Do you, like many others, find it difficult to fill your entire shopping cart with organic products? Then start by swapping out a few key items that make a difference for the environment and people. Here are five items that are best when they are organic.
Coffee
Several toxic chemical pesticides are used on coffee plantations. They harm—and in the worst cases can kill—nature, animals, and people. Choose organic coffee; it makes a big difference for everyone involved.
Bananas & grapes
Two fruits that are heavily sprayed. Extremely environmentally hazardous pesticides are used on banana plantations, which can cause nerve damage to workers and their children. And grapes, with their thin skins, can contain residues of several chemical pesticides. In an EU random test of a package of grapes, for example, residues of 20 different pesticides were found. If you can’t find organic bananas, grapes, raisins, or wine, it might be a good idea to choose something else.
Dairy products
For a few extra kronor, you can get organic dairy products that make a big difference both in Sweden and other parts of the world. You contribute to cleaner water, fewer chemicals, and more birds and flowers thriving. And in countries like Brazil, no nature or people need to be poisoned. Why? Because organic cows mostly eat plants from their own farm instead of heavily sprayed feed from the other side of the globe.
Meat
Want meat from happier animals? Choose organic. Along with that, you get the same important environmental benefits as when you buy organic dairy products. If organic isn’t available, Swedish pasture-raised meat is also good. (Nope, not Brazilian—Swedish is the way to go.) But the most important thing of all is actually to eat less meat overall.
Potatoes
Did you know that pesticides are found in almost all Swedish water? Yes, even in the rain that falls on us. By choosing organic, fewer toxins spread in our nature. Potatoes are one of the crops most heavily sprayed in Sweden. A real villain is King Edward—a king who should be overthrown!
Source: The Swedish Society for Nature Conservation
