where organic farming is being undertaken, farmers resort to techniques like crop rotation, the use of natural manure, composting and biological pest control etc. to maintain the health of the soil and get greater crop yields. It is important for any farmer to understand the health of their soil and how to maintain it without using destructive chemicals to ward of the pests.

Many farmers have resorted to poly-culture i.e. the growing of multiple crops on one piece of land. By planting a bigger range of plants, many of the micro-organisms in the soil are preserved and this is beneficial for the health of the soil. Many farms plant nitrogen fixing legumes in rotation to maintain the levels of nitrogen in the soil.

How to identify genuinely organic food?

We have all wondered time and again about how we can ever be sure what is in the food that we buy at the store. While there are so many food products at your grocery store that are labeled ‘organic’, you can never know which labels to trust and which labels mean what. While most people would blindly trust this ‘organic label’, it is wiser to know how the food was produced.

Knowing how each item in your grocery bag was produced is next to impossible. While some labels tell you that these foods were produced using organic materials and ingredients, you can never be sure. The best way to buy genuinely organic food is to look for a certification label. These labels are under the close scrutiny of the Australian Quarantine and Inspectorate Service.

Very few brands that are genuinely organic go through the cumbersome process of getting a certification for their products. Therefore, buying certified organic food is the safest bet in case of organic fruit Brisbane.

The Australian Quarantine and Inspectorate Service, approves third party food inspecting agencies to certify their food products. There are currently only seven such agencies that inspect and certify the food. These are listed below-

• Australian Certified Organic
• Organic Food chain
• Tasmanian Organic-Dynamic Producers
• Safe Food Production Queensland
• National Association for Sustainable Agriculture, Australia
• AUS-QUAL LTD.
• Biodynamic Research Institute

Buying Organic food

While organic food is available almost everywhere nowadays, it is always preferred to buy it at the local farmers market as you are able to check the quality of the product yourself before making the purchases. However, our busy schedules rarely allow for us to actually go down to the local farmers markets and make the purchases ourselves.

There are a number of online organic food stores that now offer organic fruit delivery Brisbane as well as the delivery of organic vegetables, oils and other organically produced products. The advantage of shopping for organic products online is that you are able to easily compare the different quality of products as well as their prices without having to physically look at the products of go from store to store. You can now get the best quality organic foods delivered right to your doorstep.

RBS Organics offers the highest quality of vegetables, fruits and meat products that are organically produced. They provide the most efficient organic fruit delivery Brisbane has to offer. By buying your products through RBS Organics you are guaranteed the best available quality of the most organic food to be delivered to you through our network of delivery experts spread all through greater Brisbane.

Buying organic has never been this simple. The best organic fruit delivery Brisbane has is now available online. All the product information is available online and all our products are 100% quality certified. Your organic food is just a click away!