In this section we will provide some interesting Health & Food related information.

An average family in the west throws away around 20-40 kgs of food packaging waste every month*
It takes 5,000 litres of water to make 1kg of cheese, 20,000 litres to grow 1kg of coffee, and 100,000 litres to produce 1 kg of hamburger beef*
The food industry annually spends over £10.5 billion on chemicals to add to food and alter it*
A third of all fruit and vegetables we eat contain pesticide residues*
Avocados contain a special kind of sugar that helps prevent low blood sugar, so may be the ideal diet food*

* Information from 101 Facts you should know about food by John Farndon

Five Reasons to Eat Organic

1. For Health - On average, organic fruit and vegetables contain higher levels of vitamin C, essential minerals and cancer-fighting antioxidants.

2. No Nasty Additives - Amongst the many additives banned by the Soil Association are hydrogenated fat, aspartame (artificial sweetener) and monosodium glutamate (MSG).

3. Avoids Pesticides - Over 400 chemical pesticides are rountinely used in conventional farming. Pesticides are often present in non-organic food.

4. Care for Animals - No system of farming has higher levels of animal welfare standards than organic farms working to Soil Association standards.

5. Good for Wildlife and the Environment - Organic farming is better for wildlife, causes lower pollution from sprays and produces less carbon dioxide - the main global warming gas.

"Food is steeped in oil. About 400 gallons of diesel are needed to produce the average American's food annually, and a similar figure holds here. Most of our food is produced using nitrogen fertiliser, the 'wonder chemical' enabling non-organic farmers to maximise the productivity of their fields. But such chemical fertility doesn't come free. Each one tonne of fertiliser takes one tonne of oil and 108 tonnes of water to make, giving off seven tonnes of carbon dioxide in the process. If farming is to become climate-friendly, it must rely less on fossil fuels. That means fewer chemical fertilisers, more use of rotations and natural fertility-buliding crops like clover" Robin Maynard- Soil Association.

Information provided by the Soil Association.