The TERI organic cookbook is helping to grow awareness of the organic market in India
If
you've ever found yourself in your local supermarket agonizing about
whether the organic apples will be a more nutritional and greener choice
than the cheaper non-organic ones, you're probably not alone.
Year on year the organic food market grows as consumers look to make a greener and -- often thought -- more nutritional choice. A report by the UK's Soil Association revealed that consumers there spent a record $3.7 billion on organic products in 2006, that's more than 20 percent growth on 2005 spending on organic goods including food, drinks and health and beauty products.
Year on year the organic food market grows as consumers look to make a greener and -- often thought -- more nutritional choice. A report by the UK's Soil Association revealed that consumers there spent a record $3.7 billion on organic products in 2006, that's more than 20 percent growth on 2005 spending on organic goods including food, drinks and health and beauty products.
It's
a similar story in the U.S. where -- according to the Organic Trade
Association -- supermarket chains like Whole Foods have helped the
organic food and beverage market grow from around $1 billion in sales in
1990 to around $20 billion in 2007. Total sales for organic food and
non-food products in the U.S. are expected to surpass $25 billion this
year.
However, one possible spanner in the works for the organic sector could be the results of a new study by the University of Copenhagen which revealed that organic foods contained no more nutrients than non-organic foods grown with the use of pesticides.
Researchers studied five different crops -- carrots, kale, mature peas, apples and potatoes -- which were cultivated both organically (without pesticides) and conventionally (with the use of pesticides) and found that there was no higher level of trace elements in the food grown organically.
Study leader Dr Susanne Bügel said: "No systematic differences between cultivation systems representing organic and conventional production methods were found across the five crops so the study does not support the belief that organically grown foodstuffs generally contain more major and trace elements than conventionally grown foodstuffs."
This study -- published in the latest edition of the Society of Chemical Industry's (SCI) "Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture" -- is the first to assess the nutritional value of organic fruit and vegetables. It should be noted that the study does not make conclusions about the comparative levels of pesticides or chemicals in conventionally and organically grown food or the health effects of consuming such chemicals.
The study results could be seen to support the idea that shopping organically is a lifestyle choice.
However, one possible spanner in the works for the organic sector could be the results of a new study by the University of Copenhagen which revealed that organic foods contained no more nutrients than non-organic foods grown with the use of pesticides.
Researchers studied five different crops -- carrots, kale, mature peas, apples and potatoes -- which were cultivated both organically (without pesticides) and conventionally (with the use of pesticides) and found that there was no higher level of trace elements in the food grown organically.
Study leader Dr Susanne Bügel said: "No systematic differences between cultivation systems representing organic and conventional production methods were found across the five crops so the study does not support the belief that organically grown foodstuffs generally contain more major and trace elements than conventionally grown foodstuffs."
This study -- published in the latest edition of the Society of Chemical Industry's (SCI) "Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture" -- is the first to assess the nutritional value of organic fruit and vegetables. It should be noted that the study does not make conclusions about the comparative levels of pesticides or chemicals in conventionally and organically grown food or the health effects of consuming such chemicals.
The study results could be seen to support the idea that shopping organically is a lifestyle choice.
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