Organic versus conventionally farmed

Organic produce
Not all that long ago food the majority of food produced in the UK was grown without the aid of artificial fertilisers, antibiotics or other chemicals now routinely used to control predators and disease and so could be said to have been organic.

It is only in the years since the second World War that farming in the UK has become industrialised, moving away from small family run units to larger, in some instances, very large agri-businesses with huge investments in machinery and chemicals.

BSE and other crises
Recent years have, sadly, seen an alarming increase in the number of farmers going out of business.

Food scares, BSE, foot and mouth, ever lower prices for milk, meat, poultry and crops, cheap foreign imports and a general unwillingness on the part of both the public and successive governments to support farmers have all contributed to the decline which finally seems to have come to an end as livestock farmers at long last are seeing higher prices for their produce. 

Fortunately there are still hardy souls out there willing to put in the long hours and the work to provide us with what is, at its best, some of the finest produce in the world.

It may take a little effort to get out of our comfort zones and armchairs to go and find it but that can only be a good thing for the farming industry and for those of us concerned about the food culture and health of this country, not to mention the joy inherent in loosening the stranglehold of the supermarkets.

Organic versus conventionally produced
There is a tendency in certain circles to demonise farmers and growers using conventional production methods. This is a mistake. There are good farmers and there are bad farmers in both camps.

It is preferable to buy from a local chap who farms using conventional methods and who is offering spanking fresh produce at a competitive price than to buy tired looking stuff at greater (sometimes much greater) cost because it has the organic tag on it but which may have come from the other end of the country or indeed from another country altogether. Such judgements are really no brainers.

In an ideal world of course all our food would be free range, organic and within everyone’s budget but until that day arrives compromises have to be made. What is important is offering a viable and sustainable alternative to the Tescos and Asdas of this world.