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'People don't know what organic means'
Pronoti Datta, TNN Apr 8, 2012, 01.17AM IST
In the last two years, a number of initiatives centering around organic products, that new buzzword of health-conscious urbanites, have emerged in the city. However, the question often asked is: How organic really are some of these products?
While the sale of organic products is marginal, there seem to be many more of them in the market. Garment and lifestyle store Fabindia, which sells food as well, is constantly expanding its line of organic products. Down To Earth, a three-year-old store owned by Morarka Organic Foods, has a large repertoire of products that spans quilts made from organically grown cotton to organic candy. In October 2011, Organic Garden, a store that sells vegetables, opened its first outlet at Breach Candy, while earlier this month, Organic Haus, a shop that purveys products from from Germany and Austria, opened at Kemp's Corner.
In March 2010, the Farmer's Market, a weekly bazaar at which Maharashtra's organic farmers sell their produce, was started by Kavita Mukhi, who runs Conscious Food, a 22-year-old company that sells organic products. And in August, the Mumbai Organic Farmers and Consumers Association started Hari Bhari Tokri, a service that offers organically grown vegetables.
However, certain practices make one wonder whether businesses are more concerned about bottomlines than health or the environment. For instance, one of the stores has three categories of foods under its line of organic products, and, amazingly, the 'Natural' category includes some processed foods such as powdered soups. Another sells vegetables that are individually wrapped in 'biodegradable' plastic bags. While the store attendant told us that the bags decompose in soil in six months, research has shown that biodegradable bags do not decompose easily in landfills and have toxic materials. Organic Haus sources excellent products from Germany's leading organic companies. But what of the carbon footprint that was incurred transporting the goods to India?
"There is a growing awareness that organic is healthier," says Bharat Mansata, a member of Van Vadi, a collective that practices organic farming, in Raigad district. "But people don't know what organic means. They have vaguely heard that it is better for health. There is a faddish element to it. On the supply side, there's a whole bandwagon of people wanting to make money of organic food and not all of them are principled."
Dilip Doshi, the owner of Organic Haus, defends his business with the argument that his products occupy a tiny portion of a container ship that is already transporting several tons of other products to India. His policy is to import products that do not have to be frequently shipped. "If we were importing fresh fruit that has to be finished quick, itwould be defeating the purpose," he says. Doshi imports all his products from German companies because "they are the most advanced in organic farming practices".
Kavita Mukhi believes that more companies entering the organic food market will only increase levels of awareness. "We go on about food miles but we don't think twice about buying an imported shirt," she says. "Food is a more basic necessity." Imported products, Mukhi says, will give Indian companies a benchmark for quality food. "For example, India is not making good organic pasta," she says. "They could learn from foreign companies that have been producing quality organic food for decades. People want variety in food." Mukhi hopes that "one day, every baniya will be organic".
Mansata and Mukhi agree that recent initiatives have provided an impetus that should benefit local farmers. "Organic food will help farmers get a better price," Mukhi says. "The heritage will carry on. Organic farmers are like scientists. If they die, we have nothing to fall back on. All that knowledge is gone forever. And that's exactly what's happening. Also, if you don't eat organic, your soil will get acidic, and the health of people is going to be gone."
source: 'People don't know what organic means' - Times Of India
Pronoti Datta, TNN Apr 8, 2012, 01.17AM IST
In the last two years, a number of initiatives centering around organic products, that new buzzword of health-conscious urbanites, have emerged in the city. However, the question often asked is: How organic really are some of these products?
While the sale of organic products is marginal, there seem to be many more of them in the market. Garment and lifestyle store Fabindia, which sells food as well, is constantly expanding its line of organic products. Down To Earth, a three-year-old store owned by Morarka Organic Foods, has a large repertoire of products that spans quilts made from organically grown cotton to organic candy. In October 2011, Organic Garden, a store that sells vegetables, opened its first outlet at Breach Candy, while earlier this month, Organic Haus, a shop that purveys products from from Germany and Austria, opened at Kemp's Corner.
In March 2010, the Farmer's Market, a weekly bazaar at which Maharashtra's organic farmers sell their produce, was started by Kavita Mukhi, who runs Conscious Food, a 22-year-old company that sells organic products. And in August, the Mumbai Organic Farmers and Consumers Association started Hari Bhari Tokri, a service that offers organically grown vegetables.
However, certain practices make one wonder whether businesses are more concerned about bottomlines than health or the environment. For instance, one of the stores has three categories of foods under its line of organic products, and, amazingly, the 'Natural' category includes some processed foods such as powdered soups. Another sells vegetables that are individually wrapped in 'biodegradable' plastic bags. While the store attendant told us that the bags decompose in soil in six months, research has shown that biodegradable bags do not decompose easily in landfills and have toxic materials. Organic Haus sources excellent products from Germany's leading organic companies. But what of the carbon footprint that was incurred transporting the goods to India?
"There is a growing awareness that organic is healthier," says Bharat Mansata, a member of Van Vadi, a collective that practices organic farming, in Raigad district. "But people don't know what organic means. They have vaguely heard that it is better for health. There is a faddish element to it. On the supply side, there's a whole bandwagon of people wanting to make money of organic food and not all of them are principled."
Dilip Doshi, the owner of Organic Haus, defends his business with the argument that his products occupy a tiny portion of a container ship that is already transporting several tons of other products to India. His policy is to import products that do not have to be frequently shipped. "If we were importing fresh fruit that has to be finished quick, itwould be defeating the purpose," he says. Doshi imports all his products from German companies because "they are the most advanced in organic farming practices".
Kavita Mukhi believes that more companies entering the organic food market will only increase levels of awareness. "We go on about food miles but we don't think twice about buying an imported shirt," she says. "Food is a more basic necessity." Imported products, Mukhi says, will give Indian companies a benchmark for quality food. "For example, India is not making good organic pasta," she says. "They could learn from foreign companies that have been producing quality organic food for decades. People want variety in food." Mukhi hopes that "one day, every baniya will be organic".
Mansata and Mukhi agree that recent initiatives have provided an impetus that should benefit local farmers. "Organic food will help farmers get a better price," Mukhi says. "The heritage will carry on. Organic farmers are like scientists. If they die, we have nothing to fall back on. All that knowledge is gone forever. And that's exactly what's happening. Also, if you don't eat organic, your soil will get acidic, and the health of people is going to be gone."
source: 'People don't know what organic means' - Times Of India