When the Japanese savant Masanobu Fukuoka wrote his ‘One Straw Revolution’, people thought he was out of mind to give up a government job and take to organic farming. But today, years later, people are embracing it like they have found their saviour.
At a time when life has almost lost its organic touch, and lifestyle diseases has become part of life, it's nothing but natural to have a fancy and fad for a 'healthy lifestyle'. The entry of organic foods into the modern kitchens is too part of the concern of the modern mind to keep themselves fit as fiddle. One can easily spot how organic food edge out conventional food in the shopping lists of families and whether it really keeps you healthy or not.
The trend began nearly half-a-decade ago. It would perhaps be more appropriate to call it a retail transformation that hopes to cash in on a larger wellness trend combined with the need to shun all things synthetic that is gripping the consumer today. Organic foods, foods grown without the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and fumigants, are primarily targeted at this segment of buyers - educated, discerning and apparently health-conscious. Add to this the alarming levels of pesticides found in food products today.
Though the non-availability of organic foods and relatively high prices pulled back the consumer from opting organic foods initially, their search to lead an organic life ended up in the nearest organic outlets. As a result the takers of organic food increased from a mere 10 per cent to a whooping 50 to 60 percentage.
Health experts claim that organic food is more nutritious and flavour-rich. Long-term users of organic products give you the guarantee for it. “I have no health-related issues. No stomach upsets, acidity problems, belching and many such minor issues,” says Vidya Majnu, an employee with Huawei Technologies Limited, who has been using only organic food.
However, there were no serious efforts to popularise it in the state, until the government recently initiated a movement in massive way. Taking serious note of its importance in modern-day life, where junk foods and 'pesticide-rich' agriculture produce have thrown health and immunity out of gear, the state government plans to set up more organic farming units in all districts in the state.
The Agriculture and Horticulture Departments have proposed to provide funds to farmers’ associations to set up stalls in all districts. The outlets will be established on the lines of Jaivik Mall set up by Jaivik Krishi Society (JKS) promoted by the Horticulture Department, at the Lalbagh Botanical Gardens here.
The farmers’ associations have established organic food outlets in district headquarters of Bangalore urban, Dakshina Kannada, Belgaum, Hassan and Tumkur with the financial support from the government.
The price factor is one thing that prevents organic food making its way to middle class families in Bangalore. “I tried organic food once. But I cannot afford its price, which is nearly 30 to 50 per cent higher than that of conventional foods,” says Shoba Venketesh, a native of Hyderabad settled in Bangalore.
Shoba gets support from retailers as they say their sale targets upper middle class or upper class section of society. CM Natarajan manager of Namdhari’s Frazer Town outlet says: “We have around 300 daily customers, and all of them belonging to either upper middle class or upper class.”
But experts say this scenario would soon change.
HR Jayaram, organic farmer and secretary of Jaivik Krishi Society, says, “Organic products, being sourced in Bangalore are coming from Uttaranchal. Once we started producing organic products from the farm lands of Karnataka, it would bring the price down.”
“The government has already initiated a project wherein every district and taluk will have 50 to 80 hectares of ‘organic village’ where only organic food is grown. Thus, within the next two years, almost 150 taluk and district centres will have organic outlets. Once the supply meets demand, the price may come down. That will attract more and more consumers to organic foods, feels HR Jayaram, who also runs Era Organic, the first Institute of Market Ecology certified outlet in India.
Health conscious people always surpass the price and non-availability factors with its positive impacts. And that is what makes Fab India, the biggest organic retailer in India, prompted to get into the selling of organic food.
“It may cost some extra bucks, but I can avoid visiting my family doctor frequently. At least that is what I believe,” Aparna Kumar, who owns Adi Naturals organic outlet at Sanjay Nagar. She is all set to register her outlet as co-operative venture.
“I am getting an overwhelming response from consumers, in spite of the price factor. With more farmers are now into organic farming, price may soon come down in the near future,” she adds.
When the conventional food products, being sourced into Bangalore are, highly affected by chemicals and pesticides, Bangaloreans have no way other than opting organic foods.
But one should not forget the fact that in India, a major chunk of farmers are still using the traditional ways, which does not have the modern tag of 'organic' though.
On the flip side of the story, confusion still prevails among the consumers that whether the organic foods are better than conventional foods. Latest study by Society of Chemical Industry revealed that there is no evidence to support the argument that organic foods are better than foods cultivated using fertilizers and pesticides.
The study looked at the following crops – carrots, kale, mature peas, apples and potatoes; the staple ingredients that can be found in most families’ shopping list. It says “no systematic differences between cultivation systems representing organic and conventional production methods were found across the five crops. So the study does not support the belief that organically grown foodstuffs generally contain more major and trace elements than conventionally grown foodstuffs.”
At a time when life has almost lost its organic touch, and lifestyle diseases has become part of life, it's nothing but natural to have a fancy and fad for a 'healthy lifestyle'. The entry of organic foods into the modern kitchens is too part of the concern of the modern mind to keep themselves fit as fiddle. One can easily spot how organic food edge out conventional food in the shopping lists of families and whether it really keeps you healthy or not.
The trend began nearly half-a-decade ago. It would perhaps be more appropriate to call it a retail transformation that hopes to cash in on a larger wellness trend combined with the need to shun all things synthetic that is gripping the consumer today. Organic foods, foods grown without the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and fumigants, are primarily targeted at this segment of buyers - educated, discerning and apparently health-conscious. Add to this the alarming levels of pesticides found in food products today.
Though the non-availability of organic foods and relatively high prices pulled back the consumer from opting organic foods initially, their search to lead an organic life ended up in the nearest organic outlets. As a result the takers of organic food increased from a mere 10 per cent to a whooping 50 to 60 percentage.
Health experts claim that organic food is more nutritious and flavour-rich. Long-term users of organic products give you the guarantee for it. “I have no health-related issues. No stomach upsets, acidity problems, belching and many such minor issues,” says Vidya Majnu, an employee with Huawei Technologies Limited, who has been using only organic food.
However, there were no serious efforts to popularise it in the state, until the government recently initiated a movement in massive way. Taking serious note of its importance in modern-day life, where junk foods and 'pesticide-rich' agriculture produce have thrown health and immunity out of gear, the state government plans to set up more organic farming units in all districts in the state.
The Agriculture and Horticulture Departments have proposed to provide funds to farmers’ associations to set up stalls in all districts. The outlets will be established on the lines of Jaivik Mall set up by Jaivik Krishi Society (JKS) promoted by the Horticulture Department, at the Lalbagh Botanical Gardens here.
The farmers’ associations have established organic food outlets in district headquarters of Bangalore urban, Dakshina Kannada, Belgaum, Hassan and Tumkur with the financial support from the government.
The price factor is one thing that prevents organic food making its way to middle class families in Bangalore. “I tried organic food once. But I cannot afford its price, which is nearly 30 to 50 per cent higher than that of conventional foods,” says Shoba Venketesh, a native of Hyderabad settled in Bangalore.
Shoba gets support from retailers as they say their sale targets upper middle class or upper class section of society. CM Natarajan manager of Namdhari’s Frazer Town outlet says: “We have around 300 daily customers, and all of them belonging to either upper middle class or upper class.”
But experts say this scenario would soon change.
HR Jayaram, organic farmer and secretary of Jaivik Krishi Society, says, “Organic products, being sourced in Bangalore are coming from Uttaranchal. Once we started producing organic products from the farm lands of Karnataka, it would bring the price down.”
“The government has already initiated a project wherein every district and taluk will have 50 to 80 hectares of ‘organic village’ where only organic food is grown. Thus, within the next two years, almost 150 taluk and district centres will have organic outlets. Once the supply meets demand, the price may come down. That will attract more and more consumers to organic foods, feels HR Jayaram, who also runs Era Organic, the first Institute of Market Ecology certified outlet in India.
Health conscious people always surpass the price and non-availability factors with its positive impacts. And that is what makes Fab India, the biggest organic retailer in India, prompted to get into the selling of organic food.
“It may cost some extra bucks, but I can avoid visiting my family doctor frequently. At least that is what I believe,” Aparna Kumar, who owns Adi Naturals organic outlet at Sanjay Nagar. She is all set to register her outlet as co-operative venture.
“I am getting an overwhelming response from consumers, in spite of the price factor. With more farmers are now into organic farming, price may soon come down in the near future,” she adds.
When the conventional food products, being sourced into Bangalore are, highly affected by chemicals and pesticides, Bangaloreans have no way other than opting organic foods.
But one should not forget the fact that in India, a major chunk of farmers are still using the traditional ways, which does not have the modern tag of 'organic' though.
On the flip side of the story, confusion still prevails among the consumers that whether the organic foods are better than conventional foods. Latest study by Society of Chemical Industry revealed that there is no evidence to support the argument that organic foods are better than foods cultivated using fertilizers and pesticides.
The study looked at the following crops – carrots, kale, mature peas, apples and potatoes; the staple ingredients that can be found in most families’ shopping list. It says “no systematic differences between cultivation systems representing organic and conventional production methods were found across the five crops. So the study does not support the belief that organically grown foodstuffs generally contain more major and trace elements than conventionally grown foodstuffs.”
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