You will be hard pressed to walk through a grocery store without finding items labelled organic and free-range. Social media blogs and articles are filled with advice from health/diet specialists telling us to ‘opt for organic’, or to ‘choose free-range’. We read it, we see it, we hear it, but what is the difference between them and why should we select these over regular products when filling our grocery trolley?
Free-Range
In a nutshell it means free roaming, having space to move. Free-range is all about an animal’s welfare and their ability to roam freely outdoors without being caged or fenced in. According to regulations they must also have exposure to natural sunlight and green vegetation for most of their lives. This method of farming is more expensive because the animals eat twice as much as animals raised under traditional farming methods, but the results are worth it. An international organisation sets the standards for products labelled as free-range, and in this way, consumers are assured that the milk or other items they are buying, come from an animal which has been able to roam and graze freely.
Organic
Organic farming is an agriculture system which operates focusing on sustainability, the improvement of soil quality, and biodiversity. This farming method uses organic fertilizers like compost, green manure and bone meal, rather than putting synthetic fertilisers, pesticides, antibiotics and growth hormones into their products. In fact, any products which negatively impact the environment are prohibited according to the international body which regulates organic agriculture. There is an emphasis on crop rotation and complementary planting and genetically modified organisms are not used. Organic farming sustains the health of soils, ecosystems and people, and is the gold standard which guarantees the highest level of welfare available for animals.
Is Organic Meat Free-Range?
A question I have often asked myself. Only organically registered farms can produce truly free-range animals and products. These farms have more space per animal, high standards of feeding and bedding, no routine for their animals and there is no use of antibiotics. With plenty of space to graze and forage, organically farmed food is automatically free-range. Be aware however, that not all food farmed as free-range is necessarily organic.
Your Body, Your Choice
Our health, both mental and physical, is directly related to how we are treated by the world around us, as well as by the quality and nutritional value of the food we put into our bodies. The same applies to animals and plants, how you treat them and what you feed them has a direct impact on their quality of life and health, and as a result, on their flavour.
Organic and free-range food tastes delicious and is nutritious, so choosing to fuel your body with quality food, is choosing to put your health and the health of your family first. Choose organic, choose free-range, choose Wildsprout, and in so doing, help to protect the environment! Join Wildsprout in our pursuit towards living a healthy, conscious lifestyle.