Organic, to be or not to be?

What are the parameters that categorise certain foods to be organic? How can one differentiate the regular food from organic food? According to Raj Seelam, founder and managing director of Sresta Natural Bioproducts, organic food is something that is grown naturally without using any form of chemicals that may affect one’s health negatively. Organic farming is done keeping in mind the concept of ecological balance.Seelam explains, “It is ironic that I got into the field of organic food, because earlier I used to work for selling chemical pesticides.” Seelam, who conceived the idea of producing food organically believes that this kind of food not only benefits the people who are consuming it, but also the ones who are producing it. Ask him how and he says, “Growing organic food benefits farmers in a major way because they don’t have to spend any money on the purchase of chemical fertilisers and pesticides. Everything that they would need in their field is going to be natural. This way they don’t fall into major debt either. Organic food also benefits the consumers as its consumption not only makes their health better but also protects them from various allergies that may be cropping up due to chemicals in regular food.” Apart from its personal benefits to farmers and consumers, growing food organically also contributes towards the protection of the environment.“Regular farming often leads to soil erosion, which makes the land fallow.But with organic farming, there are slim chances of soil erosion and the soil remains more hydrated, making it easier for the farmer,” reveals N Balasubramanian, CEO, Sresta Natural Bioproducts, who decided to join Seelam after being a regular customer at 24 Letter Mantra (the retail outlet of Sresta Natural Bioproducts). While there seem to be an umpteen number health benefits with intake of organic food, there is a conventional perception that healthy food doesn’t taste good. Bursting the myth, Balasubramaniam affirms, “Initially people might be apprehensive about the taste. But, on the contrary, organic food tastes a lot better.It is more wholesome with better taste.” With a growing need amongst people to maintain good health, the demand for organic food in the city has been escalating over the past two years. But certain people don’t find organic food any different from regular food.“I started purchasing organic food almost two years ago thinking it will benefit my family’s health. But, honestly I don’t find much of a difference — neither in the taste and nor in the quality.Consuming organic food may be beneficial, but it doesn’t seem to be benefiting us in anyway. Plus, I find the pricing quite exorbitant,” moans Sandhya Gulecha, a home maker in the city.Having said that, Seelam still believes that organic food is beneficial and expects that in the coming years, people will switch to it completely!