Why Organic

‘Buzz’ words are everywhere in the food industry. Natural, sugar-free, low-carb, eco-friendly. They were all invented by clever marketers, and have no clear definition or regulatory standard.

Organic is different. It’s a strictly defined set of rules that ensures food is produced as nature intended, without synthetic chemicals or processes.

And importantly, you can’t just decide to become organic overnight. It takes 12 months or more to convert an ordinary farm to a certified organic farm. That’s how long it takes to flush out the bad stuff.

If you’re thinking that it sounds like a lot of work to be certified organic. You’re right. It’s why only 1% of the world’s farmland is certified organic. ¹

1 The World of Organic Agriculture, 2017 Yearbook, FiBL, IFOAM

It’s widely known that infants and young children are more susceptible to toxic chemicals¹

In a study of over ten thousand conventionally grown fruits and vegetables, pesticide residues were found in over 75% of cases². And this was after washing and peeling!

Whilst regulators acknowledge the presence of pesticides, they claim there is no immediate health risk. However, emerging research by the American Academy of Pediatrics ³ and others suggests that high-pesticide-residue foods may induce chronic health complications in children, including neurodevelopmental issues.

At Bellamy’s Organic, we prefer not to experiment on ourselves or our kids. We never use synthetic pesticides or fertilisers.

1 National Research Council (US) Committee on Pesticides in the Diets of Infants and Children, 1993

2 U.S. Department of Agriculture, Pesticide Data program, 2018

3 Pesticide Exposure in Children, American Academy of Pediatrics, 2012

We think happy, healthy, organic cows produce the best milk.

Organic cows are ‘free range’, which means they can roam freely on pastures, eating fresh organic grass and hay. They are fed absolutely no genetically modified grain, corn or soy.

Why is a grass-rich diet important? Because it means cows produce milk with more omega-3. Research shows that organic cows milk contains 40-60% more omega-3 fatty acids than convention milk, including the most desirable long-chain omega-3 fatty acids EPA, DPA and DHA ^{1, 2}.

It’s well established that long-chain omega-3 fatty acids promote brain development and reduce the inflammatory process that leads to chronic diseases like cancer, asthma, depression, cardiovascular disease and ADHD.

What may be surprising is that only 6%* of Australian children are consuming the suggested dietary intake of long-chain omega-3s. ³ Our kids bodies can’t manufacture omega-3 by themselves. Instead, they have to incorporate certain foods into their diet.

Whilst the richest natural sources of long-chain omega-3s are oily fish like salmon and sardines, organic milk has emerged as another important source, especially for our kids.

* Only 6% of Australian children aged between 2 and 16 are consuming the suggested dietary intake of long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids.

1 Nafferton Ecological Farming Group, University of Newcastle. “Higher PUFA and omega-3 PUFA, CLA, a-tocopherol and iron, but lower iodine and selenium concentrations in organic bovine milk: A systematic literature review and meta- and redundancy analysis”. Srednicka-Tober et al. 2016. British Journal of Nutrition.

2 Organic Production Enhances Milk Nutritional Quality by Shifting Fatty Acid Composition: A United States–Wide, 18-Month Study. Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources, Washington State University. Published in PLOS in 2013

3 Researchers from the University of Wollongong’s School of Health Sciences and Metabolic Research Centre examined data on the dietary habits of 4486 children

There is a growing body of evidence to suggest that organically grown produce has some nutritional benefits over conventional produce.

One of the most ambitious studies to date found that organic fruits and vegetables have significantly higher concentrations (between 19% and 69%) of a range of antioxidants and half as much of the toxic metal cadmium ¹

Researchers site two potential causes:

1. Organic crops make antioxidant compounds in response to stress, such as exposure to insects or diseases. Conventional crops are typically protected with synthetic pesticides, which dampens their stress response.
2. Conventional crops are typically supplemented with synthetic fertilisers which effectively accelerates their growth and dilutes their nutrient content.

Whist trying to isolate the health benefits of nutrients is difficult, many antioxidants have been linked to a reduced risk of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases and certain cancers.

1 Higher antioxidant and lower cadmium concentrations and lower incidence of pesticide residues in organically grown crops: a systematic literature review and meta-analyses, Branski 2014, published in British Journal of Nutrition

Soil is more than just dirt. It’s the foundation of our food system.

Healthy soil is alive with an incredible diversity of microbes that break down organic matter like dead plants, manure, insects and earthworms. This process unlocks nutrients that are critical for plant growth.

Unfortunately, modern agricultural practices, especially the use of agrochemicals, have accelerated soil erosion, the depletion of organic matter, and chemical runoff into our waterways. A recent UN report found that generating three centimeters of top soil takes 1,000 years, and if current rates of degradation continue, all of the world’s top soil could be gone within 60 years.¹

Organic farming is widely considered as a more viable solution. It forbids the use of synthetic fertilisers and pesticides, and instead relies on the use of sustainable practices like composting, crop rotation, and cover crops to preserve soil health and fertility.

In addition, animal welfare is central to the organic philosophy. Dairy cows are raised in a more natural living environment:

• Cows must be raised ‘free-range’, with continuous access to organic pasture for their entire lives
• Cows’ diets cannot be supplemented with genetically-modified grain or grain concentrate
• The use of synthetic nitrogen supplements, growth promotants and hormones is prohibited If antibiotics are used in an emergency health situation, the cow must be removed from the milk pool for at least 6 months

With this more humane philosophy, it’s unsurprising that the milking intensity of organic cows is 30% lower than ordinary cows. ²

This means it costs us 1.3-1.6x more to produce our milk ³. Do we think it’s worth it? Absolutely.

* If antibiotics are used in an emergency health situation, the cow must be removed from the milk pool for at least 6 months

1 Global Land Outlook, UNCCD, 2017

2 A Comparison of Conventional and Organic Milk Production Systems in the U.S. Selected Paper prepared for presentation at the American Agricultural Economics Association Annual Meeting, Portland, Oregon, July 29-August 1, 2007. The difference in milk production per cow was statistically significant and nearly 30 percent less on organic operations. Organic operations averaged about 13,600 pounds of milk per cow compared to nearly 19,000 pounds on conventional operations.

3 KPMG Global organic milk production market report, 2018