Growing demand for organic veggies

MAJOR HEALTH BENEFITS

l 69% higher levels of antioxidants in fruits and vegetables

l 50% of high levels of healthy omega-3 fatty acids in meat & dairy

l 48% lower levels of the toxic metal cadmium

l Prevents human body from toxic and synthetic pesticides or fertilizers intake

l Reduces need of antibiotics and controls synthetic growth hormones

l Need not add artificial flavors, colours or preservatives for taste and colour of food

l Cleans off sewage sludge or irradiation

Hyderabad: This is certainly a palatable news to relish. Even as pandemic is surging, people are becoming increasingly inclined to eat healthy food to boost their immunity to keep the deadly virus impact mitigated or even fend it off. Which is why, more and more people are joining the bandwagon of organic veggies which are free of chemical fertilisers and pesticides for good harvest. This growing trend has given rise to a host of organic vegetable outlets that promise farm-to-plate food items that are wholesome and nutritious. Online vegetables in Hyderabad have proven to be highly effective in managing the body weight which is also a prominent reason for drawing more youngsters to switch to organic food.

"Demand is constantly increasing for organic products in the city. Raw food items like cherry tomatoes, pomegranates, cheeku etc have witnessed demand at our outlets. We get avocado from Kodai farms and they are all on high demand all the time. As winter is settling in, we are observing demand in sales of raddish and beetroot," said Kaushik, founder, Good Seeds. Explaining the price variations of organic and non-organic products in the market, he said: "At every Ratnadeep, we see a section for organic. Many outlets are mushrooming but the point comes up where we have to consider its origin and where it is grown and how it is grown to measure its value. We have been doing it for the last five years. We have been selling from least price to highest price but definitely there will be around 20% to 25% price variation between non-organic and organic foods."

"Natural farming is always healthy, without using any pesticides. We arrange organic markets every Sunday. We also have a farm where we grow our harvest in the natural farming methods in our organic farms in Dharu. We also have Sacred Space. We also present our space to sell organic products to benefit farmers on every Sunday. Turmeric from Zahirabad, onions , oils, pulses, organic ghee and many organic products from across India will be exhibited and sold at affordable prices. We usually organise it every Sunday, but due to pandemic, we put on hold our programmes and shortly we will be back with our services," informs Nayantara, organiser, Our Sacred Space (OSS). "Currently, we grow about 1,500 kg of onions and we are trying to make vegetable boxes of different types of organic vegetables packed in a box, where people come every week and pick up the box. We are still growing the vegetables and it's our next project," she added.

After the pandemic, people become more sensitised on food in-take and around 40% of the urban population is said to have switched to organic food because a lot of serious health issues are being faced by people. The organisers connect with the farmer to get organic food directly at their outlets such as Emerald Sweet House, Sahaja Aharam, N-mantra Skin Care Products, Hyderabad Goes Green, Good Seeds and many others. "I would say it is healthier to buy local fruits and vegetables which are organic. Produce that has to get transported across continents or even across oceans tends to be harvested before they may have their maximum levels of nutrients, antioxidants, and carotenoids. It is a wise choice to be healthy and am using organic products for the past five years and have no health issues," says G Geethanjali, a GFX expert and a consumer at Good Seeds.

"I want the organic market to grow beyond the limits. The organic food market in India is growing at 25-30 per cent, but the awareness about organic farming is still low in India despite huge spending. Organic pulses and foodgrains should take the lion's share of market. So, if we support farmers in producing more of organic products, we will be benefited and will be healthy forever," said Kunal Deva, an entrepreneur, Sri Venkateshwara Food Courts, Hyderabad.

Fruits and vegetables

v Use of natural fertilizers for the soil such as manure or compose

v Use of natural methods to control pest, weeds, insects and parasites

v May not cultivate any genetically modified plants

Livestock and dairy

v Use of only organic food as source of nourishment

v May not be treated with antibiotics, hormones or other medication

v Must have access to direct sunlight, freedom to move around and fresh air, Additionally, livestock and milking cows must have access to pastures for at least 4 months of the year

Definition of "Organic"

v Organic foods are foods that are produced using methods of organic farming— with limited modern synthetic inputs such as synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers. ❖

v Organic food is produced using environmentally and animal friendly farming methods.

Making the switchover

As the majority of southern households, use dal as a priority addition to meals. One can start with organic pulses. Then start over with organic raw consumption of food items like carrot, onions and others. Then you can slowly add organic green leafy vegetables.

Major outlets in city

l Sestak Natural Bio products near GVK One

l Good Seeds in Film Nagar

l Green Station in Gandipet

l Meoan Organics, Lance Hills

l Kosagaram Organic Store, Gachibowli

l 24 Mantra Organic Store, Marredpally

l Terra Greens Organic, Begumpet

l Sahaja Aharam, Gandhinagar

l KIAH Super Food, Hafeezpet