Food & Drink Directory What Does Organic Really Mean?


hay or silage or other agreed forms of forage.


Using these methods they are less likely to suffer from disease and require little veterinary attention or antibiotics.


Health Benefits


Naturally grown? Free from? No pesticides or fertilisers used? There’s a lot more to going organic than we may realise but we can be sure that the benefits have a far-reaching effect on our wildlife and countryside, and human and animal health. It can take up to three years to convert an existing non- organic farm to organic production.


OF&G


Producers and processors intending to produce or process organic products must


be subject to inspection and certification by an approved control body such as the Organic Farmers and Growers (OF&G).


OF&G is one of the UK’s leading organic certifiers, working with producers and processors to ensure their products meet the highest organic standards. The organisation certifies over 1200 farmers, who farm more than half of the UK’s organic land, as well as companies ranging from small, independent processors to major multinationals.


Pasture for Life


The Pasture for Life mark certifies that Pasture for Life


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meat and dairy comes from animals raised only on grass and pasture for their entire life. All the farms are visited


to make sure the farmers follow a set of agreed production standards, based upon the animal’s natural diet.


It also means the farmer has followed the rules set out by the Pasture-Fed Livestock Association, and the way they farm has been independently checked and certified.


A Natural Diet


Animals kept according to Pasture for Life standards are not fed any form of grain or manufactured feeds. These typically include high-energy and high-protein components such as soya, maize, wheat or pulses such as peas and beans. Intensive livestock production relies upon these to accelerate animal growth and production.


Best Animal Welfare Pasture-fed livestock are given the freedom to express their normal behaviours. The Certification Standards ensure that animals must be able to graze pastures when the grass is growing in the fields. In the winter months they can be given conserved pasture in the form of


Meat from 100% pasture-fed animals has lower total fat levels and is also lower in saturated fat content than grain-fed animals. It contains higher vitamin and mineral levels than meat from grain-fed animals.


The carbon footprint of grass farms is significantly lower than that of farms where cereal crops are grown to feed animals, something which is becoming more and more important.


The simpler and more natural, the better.


Better animal welfare. Better human health. Better flavour.


Source: OF&G and Pasture-Fed Livestock Association.


For further information see: Organic Farmers & Growers www.ofgorganic.org Pasture-Fed Livestock Association www.pastureforlife.org


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