Why Support Organic?

First one should ask the question ‘How can one support organic agriculture? The answer is easy. Put your money where your mouth is. I have chosen to answer in this manner, because here in Malta, surveys have shown that people are ready to purchase organic produce at a premium price; i.e. at a slightly higher price. But contrary to the surveys, it all boils down to what is cheapest and looks good value. To be frank, organic is not always cheap and good looking. To be exact, it can sometimes be cheaper and better looking. But this is not the argument. The argument is that when confronted with organic produce versus chemically grown produce consumers will invariably go for price and what looks good value. They will have, totally forgotten, the health benefits to them selves, never mind the environment. They will go on living experiencing ill health and even deaths of relatives and friends due to cancer, never realizing the inter-relation at the super market whilst they compare prices. They will notice the degradation of the environment and also wonder about the dwindling number of fauna and flora in the countryside. They will remember the quantity and diversity of coloured butterfly’s, in their childhood days frolicking in the fields, compared to their absence today. But they will fail to make the link.

So, we should all be supporting organic, for the benefit of the living earth and that, certainly, means us too. It means the well being of our children and the future of us all. We can only make the link if we continuously preach the benefits of organic produce. The benefits are of multiple dominoes, effect. To start off with, farm workers and handlers of produce will forfeit coming into contact with toxic chemicals. Insecticides, herbicides, fungicides and artificial fertilizers will not be used, with all their bad side effects on the natural flora, fauna and water table; the water table from whence we derive our drinking water. People will be healthier by way of not ingesting chemical residue from fruit, vegetables, meat, eggs and dairy produce. If people, are more healthy, the government will have a more productive population with minimal demand on expensive health care. People will live fuller lives without the worry and heartbreak of early death and disease. The environment will be cleaner and more abundant with life. This will make visits to the countryside more interesting and pleasurable. More importantly, life will be sustainable.

If people were given the opportunity to visit farms and see first hand how their food is being produced, they would better appreciate the fact that their food should be organic and nothing else. They would then demand that farm animals should live healthy lives in a healthy environment. It is all a matter of being informed and not just picking up produce from the supermarket on the basis of price and presentation. Education is the key to organic being successful. This is the prime aim of MOAM. It is to educate. By becoming a supporting member of MOAM (NO you do not need to be a farmer) you will have the opportunity of experiencing the good life of all that is rural, and organic .You will be able to visit organic enterprises, sample their produce and purchase at farm gate prices. It would be similar to being part of a wine club with the added advantage of experiencing not just organic wine but cheese, goat’s milk, olive oil, olives and capers to mention just a few food items.

So, to finish off as we started, the answer is to put you money where your mouth is. Your first worthwhile investment in this direction would be to become a paid up member of MOAM, which is on the forefront of supporting organic farm produce. In so doing you will never fail to make the link between your quality of life and organic produce?

By David Mallia, Razzett il-Fuklar, Organic Farm /Permaculture Operative

Malta Standards Authority licence number MT 01 A/B 001 (in conversion)