There is a slow but increasing demand in urban societies in India for the organic food nowadays .In an article published in a Times group daily edition, the reasons given by educated urban dwellers for the interest in organic food came out as the following, one being "it would be better for my children and the environment" and the other being "it often tastes much better".
Thousands of these city residents are driving the demand for organic food, which is now a huge Rs.5.6 billion market in India, according to the International Competence Centre for Organic Agriculture (ICCOA) in Bangalore.
"Organic food is now more accessible in India, with more shops coming up and more information available to those who want it," said another Indian city resident. With growing awareness of the nature and number of dangerous chemicals being used in modern agriculture, more consumers are turning towards food grown organically.
According to the Assocham report published recently only one out of 30 people in India's metros ask consciously for organic food today. Organic produce costs about 35 to 40 percent more "due to scarcity of organic products" as per the report.
While the higher price may deter many consumers from buying organic, others may say that the benefits outweigh the higher expenditure. For many people, it's a choice to support the organic movement. "You're paying because you believe."
"If people were to make a conscious decision to eat organic, they can easily afford the price difference by eating out just one time less than they do," a retail organic food store owner said in the published article.
In recent studies published in the US and Britain it was found that the nutritional levels in organic produce are much higher. One actually gets the benefits ascribed to a certain fruit, vegetable or grain.
A study conducted at the University of California found the amount of the flavonoids quercetin and kaempferol was respectively 79 percent and 97 percent higher in organic tomatoes. Flavonoids reduce haemorrhoids, aid blood circulation lower cholesterol, prevent and treat cataracts and even combat cancer.
Research at Britain's Newcastle University found the levels of antioxidants in milk from cattle raised on organic feed to be 50-80 percent higher than in milk from other cattle.
The following may be just a few of the reasons for people going organic-
• Safer - for all living things on earth
• Healthier due to higher nutritive value and no bad effects from pesticides
• Pro-environment as it replenishes soil, creates less pollution (from production as well as the use of chemical fertiliser and pesticides) and maintains the ecological balance.
There are three kinds of organic food currently in the market.
• Traditionally organic - farms that follow traditional agricultural practices and have never used chemical pesticides or fertiliser. These include small farms whose owners are organic farmers by default, as they cannot afford synthetic fertiliser or pesticides.
• In-convergence organic - farms that have recently switched to organic farming and are in the process of acquiring certification; they are under the purview of certifying agencies.
• Certified organic - farms that are certified organic by agencies such as SGS, Skal, Ecocert or Indocert; certification is fairly new in India, and has developed with an eye to exports. However, with greater awareness, even the Indian consumer is seeking certified organic products.
One cannot ignore the fact that slowly worldwide organic food will probably become a way of healthy living with increasing awareness of global warming and increasing pollution.
