Organic Fortnight is taking place from 3 to 17 September. It is a country-wide celebration of all things organic.

What is organic

and why is it important?

Food, second only to water, is essential for living. So, how food is grown is one of the most important things on the planet.

Intensive farming has become the norm. This kind of farming uses artificial pesticides on our fruit, veg and cereal to kill off pests. But these pests are food for other wildlife and farmland birds, so not only are the pests disappearing when farmers use artificial pesticides, but so is other wildlife. Artificial pesticides are one of the problems causing a decline in the number of bees in our countryside. And bees are really important as they pollinate a third of the crops we eat.

Intensive farming systems are also bad news for animal welfare as animals are kept indoors with very little space to move around.

At the Soil Association we think organic is a better farming system for the future because organic farming doesn’t rely on chemical fertilisers or artificial pesticides.

Organic farming controls pests by working with nature by attracting more wildlife who like to eat the crop-eating pests, and through crop rotation. Crops are rotated around the fields, some taking nutrients out of the soil, like wheat and oats, some adding nutrients to the soil, like clover and beans, so the soil isn’t tired out, and the crops aren’t such an easy target for pests.

Lots of different life forms are what keeps the

planet functioning.

Does organic make a

difference to animals or people?

Compassion in World Farming says organic is best for animal welfare. For example, organic chickens are free to be outside, dairy cows aren’t over-milked, and pigs are able to dig and forage as they naturally like to do.

Not only is organic food better for the environment and for animal welfare, it’s also better for you. Research shows that it is mainly artificial fertilisers that lower nutrients in fruit and vegetables. Artificial colourings and additives, such as aspartame, MSG and hydrogenated fats are banned under organic standards.

So how do you know what you buy is organic? Strict regulations, known as organic standards, define what organic can and can’t do, while also caring for the welfare of farm animals and the environment. The

Soil Association organic symbol means that the food you are buying has been grown or reared to the highest organic standards.

If you like the sound of organic food and farming, why not join in the Organic Fortnight celebrations? Come to the Organic Food Festival in Bristol on the 11-12 September, go on a Soil Association Organic Farm School course, choose to eat something organic you haven’t tried before, cook an organic meal with your friends or parents, organise an organic breakfast or lunch at your school or

visit an organic farm with your family or with your school through the Food for Life Partnership programme.