With over 500,000 organic farms in the country, the organic food market is thriving in India. What’s more, while most foods used to be produced for export to the U.S. and Europe, recent years have seen more and more Indian families choosing to buy organic produce.

But with prices often higher than ordinary products and certain items difficult to find, some find that going organic isn’t always easy. If you’re still wondering whether organic is the best choice, read on to find out the ways in which buying organic food products can benefit your family and the environment.

shutterstock_63699730 (1)

Choose organic…for the environment

One of the biggest positives about organic farming methods is how they benefit the environment. Organic farmers don’t use the pesticides that can run into water supplies and be ingested by wildlife and people alike. So by switching to organic products, you can actually help to prevent water pollution.

Organic farmers try to preserve local wildlife habitats and encourage foraging animals and natural predators to thrive in the area. They also boost bio-diversity by growing a wide range of crops. The methods organic farmers use involve high standards of welfare for the livestock, and this in turn usually produces higher grade meat and dairy products: good news for everybody!

Because organic farmers avoid using chemicals, this prevents soil erosion. Good soil is better for everything from plants to insects to birds, and means the food chain is healthier all the way up to us at the top! 

Choose organic…for your health

Buying organic is good news for your health. Many regular packaged foods contain artificial sweeteners and hydrogenated fat. These are not found in organic products. What’s more, studies have shown that some organic foods contain higher levels of vitamins like zinc and vitamin C, so going organic can not only reduce the bad things you’re giving your family, but increase the good things, too.

Organic products are not genetically-modified. Buying GM-free meat and dairy products means you don’t have to worry about growth hormones or unnatural feed being involved in the rearing of livestock. Best of all, it’s generally agreed that organic food actually tastes better!

Choose organic…to support local farmers

Large-scale industrial farms still dominate the food market, both at home and around the world, meaning smaller farms often struggle to compete. Adopting organic processes allows these independent farmers to offer alternative products that they can charge a fair price for.

Just buying organic products from India means you can help bring money into the rural communities that really need it. In fact, organic methods are not only better for our own health, but also the health of the farmers and the local workers themselves, as they don’t have to expose themselves to chemical pesticides every day.

Lastly, all farms that have been given the India Organic certification mark are inspected every year to check standards. So by purchasing organic, you really do know how your food has been grown, handled and cared for, at every step of the way. And let’s not forget you can buy all sorts of products organically nowadays, from cotton to shampoo! Even if you just swap one item on your grocery list every week, you may be surprised at the difference it can make.