Doubts about organic products

Taking care of yourself is fashionable and this also includes food, the products we consume and how we consume them. People care more about their health, the greenhouse effect, the sustainable economy and the quality of life of animals and, around this, new terms emerge. We are going to see the meaning of all of them to understand well what they mean and what implications it has.

Is it the same organic, ecological and biological?

Technically these words they're synonyms and its use is due to the fact that in Spanish it is called ecological or biological, in English it is, in French, in Portuguese, in Italian etc. In short, we mix the terminology of different languages ​​but we are referring to the same. These terms refer to healthy and natural products.

In theory, organic, ecological or biological agriculture is based on the optimal exploitation of natural resources, discarding the use of pesticides, chemicals, or generically modified items. The ultimate goal is to produce and consume in a healthy, sustainable and balanced way.

Are they more nutritious?

At first it may seem obvious that an organic food is better than one that is not. But there are studies that say yes and others that say no. In 2009, one was published that indicated that organically produced tomatoes contained higher amounts of flavonoids than traditionally produced tomatoes. Now, doing a little data collection we know of scientific groups that have tested in this regard in carrots, cabbages, peas, apples and potatoes and also in organic livestock and conclude that:

Are they healthier?

As for healthy, then It depends, an organically grown apple can be very healthy but a product made under the organic "label" may or may not be healthy. We will explain ourselves, can a product made from saturated fats or very rich in sugars be considered healthy, no matter how biological it is? The reality is that no, no matter how ecological it is, if it has high percentages of sugars or saturated fats we cannot consider it to be healthy, whether it is ecological or not. Because .

So they don't have pesticides or vaccines?

Organic production logically regulates which products and medicines can be used and which products cannot, just as with conventional food production. Now the organic farming restricts the use of products of chemical origin, waiting times are increased after the use or administration of a pesticide or drug, etc. But in organic farming authorized pesticides are used Y in organic farming medicines and vaccines are administered authorized following the restrictions and limitations indicated in the regulations in this regard.

Is ecological more sustainable and less polluting?

We are talking about two of the objectives of this type of agriculture and livestock. Yes, organic products contain lower residual values of pesticides than those obtained by conventional methods. Organic farming has been shown to exert a lower environmental impact than the conventional one. So, if we buy organic food, we will be buying food that may not be more nutritious than conventional food, but it does contain less pesticides and is more sustainable.

Ecological is local?

A proximity or zero kilometer product tells us that it is a food that does not entail great expenses in transport Well, it has been cultivated, produced, elaborated… close to where we are consuming it. This enhances the local trade and avoid cost overruns in transport and energy saving for the fuel that is not consumed.

That it is proximity does not have to do with being ecological, organic or biological. Just as there are organic products that are exported, there are also non-organic products that are locally produced.

What is integrated production?

As published in the BOE (Official State Gazette), integrated agriculture, without having the restrictions and regulations that regulate organic food, takes into account anduse environmentally friendly methods as a priority, reducing the use of chemicals. Its application implies greater respect for the balance of ecosystems, reduces unnecessary pollution in the air, water and soil, and allows agricultural products to have the least amount of undesirable chemical residues possible. Each Autonomous community has a distinctive labeling level to identify these types of products.

• The concepts organic, biological, ecological can be used as synonyms as they refer to the same thing.
• Not always an organic product is healthier, you have to pay attention to the labeling as they can be products that also contain saturated fats, sugars ...
• It is about food with less pesticides and more sustainable.