With Scotland’s larder already in the spotlight for the Year of Food and Drink, people are becoming increasingly aware of their food’s provenance, the need for sustainability and the environmental and economic benefits of buying local produce.
Soil Association Scotland would like to invite people to make one small change to their buying habits this September to ‘go organic’. Below are their Top Ten Tips to help you make the switch.
1. Try Organic Tea and Coffee
Picture: SAS
Organic tea is grown without the use of harmful pesticides. Herbs like spearmint or peppermint can contain up to 100 times more glyphosate and often the first time pesticides are washed off of these herbs is in your cup.
Organic coffee comes from plantations that work with nature, rather than against it, which helps maintain healthy soils and protects wildlife.
2. Snack on Organic Fruit or Whizz it up into a Smoothie
Organic fruit and veg at Pillars of Hercules. Picture: SAS
Believe it or not, eating an organic apple on your break instead of a sugary snack will make a big difference to wildlife. Organic farms support twice as much wildlife as a non-organic farm. That's 50% more birds, butterflies and bees!
3. Organic Ice Cream
Summer may be fading away but that’s no reason to stop having an ice cream treat.
Organic dairy products are guaranteed to be free from many of the artificial food colours and preservatives that are added to many non-organic products during production.
4. Make a Seasonal Organic Soup
Lentil soup made from organic ingredients. Picture: SAS
Why not embrace seasonal produce and make a tasty organic soup. Think of the number of fields that would be free from harmful pesticides if we all swapped to organic spuds.
5. Buy an Organic Loaf of Bread
Recent studies have found over 30% of British bread contains glyphosate - a pesticide found in weed killer - which was recently identified as a probable carcinogen. The Soil Association has called for an immediate ban on pre-harvest use of glyphosate on crops. Join the campaign and sign our petition today!
6. Buy Organic Milk
Organic dairy cows are reared without the routine use of drugs, antibiotics and wormers common in intensive livestock farming. This reduces the risk of spreading antibiotic resistance bugs.
7. Have an Organic Cheese and Wine Night
Organic cheese. Picture: SAS
Guilt free wine and cheese? A great reason to get your friends round for an evening in, and rumour has it organic wine can lessen the hangover as it contains fewer sulphites!
8. Make an Organic Sunday Roast
Buy in some high quality organic meat for an extra special Sunday with the family.
Choosing organic is a great way to ensure your meat comes from animals who have been raised to the very highest standards of animal welfare.
9. Treat Yourself to Organic Chocolate
Going organic doesn’t mean you can’t indulge! Organic chocolate is free from hydrogenated fats and controversial artificial food colourings and preservatives.
10. Switch to Organic Oil and Vinegar
Drizzling organic oil on your salad combat climate change. Organic farming creates a healthy, living soil. Soils are vital as they store three times as much carbon as the atmosphere and five times as much as forests!
Together each small switch to organic can help secure a better future for generations to come.
• Soil Association Scotland will be hosting an Organic Pop-Up Market on Saturday 12th September at the Glasgow Botanical Gardens from 10am-3pm. It’s a great opportunity to meet local producers, sample produce, pick up more top tips and treat yourself to a delicious organic lunch!
For more information about Soil Association Scotland and their campaigns, visit www.soilassociation.org
