September is another huge month for climate change awareness with Organic September – which should have you wondering, what is Organic September? In short, Organic September is another initiative to draw attention to climate change and spread the word about what organic food can do for the cause. Let’s discuss this in detail.
What Is Organic September?
Organic September aims to shine a light on what organic farming can do for our planet. Organic food is about more than just health and avoiding consuming toxic chemicals. While those are great benefits, organic farming methods also have great benefits to the planet:
- Higher standards of animal welfare
- Supporting biodiversity and wildlife
- Less exposure to pesticides
- Natural foods, exactly how they come out of the earth
Organic farmers have a smaller emission footprint and limit the use of imported resources, instead of using what’s readily available. Imagine this: agricultural emissions could drop by 40-50% of all of Europe’s farmland utilised organic methods.
How Does Organic Food Help The Planet?
The earth’s soil is an expansive climate change tool that we don’t hear about often. This is because it’s able to store carbon, rather than releasing it into the atmosphere. The soil holds 2,500 billion tons of carbon globally. The soil on organic farms holds even more carbon than the soil on conventional farms.
Organic foods are grown on farms that do not use artificial fertilizers or pesticides. Nitrous oxide is a greenhouse gas that is 300 times more potent than CO2. Synthetic nitrogen fertilizers, like those used in conventional farming, cause an increase in this gas in our atmosphere.
Organic farmers typically use compost and manure to build fertile soils rather than using these synthetic fertilizers. They also use nitrogen-fixing crops and crop rotations – both of which help the soil store more carbon.
Animals raised for meat on organic farms also play a part in fighting climate change. Animals that graze help fertilize the soil, which improves soil health and removes the need for synthetic fertilizers. Their grazing also helps the soil capture more carbon, as well as allowing them to require less animal feed, which releases carbon emissions during delivery.
Organic practices also create safe havens for wildlife. Bird, insect, and plant life are 50% more abundant on organic farms. For wild bees, that number jumps to 75%.
How Can You Participate in Organic September?
So how do you participate? Organic food can be expensive, and not accessible for all. Start small by taking some extra time at your grocery store. Compare the prices of conventional items to organic items and buy what you find reasonably priced. Be sure to look for sales – especially in the summertime, you can find better deals on organic food that’s in season.
Another great way to get more organic food for your money is to sign up for a local veg box scheme. A veg box is a super convenient way to get more fresh produce delivered conveniently to your door. Here are some
Don’t be afraid to check out the farmers market, as well. There, you’ll have lots of vendors to choose from. Local farmers often offer up better prices, as they compete to have lower prices at the market to beat out the competition in the next stall over. They also often carry other organic goods, like skincare.
Ultimately, no one is perfect. Do you what you can and buy organic where you can – every little bit helps! Most importantly, spread the word and ask your friends and family – “What is Organic September?” If they don’t know, educate them! You’ll double your impact.
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