BEHIND THE HYPE
It is undeniable that we have all been hearing the word ‘organic’ a lot more often in these past couple of years. However the hype of the organic movement that grew rapidly in the early 2000s actually had its beginnings in the 1900s, more than a century ago.
Origins of the organic movement
The meaning of the word ‘organic’ is simply all things that are natural and chemical-free.
It was in the 1920s that the organic movement had begun. That was almost around the same time industrialised agriculture was first introduced. Starting out in Europe, there had been research on chemicals that could kill insects and this was then used largely in farming. However several farmers remained insistent in using only natural means to nourish the soil and keep pests away.
These organic approaches to farming were brought to Australia from Europe around the 1950s. The all natural approach led to a wide consumer interest in health and nutrition, and the growth of the organic market encouraged more and more farmers to take on organic farming approaches.
Initially, organic produce from these farms were found only at health food stores in the 1970s, but later in the 1980s organic produce started appearing in supermarkets and became more readily available to the public in the 1990s. While organic farming was now more common, there was still not enough organic food production and industrialised farming continued to contribute most of the produce at supermarkets.
This is still a cause of concern today; can organic farmers produce enough to feed everybody? Or will these multinational food corporations continue to dominate our supermarket shelves with products of their unnaturally hazardous yet effective methods of farming?
CURRENT CRAZE
Many people all over the globe are now following the trend of going organic.
“Green is the new black”
Right here in Singapore we see how the organic movement has spread globally and its influence on the people around us. More organic produce is available at local supermarkets (NTUC, Cold Storage, Giant), more organic cafes and restaurants are popping up, and more efforts to going organic is seen even in the fashion and cosmetic industries here.
However it is a sad fact that most of us have just hopped on the organic bandwagon blindly, probably because it has become the latest in-thing.
Have you ever wondered what going organic is doing for us? Do you know how being a part of the organic movement is bringing about positive change not just for yourself but for the Earth too?
If you’re interested (and I hope you are!) to find out more, do take a look at the other pages in the drop-down menu on the left. I dive a little deeper into organic farming, food, and fashion — and trust me, it’s fun!
