There are several reasons that drive people to buy organic products. In fact, organic spending is a choice made not only for health reasons but also for ethical, animalist and ecological issues. Let's find out how and where to buy in an informed way.
Purchase trend of organic products
In Italy, the purchase trend for products with organic certification continues to grow (in 2014 it is estimated + 17% in Italy with products of Italian or foreign origin).
While some people try to buy all the products with organic certification, much of the common consumption of organic products is made by occasional buyers who choose organic only for certain products instead of relying on a more integral and extended buying philosophy for each kind of product.
The purchasers of organic products, in fact, can be distinguished according to the purchase motivation .
Ethical motivation - animal rights in biological spending
It is often associated with the vegan philosophy or at least with a vegetarian diet but not only: even many consumers who eat meat and derivatives want their animals to live a healthy and dignified life, as much as possible in accordance with the free and natural life; so that the feeds are organic and of quality, that the animals have free spaces to graze and carry out their biological activities, that their nature is not violated with forced growth thanks to hormones or drugs, that they are not snatched from parental care prematurely, that they are transported and treated in a dignified manner.
You can learn more about the pros and cons of the vegetarian diet
Ethical and ecological motivation
Choosing products of biological origin means favoring the activities that are committed to taking care of and enriching the lands and natural environments on which they work, not limiting themselves to usurping all the resources, pushing the production machine to the maximum.
It also means to discourage the use of synthetic chemicals and GMO products, it means allowing the land to breathe, to rest, to get back in shape, it means giving time to the aquifers to purify and grow, it means biodiversity, genetic wealth, lowering of pollution .
Health motivation for organic spending
It goes without saying that genetically strong and rich foods, grown on healthy and thriving grounds, free of drugs, pollutants, synthetic products, etc., have a positive effect on health .
Nowadays it is shown how much power affects the onset of various pathologies and the free access to a lot of information on this subject plus the recommendations of many eminent exponents of the medical world have meant that many people turn to organic producers and retailers for to pay for themselves and their children.
Recognize an organic product
For certified organic food products we can verify this requirement if the European logo is present, consisting of a leaf formed by white stars on a green field and in the label is present next to the name of the producer which control body carried out the check with your reference code for organic certification.
In non-food products such as organic cosmetics, clothes and fabrics, food supplements and "herbal" products or hygiene products, there is not yet an identical recognition logo in all European countries. Each control body issues its certification logo as a product with materials coming from "organic farming" that is included in the labeling of the product subjected to the regulation of organic farming.
Where to go to buy
As far as packaged products are concerned, nowadays we can find lines of the so-called “big brands” that have developed productive sectors specifically for organic products, relying on the sale of products to large retailers. In addition to these, purely biological "big brands" have emerged that have managed to compete in the large-scale retail market, finding space both in supermarkets and specialized shops.
As regards fresh products, on the other hand, a more territorial market has developed, with local networks and agreements through which producers can sell directly to large distributors.
On the one hand this guarantees a shorter supply chain and a fresher product; on the other hand, according to the law, even fresh bulk must be packaged to avoid contamination with the conventional fresh product. Fresh organic products can also be purchased directly from producers in organic markets and weekly markets.
Nowadays there are stores specializing in the sale of organic, food and non-food products, such as cosmetics, kitchen tools, books, hygiene and cleaning products, products for children and babies, clothes, and so on.
Another way to buy organic products is to use online shops . There are portals specifically dedicated to the organic world in which various companies come together to sell on the net; or we can find sales sites in which to find both organic and conventional; or the sites of the companies themselves, and therefore also of the individual farmer or producer, who put their goods online.
Finally, another possibility to find organic products is the Solidarity Purchase Groups, or GAS.
