Do you, like many others, find it difficult to fill your entire shopping cart with organic products? Start by switching out a few important items that make a difference for the environment and people. Here are five products that are best when they're organic.
Coffee
Several toxic chemical pesticides are used on coffee plantations. They harm – and can in the worst case kill – nature, animals, and people. Choose organic coffee, it makes a big difference for everyone involved.
Bananas & Grapes
Two fruits that are heavily sprayed with pesticides. Extremely environmentally harmful pesticides are used on banana plantations that can cause nerve damage to workers and their children. And grapes, with their thin skins, can contain residues from several chemical pesticides. In an EU spot check on a package of grapes, for example, residues from 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 in other parts of the world. You contribute to cleaner water, fewer chemicals, and help more birds and flowers thrive. And in countries like Brazil, no nature and no people need to be poisoned. Why? Because eco-cows mainly munch on 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. As a bonus, 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, it should be Swedish.) 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 waterways? Yes, even in the rain that falls on us. By choosing organic, fewer toxins are spread in our nature. Potatoes are one of the crops that are sprayed the most in Sweden. A real villain is King Edward – a king who should be dethroned!
Source: The Swedish Society for Nature Conservation
