Organic September

Have you heard about Organic September? Its an annual celebration of all things organic of course!

Food, skincare, flowers, cosmetics, textiles and even pet food can all be certified organic, but what does that even mean?! Let us tell you - it means that the product has been produced using methods that benefit our people, planet and animal welfare.

Here at The Cheeky Panda we champion all things natural and kind to our planet, and today we want to focus on the benefits of organic food for you, and our planet too!

Organic September is a month-long campaign to raise awareness of the many benefits of organic food and farming. So what are these benefits?

It’s better for the planet

Organic farming restricts the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides (which comes from burning fossil fuels!) – this helps to lower the risk of environmental pollution. Did you know that soil is one of our most important tools in fighting climate change? Soil can store billions of tonnes of carbon and organic farming creates healthy soils. Organic soils are around 25% more effective at storing carbon – now that’s impressive!

It's better for you

I don’t know about you, but I don’t fancy a side of pesticides with my dinner. Organic farming produces food without the need for pesticides, fertilizers, additives, preservatives and other things we cant even pronounce.. we know what you are thinking - Organic… sounds expensive…

And it can be – we won’t lie to you! Organic food is more expensive due to the way it is produced. However, you can shop organic on a budget and we are going to tell you how;

• Eat seasonally
• Look out for own brand organic produce – Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Aldi and Lidl to name a few all have their own range of organic produce
• Eat less meat
• Don’t be afraid of freezing food – lots of organic fruit and veg comes frozen too
• Grow you own produce (did you see our blog post for National Allotment Week? Head here to find out how you can grow your own produce at home)

 So maybe we’ve convinced to try out organic food, but how to tell its organic? Look out for these labels;

Let us know how you’ll be celebrating Organic September in the comments box below!

Until next time,

The Cheeky Panda